Gov. DeSantis vetoes Florida hemp bill, citing small business concerns

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill on Friday that would place restrictions on the sale of hemp products in Florida.

The bill, SB 1698, states the following:

Providing conditions for the manufacture, delivery, hold, offer for sale, distribution, or sale of hemp extract. Prohibiting businesses and food establishments from possessing hemp extract products that are attractive to children. Prohibiting the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services from granting permission to remove or use certain hemp extract products until it determines that such hemp extract products comply with state law, etc.

DeSantis has decided to veto the bill because he believes it would impose debilitating regulatory burdens on small businesses and fail to achieve its purposes. He also says the bill would introduce dramatic disruption and harm to many small retail and manufacturing businesses in Florida.

DeSantis says he encourages the legislature to consider the following:

• Quality Control
• Labeling, Marketing, and Packaging
• Retail Sales

DeSantis says he encourages the Florida Legislature to discuss the bill further during the next Legislative Session with those conditions in mind.

For these reasons, he is withholding his approval and vetoing SB 1698.