Hemp Farming Gets Thumbs Up From Florida Senate Committee

WLRN Public Media | By Gina Jordan

Published March 24, 2015 at 2:45 PM EDT

Florida lawmakers are considering a bill to let farmers grow hemp crops like these.

A product made from cannabis could become one of Florida’s top crops: A bill in Tallahassee would allow Florida farmers to grow hemp.

Robert Clayton finished construction last year on a house made of hemp in Tarpon Springs. It’s thought to be the first of its kind in Florida. He testified at a Senate hearing about his research for the Hemp Industries Association.

“Farming and processing can add $460 million to Florida’s annual GDP,” Clayton told the Senate Agriculture Committee. “That represents about 600 to 1,000 farms in Florida that might add hemp to their rotation, and that added income can save their family farms.”

Hemp is used for food, clothing, even makeup. It does not get the user high like marijuana. Sen. Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth) is sponsoring the bill.

“The marijuana that’s grown for medicinal or for recreational purpose has certain kinds of buds of flowers that have a higher level of THC – that psychoactive property,” Clemens told the Senate Agriculture Committee. “Hemp is grown and bred to be more fibrous. The stalk of the plant is what’s important, so it’s low THC or no THC, almost.”

Sen. Dwight Bullard (D-Cutler Bay) voted to add hemp to Florida’s list of crops.

“The way it’s been explained to me in very simple layman’s terms is you’re talking about a plant that has the strength of bamboo but the malleability of cotton,” Bullard said.

The agriculture committee unanimously approved the bill after hearing public testimony. No one spoke against it.

“From my perspective, somebody’s making a profit off of it, and it isn’t Floridians,” Clemens said. “Twenty-nine other states are sending their hemp products here to Florida rather than us allowing our farmers and agricultural folks to grow it here.”

Hemp growers would have to pay a registration fee to the agriculture department and allow the state to conduct inspections.

The bill has more committees to pass before being heard by the full House and Senate.