Hemp Expected to Pass Two Committees this Week

The Florida House and Senate are both hearing hemp bills in committee this week. On Monday, the Senate Agriculture Committee is going to hear SB 1020. The proposed committee substitute makes it a virtual carbon copy of HB 333. The new version has some great stuff, but language requiring hemp license holders give up their Fourth Amendment Right by agreeing to inspections by any state or local law enforcement agency should give us pause. There is no question this bill will pass on Monday then head to its final stop, the Rules Committee. The Agriculture Committee meets at 1:30 PM in room 301 Senate Office Building.

House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee State Affairs is the next stop for House Bill 333. This is the first hearing for HB 333 in the House. The House Committee meets on Tuesday at 12 noon in room 12 House Office Building. From the Agriculture Subcommittee this bill heads to the Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee.

The proposed bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture to produce rules within 90 days of the bill becoming law. Those rules form the basis of a plan to be submitted to the US Secretary of Agriculture.

Our President Ethel Rowland spoke at the USDA meeting on hemp last week. More than 3000 people joined the 3-hour discussion. Florida CAN was the only Florida based group to speak.