Despite the issues Florida has been facing with hurricanes and a global pandemic, Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nicole Fried has been able to move forward on the state’s plan to create a hemp cultivation program. Since the end of April, the project began accepting cultivation applications and has 506 approved applications to grown hemp on almost 19,000 acres. Fried added, “We’ve also received six applications from organizations that want to participate in additional hemp pilot programs, which include connecting to colleges or universities that have agriculture departments or pharmacy or medical schools to do research on seeds, how different strains grow in different conditions, and how to use industrial hemp fibers.” “There is also an incredibly exciting collaboration between a state college and a private company to utilize hemp to clean our waterways.” Fried truly believes that hemp is a feasible alternative crop for many farmers in Florida, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic which as affected many.
Carol Felix, Florida’s Source for Cannabis Medical and Business Developments, 09/01/2020 12:51:35