TAMPA, Fla. — Hemp stores across the state of Florida are opening this week with a sigh of relief while praising Gov. Ron DeSantis for vetoing a bill they say would’ve put their industry in jeopardy.
“There was a glimmer of hope that paid off,” said Carlos Hermida, owner of Chillum Hemp Dispensaries in Ybor City and St. Petersburg.
For months, Hermida has been collecting letters from customers urging the governor to veto SB 1676, a legislature-passed bill that would’ve banned delta-8 and imposed several restrictions on hemp-derived products.
Some of the products get customers high; others have no such effect and are used for medicinal purposes.
Hermida says if the bill was signed, it would’ve taken 75% of what he sells off the shelf, potentially putting him out of business — and he’s praising the governor for vetoing it.
“He showed very quickly as soon as it hit his desk that he stands for small businesses and Floridians,” Hemida added.
The bill made its way to the governor's desk Friday, months after passing the legislature. In a Senate transmittal letter, DeSantis said while the bill's goals are commendable, it would "impose debilitating regulatory burdens" on small businesses in Florida.
"Senate Bill 1698 would introduce dramatic disruption and harm to many small retail and manufacturing businesses in Florida - businesses that have emerged due to recent legislation paving the way for the commercial use of hemp."
In the letter, DeSantis also stated legislators should continue working on the issue in the next legislative session, with a focus on cracking down on quality control, product marketing and where hemp stores are located.
"Small businesses are the cornerstone of Florida's economy," DeSantis said in the letter.
The governor ended his letter by encouraging the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to continue rooting out products that violate state law.
“We welcome regulations, but the state has to be able to enforce those,” Hermida said. While it’s a pleasant surprise for hemp-related business owners like himself, he and legal experts wonder what’s to come.
“Whether you support the bill or not, it's nearly impossible to not find the irony of [Governor DeSantis’] position,” said Attorney Dustin Robinson, founding partner of Mr. Cannabis Law.
Robinson says the irony lies in the governor taking a public stance against a ballot measure this November that would legalize recreational marijuana sales. Earlier this year, DeSantis questioned if the state needs to do more since medical marijuana is already legal.
“This state will start to smell like marijuana in our cities and towns. It will reduce the quality of life," he predicted.
Hemp and marijuana are two similar but separate industries and Robinson believes they could be further pitted against each other as the election nears.
“[DeSantis] knows he'll have a second bite at the apple with respect to the hemp issue in the next legislative session. So I think his strategy here is to leverage the hemp stakeholders to try to fight and beat this recreational marijuana initiative,” Robinson suggested.
For now, hemp advocates agree the governor’s veto pen is a lifeline.
“There are high spirits around here,” Hermida added.