The Florida House on Tuesday approved a bill that sets an age limit of 21 for hemp products that contain THC but does not impose THC caps included in the original version of the bill, Florida Politics reports. The measure passed the state Senate late last month and moves next to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
The measure includes a ban on cannabis product packaging that is “attractive to children.” The bill that was first introduced in the House had included a limit of 0.5 milligrams of THC per dose and 2 milligrams per container, but those provisions were removed before being approved by the chamber. The measure does not include regulations for topicals, such as creams, lotions, shampoos, or other non-ingestible hemp products.
The bill also includes testing protocols for hemp-derived edible products.
The legislation is backed by hemp industry stakeholders, who had opposed the original version due to the THC caps, and by the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
A report by Whitney Economics suggests the Florida hemp industry employs more than 100,000 people and generates $3.5 billion in wages. A survey of hemp industry operators in the state found that 67% of respondents said restrictions included in the original House bill would have forced them out of business.
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