{"id":75812,"date":"2024-05-31T09:07:14","date_gmt":"2024-05-31T17:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/05\/31\/desantis-reportedly-plans-to-veto-florida-hemp-ban-in-hopes-industry-will-help-defeat-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative\/"},"modified":"2024-05-31T12:45:38","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T20:45:38","slug":"desantis-reportedly-plans-to-veto-florida-hemp-ban-in-hopes-industry-will-help-defeat-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/05\/31\/desantis-reportedly-plans-to-veto-florida-hemp-ban-in-hopes-industry-will-help-defeat-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"DeSantis Reportedly Plans To Veto Florida Hemp Ban In Hopes Industry Will Help Defeat Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The governor of Florida is reportedly planning to veto a bill that would ban consumable hemp-derived cannabinoid products such as delta-8 THC, apparently because he\u2019s hoping the hemp industry will help finance a campaign opposing a marijuana legalization initiative on the state\u2019s November ballot.<\/p>\n

As Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) prepares to step up his push against the legalization measure, officials close to the governor who spoke anonymously to CBS News say he\u2019s plotting to leverage the hemp industry\u2019s economic interest in participating in the intoxicating cannabinoid market to convince people to vote against marijuana reform.<\/p>\n

DeSantis has made abundantly clear that he\u2019s against marijuana legalization<\/a>, arguing that the state shouldn\u2019t go beyond the existing medical cannabis program and that broader reform would negatively impact the quality of life for Floridians.<\/p>\n

But in the background, another cannabis battle has played out in the state legislature, with lawmakers in both chambers approving a bill to severely restrict consumable hemp products. It hasn\u2019t been formally transmitted to the governor yet, but a source told the local news outlet that \u201che\u2019s going to veto.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe marijuana people are furious,\u201d they said, \u201cand they are scrambling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another source said there was \u201cnever a thought the governor would veto the bill,\u201d but \u201cthey are now signaling that they are going to veto, and I think it would be fair to say he is leaning toward a veto.\u201d<\/p>\n

By vetoing the legislation, the governor is reportedly banking on hemp businesses returning the favor by aiding in his campaign to defeat the marijuana legalization initiative. It\u2019s unclear if that would play out, but it is the case that certain leadership in the Florida Republican Party, which formally came out against Amendment 3 earlier this month<\/a>, have close ties to the hemp industry.<\/p>\n

The state party\u2019s president and interim executive director, Evan Power and Bill Helmich, are both top lobbyists for the Florida Healthy Alternatives Association that represents hemp stakeholders.<\/p>\n

DeSantis\u2019s political strategy is somewhat paradoxical. He\u2019s voiced concerns about access to high potency THC products as part of the reason he opposes marijuana legalization, yet he\u2019s reportedly willing to strike down a bill that would effectively eliminate an existing, largely unregulated market that sells intoxicating products without public health safeguards.<\/p>\n

Another unnamed source pointed to that seeming contradiction, saying<\/a> it\u2019s hard to square how a person can be \u201cagainst recreational marijuana and be in support of hemp.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t make sense, unless what you are really looking for is money from the hemp industry,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

Adding to the intrigue, DeSantis\u2019s reported plan to reject the hemp restriction bill<\/a> would align him with one of his most vocal political opponents, former state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the current chair of the Florida Democratic Party who has long championed the hemp and who unsuccessfully sought her party\u2019s nomination to challenge the governor in the 2022 election.<\/p>\n

\u201cExpanding access to cannabis is a non-partisan issue with broad support in Florida,\u201d Fried told CBS News. \u201cHemp products provide relief to millions of Floridians\u2014including veterans, seniors, and patients with chronic pain. Any attempts at regulation should protect consumers, while considering the impact on accessibility for patients and the ability of small businesses to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n

The seeming conflict between hemp and marijuana stakeholders in Florida has also recently played out in Congress, where there\u2019s disagreement between the sectors about an amendment that was recently attached to the House version of the 2024 Farm Bill that would effectively ban most consumable hemp-derived cannabinoids<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Kim Rivers, the chief executive of the multi-state cannabis operator Trulieve that\u2019s financially supporting the Smart & Safe Florida campaign, said recently that she remains confident DeSantis will respect the will of the people<\/a> and implement the legalization initiative if voters approve it at the ballot.<\/p>\n

She also again challenged surveys that have been released in the weeks since the Florida Supreme Court cleared the initiative for ballot placement. She reiterated that\u00a0internal polls show the measure passing with a comfortable margin<\/a>, despite the steep 60 percent threshold required to approve a constitutional amendment.<\/p>\n

Smart & Safe Florida separately announced in March that it was\u00a0working to form a coalition of veterans<\/a>\u00a0to build voter support for the reform, and the campaign\u00a0has since formally launched that initiative<\/a>.<\/p>\n

DeSantis also previously\u00a0predicted voters will reject the marijuana initiative in November<\/a>\u00a0and argued that passage would \u201creduce the quality of life\u201d in the state.<\/p>\n

While the campaign and companies backing the measure remain optimistic about its prospects this November, recent surveys continue to raise questions about that possibility.<\/p>\n

For example, a survey that was done for the Florida Chamber of Commerce by Cherry Communications found that\u00a058 percent of Florida likely voters back the legalization measure<\/a>, compared to 37 percent who oppose it and five percent who are undecided. As Rivers pointed out last week, however, the chamber has actively opposed the initiative.<\/p>\n

While the campaign hasn\u2019t shared its internal polling, it is the case that prior surveys have shown the initiative in a more comfortable position than the two most recent public polls did. A University of North Florida (UNF) poll released last November found\u00a0nearly 70 percent of voters are in favor of the reform, for example<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Economic analysts from the Florida legislature and DeSantis\u2019s office, estimate that the marijuana legalization initiative would\u00a0generate between $195.6 million and $431.3 million<\/a>\u00a0in new sales tax revenue annually if voters enact it. Those figures could increase considerably if lawmakers opted to impose an additional excise tax on cannabis transactions that\u2019s similar to the ones in place in other legalized states.<\/p>\n

If approved, the measure would change the state Constitution to allow existing medical cannabis companies in the state, such as Trulieve, the campaign\u2019s main financial contributor, to begin selling marijuana to all adults over 21. It contains a provision that would allow\u2014but not require\u2014lawmakers to take steps toward the approval of additional businesses. Home cultivation by consumers would not be allowed under the proposal as drafted.<\/p>\n

Adults would be able to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis, only five grams of which could be marijuana concentrate products. The three-page measure also omits equity provisions favored by advocates, such as expungements or other relief for people with prior cannabis convictions.<\/p>\n

Nearly all of the campaign\u2019s financial backing has come from existing medical marijuana businesses, predominantly multi-state operators. Recently, the Florida Division of Elections (DOE)\u00a0released the campaign finance activity report from the first quarter of the year<\/a>, showing nearly $15 million in new contributions.<\/p>\n

Trulieve, the main financial backer of the initiative, led the pack again with $9.225 million in donations during the first quarter. That follows the company previously contributing\u00a0about $40 million as advocates\u00a0worked to collect more than one million signatures to qualify for ballot placement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s CEO also said recently that, contrary to the governor\u2019s claims, legalization\u00a0could actually \u201cimprove quality of life\u201d for residents<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014
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Here\u2019s what the Smart & Safe Florida marijuana legalization initiative would accomplish:<\/strong><\/p>\n