The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) has announced a significant enforcement initiative aimed at preventing the sale of harmful hemp products to minors. Since July 1, 2024, DBPR's Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco has made over 120 arrests for selling hemp to minors at various licensed retail outlets, including gas stations, grocery stores, and smoke shops.
"The safety and well-being of Florida’s consumers is DBPR’s top priority. With Governor DeSantis at the helm, we are proud to lead this critical initiative to protect Florida’s minors from the serious health risks hemp products can pose," stated DBPR Secretary Melanie S. Griffin. She emphasized the importance of vigilance as the hemp industry continues to evolve with products specifically designed to appeal to young people. "In just 3 months, our efforts have resulted in 127 arrests, and we won’t take our foot off the gas."
This initiative follows Senate Bill 1676 signed by Governor DeSantis in June 2023. The bill introduced several consumer protections concerning hemp product sales. The new regulations prohibit selling hemp products to individuals under 21 years old, ban mislabeled or child-attractive hemp products, mandate that hemp processing facilities adhere to food safety standards, and impose a potency cap on products containing hemp extract.
Starting July 1, the division incorporated hemp investigations into its targeted operations against sales to those under age 21 as part of enforcing these protections. Through this effort, more than 1,100 investigations into establishments selling hemp products have been conducted.