By Eric Stevens
What a past month and week it has been for Hemp in Florida. The state had 3 different meetings in Tallahassee just last week on Hemp as the legislature held its first Committee week of the year. We heard about all of the great research work being done by the University of Florida that will benefit everyone. Then I was at the Florida Nursery and Garden Show in Orlando to hear a Panel titled Hemp Hype. Jeff Greene, Holly Bell, and Jerry Finkhauser from UF were speaking about their experiences and what we should expect from the new regulatory changes that are about to be released for those involved in Hemp and CBD.
I know that our members will be submitting any comments still needed like they did last time the draft rules came out, but there is too much happening to not stay informed. So make sure you get involved as a member of FLHC so we can keep you current. We are excited as we heard about many of the changes such as there not being a bond required anymore, but there is still some more change coming. Many of these changes were made after listening to all of the input they got at workshops held all over the state. The Department of Agriculture and Steven Hall are undertaking an enormous task and doing great work. We are excited for Florida’s Hemp future.
We are in the process of launching our updated website and features to help make sure you can stay informed and connected in October. We are excited about the new board members we have signed up and also the formation of our Legal Committee. Both will continue to add to our information and we can continue to build on all of this from the very beginning. Let’s build a stronger Florida Agriculture system together, as that has been Florida’s backbone for a long time. Maybe one day hemp will even be featured on our license plates, just as the Florida orange always has been. We know Porsche has a new racecar body made of hemp so they will be ready. Let’s make sure Florida is as informed as they can be to be the leader on all things hemp.
