Last week, the Florida Legislature filed a bill (HB 1475) to redefine hemp extract as food and effectively kill the state’s booming novel cannabinoid industry. The bill will ban most, if not all, novel cannabinoid products and restrict dosages. 

Key Rules Affecting Hemp Businesses:

• Hemp extract no longer falls under Florida’s total THC by dry-weight requirements. If Florida enacts HB 1475, hemp extract can not exceed .3% total Delta-9 THC on a wet weight basis, ensuring products contain sub-psychoactive levels. 

• Synthetically derived cannabinoids will no longer fall under the state’s hemp OR hemp extract definitions, effectively banning novel cannabinoid products like Delta-8, HHC, and THCO.

• Products may not exceed 0.5 milligrams total THC* per dose or 2 milligrams total per container.

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Florida’s Revised Hemp Definitions:

• “Hemp extract” now includes non-synthetically derived hemp products not traditionally defined as food, like snuff, chewing gum, and smokeless products.
• "Synthetically derived cannabinoid" means any cannabinoid created through solvent or acid-based reactions to enhance cannabinoid concentration or create a new compound. 
• "Total tetrahydrocannabinol" means the sum of all tetrahydrocannabinol isomers. At a minimum, total THC will include:

• Delta-8 THC 
• Delta-9 THC
• Delta-10 THC
• Exo THC
• HHC (even though HHC is not a THC isomer)

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HB 1475 Also:

• Revises requirements that hemp extract must meet before being distributed & sold.
• Requires businesses to meet specific permitting conditions before selling hemp extract.
• Prohibits businesses from selling ingestible hemp extract to people under 21 years old.
• Adds requirements for products intended for human ingestion or inhalation.
• Requires Florida’s Department of Agriculture & Human Services (DACS) to adopt the rules.

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Speak Out Against HB 1475

HB 1475 and its sister bill (HB 1676) will ban countless legal products in Florida, eliminate thousands of jobs, and prevent people and businesses from legally accessing products that support their lives and well-being. 

Florida residents who want to protect Florida’s hemp industry and combat the proposed cannabinoid ban can:

• Call, email, or send letters to Sen. Colleen Burton and Rep. Will Robinson, who filed these bills. 
• Non Florida residents or those doing business in Florida can support HealthyFlorida.org, an advocacy group fighting against HB 1475 by making a one-time tax-deductible donation or joining the organization.