Floridians will still have access to buying and using delta-8 and other hemp products as Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that aimed to reshape Florida’s marketplace.
As the bill, SB 1698, moved through Florida’s legislative process, it was opposed by consumers who said they need the products for their physical and mental health and by businesses that said it would cause thousands of Floridians to lose their jobs.
DeSantis, based on his veto letter, seemed to agree. In the letter, DeSantis said the bill would “impose debilitating regulatory burdens on small businesses” and would “introduce dramatic disruption and harm to many small retail and manufacturing businesses in Florida.”
A study commissioned by a hemp trade group found that Florida’s hemp market racked up more than $10 billion in sales in 2022 and employed more than 100,000 people, according to media reports.
DeSantis said he would encourage the Legislature to return to the topic next session to create a regulatory framework for Florida’s hemp marketplace.
“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 said.
He listed three areas he would like the Legislature to focus on: quality control, product packaging requirements and looking at how and where hemp products are sold.