MIAMI.- The Senate of Florida unanimously approved a measure that regulates products made from hemp in the state, such as vaporizers or gummies, among others, and the House is expected to eventually do the same in the coming days.
The measure would be based on a law that prohibits the sale of hemp extract products intended for human ingestion to anyone under 21 years of age.
The standard also seeks to guarantee the quality, labeling and cultivation of products derived from hemp, a plant in the hemp family. marihuana which is used to obtain fiber, oil and narcotic substances.
Hemp is a variety of the cannabis plant that contains no more than 0.3% THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana. Therefore, hemp supposedly does not produce intoxicating effects, but is instead used for industrial, medicinal or recreational purposes.
According to Senate Health Policy Chair Colleen Burton, who is the sponsor of the initiative, the proposed restrictions address “health and safety” concerns that have arisen as the use of products containing THC increases.
Among the most popular hemp products is CBD oilwhich is extracted from the plant and is used to treat various ailments, such as anxiety, pain or epilepsy.
The bill would prohibit Florida companies from manufacturing or selling products like vaporizers and gummies that contain more than 0.3 percent delta-9 and would set limits on other cannabinoids.
It would also create a certification program for producers and laboratories that analyze products, while prohibiting the sale of hemp products to those under 18 years of age and establishing penalties for violators.
Florida hemp producers, including entrepreneurs from other states where there are regulations similar to those being debated in the Florida Congress, have shown themselves against the legislative proposal.
If this legislation is finally approved by both state houses and is endorsed by Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida would join other states that have already regulated hemp, such as Colorado, Kentucky or Vermont.
