Year Two of Florida Hemp

Year Two of Florida Hemp

With your Southeast Regional Ag Report, I'm Trevor Williams.

April 27, marked the one-year anniversary of Florida’s state hemp program, overseen by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. withing the department, the Office of Cannabis manages and regulates Florida’s hemp program and cannabis products, including CBD. Of the anniversary, **Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried** offered the following statement:

“Florida’s state hemp program is leading the way in creating great jobs, safe and useful products, and a bright future for this new industry. It’s a great crop for Florida’s farmers with the potential for over 25,000 uses including textiles, biocomposite building materials, biodegradable packaging products, and food and medicinal products like CBD,”

Commissioner Fried goes on to explain that Florida Hemp created an estimated $370 million economic impact and generates over $17 million in federal, state, and local tax revenue. The new industry also supports over 9,000 jobs.

In the second year of the program, more focus will be on public education and outreach on the benefits of hemp, supporting hemp producers, processors, and retailers. The hope is that the added education and support will meet the needs of the growers and retailers while also better educating the public on hemp and its benefits.

In 2021, FDACS will put increased emphasis on consumer outreach and education in multiple languages for diverse audiences, and today released a bilingual hemp education video in Spanish and English.

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