Florida’s Proposed Hemp Bill Impacts Us All
All Art Courtesy of Rebekah Jenks
Fellow Floridians and cannabis community!
The last several weeks we’ve seen Senate bill 1676 and House bill 1475 panic the hemp industry. These bills as written would effectively put tens of thousands of small business owners out of business. As bad as that sounds, that’s not all. Perhaps the biggest concern of these bills are the proposed limit of no more than 2 milligrams of any hemp derivative per package. As many of us in the Hemp industry know, this would be absolutely devastating if passed.
We believe we can work with legislators to upgrade these bills to protect children and keep small businesses open. Most Hemp companies in the state of Florida are start-ups.The federal passing of the 2018 Farm Bill Act enabled small businesses, farmers, and companies like our own Siesta G to make a livelihood serving the community with this plant.
If we’re speaking economics, hemp brings in around $240 million in state tax revenue. The passage of SB1676 and HB1475 would not just impact the state, but impact the community. Roughly 100,000 Floridians are employed in the hemp industry, not to mention the consumers who use hemp products. Our clients at Siesta G range from veterans to Metastatic cancer patients. All of whom enjoy our products either because of the accessibility (no medical card requirement) or because of the low potency and medicinal aspects hemp offers.
These bills would create strict requirements on the selling of Hemp and CBD products,making it even more difficult if not impossible for any small businesses to survive. For example, the bills would put strict milligram limits in place. For small businesses, a milligram limit will have unintended consequences such as new packaging and new products. As a small company, that would make it very difficult for us to continue because the costs would be so steep.
If passed as is, these bills would make hemp products and all other cannabis products only available in big MSO’s already benefiting from vast regulatory capture. By knocking out all of their competition, MSO’s and those baking these bills would devastate all mom and pop hemp businesses. At Siesta G, we refuse to accept what is happening. We want to fight back and keep Hemp businesses alive in Florida. We believe that everyone should have access to Hemp and small businesses should have the right to exist, stay in business, and feed their families. Competition is natural in business but greed is greed.
We believe in the hemp plant and its ability to serve our community in a more healthy, holistic way. It is imperative that we all take action NOW if we want our voices to be heard! We must work together and fight for the Hemp industry's future here in Florida.
Join us in this fight and help make a difference today! Together we can save Hemp businesses like our own Siesta G, and all those like it, from certain demise. We need your help spreading the word. If you’re in Florida, contact your local senators or representatives to make sure these bills don't pass! Let's keep our hemp industry thriving, together! Sign the petition from the Florida Healthy Alternatives that will help us continue to fix these bills and keep our industry alive.
Thank you for standing with us in this fight! Together we can make a difference and create more opportunities for the Hemp Industry.
With Love,
The Siesta G Team 🌱❤️😊💚✌️🌿🤙
Siesta G is a full line of premium hemp products based in Brandon, Florida. Part of our mission is to break stigmas attached to cannabis and bring attention to important votes in freeing the plant. Our CEO, Brandon Gomes, built up a following through his lead role in hit television series, MTV’s Siesta Key. We use his platform as our own advantage to advocate for fair legislation regarding hemp in our state of Florida.