Legal & RegulationsArticle10 Jun, 2024

Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoes bill to restrict sales of hemp products in Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday delivered a victory to potential pot competitors by vetoing a measure that would have severely restricted the sales and production of euphoria-inducing hemp-based products.

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Ron DeSantis - who's come out swinging against a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational marijuana - on Friday delivered a victory to potential pot competitors by vetoing a measure that would have severely restricted the sales and production of euphoria-inducing hemp-based products.

Lawmakers passed the bill (SB 1698) in March, with supporters arguing it would address safety concerns as the use of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, has boomed.

The bill would have banned the sale of products containing what is known as delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol and limited the amount of delta-9 THC. Delta-8 and delta-9 are cannabinoids in hemp that can get people high.

In a statement sent to CBS News Miami's Jim DeFede, bill sponsor, Senator Colleen Burton said, "As prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1698, related to food and hemp products, it is very disappointing this legislation was vetoed."

In a veto message Friday, DeSantis said the legislation's "goals are commendable" but that it "would, in fact, impose debilitating regulatory burdens on small businesses and almost certainly fail to achieve its purposes."

Hemp farmers and businesses that sell and manufacture hemp-derived products vehemently objected to the bill, saying it would effectively shutter the industry and cost the state thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in lost revenue.

But the Senate unanimously approved the bill, and the House passed it in a 64-48 vote in the final days of this year's legislative session.

DeSantis' veto letter urged lawmakers to reconsider the issue during the 2025 legislative session "and engage with all relevant stakeholders to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for the manufacture and sale" of hemp and hemp-derived products.

"Sensible, non-arbitrary regulation will provide businesses and consumers alike with much-needed stability - safeguarding public health and safety, allowing legitimate industry to flourish, and removing bad actors from the market," DeSantis wrote.

The Florida Healthy Alternatives Association, which represents the hemp industry, praised DeSantis' decision.

"The Legislature heard our concerns, but didn't fully appreciate the impact of their legislation. Governor DeSantis understands that everyday Floridians rely on hemp and CBD products to stay away from harmful and addictive medications and that thousands of Floridians have built local businesses to serve this critical need," the group said in a prepared statement.

The veto letter offered a roadmap for a revamped bill, advising lawmakers to focus on quality control, retail sales and labeling, marketing and packaging.

Future legislation should "include random, unannounced inspections, standardized and repeated testing, and dosing, packaging, and unit purchase caps that better correspond to the character of the products and their intoxicating capabilities," DeSantis wrote.

"Upon review, Senate Bill 1698's effort to address those limitations misses the mark," he added.

In addition, the governor recommended that lawmakers "ensure that hemp-derived cannabinoids are sold behind the counter" and that hemp retail shops be distanced from schools, religious institutions and other places where children and families gather.

"These shops should not present themselves as medical offices, and the Legislature should consider measures to prevent the ubiquity and concentration of these retail locations in communities across the state," his letter said.

...

Excerpt only …