Florida: Second Senate Committee Votes Unanimously to Legalize Industrial Hemp

Florida: Second Senate Committee Votes Unanimously to Legalize Industrial Hemp

Florida’s Senate Criminal Justice Committee has approved Senate Bill 902, a proposal to legalize hemp, with a unanimous 5 to 0 vote. The measure was approved last week, also unanimously, by the Senate Agriculture Committee.

If passed into law, the proposal – titled the Hemp Industry Development Act and filed by Senator Jeff Clemens – would allow those wanting to cultivate hemp to become legally licensed with the state to do so. The Agriculture Department would be the entity tasked with handling licenses and regulations.

According to a recent report by the Hemp Industries Association, there was over $600 million in hemp products sold in the U.S. in 2014, not including sales from many major retailers such as Whole Foods and Costco.

Senate Bill 902 has been sent to the Senate Regulated Industries Committee, where its passage will send it to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

– TheJointBlog