TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced Monday that more than 85,000 illegal hemp products have been seized in the first three weeks of a statewide enforcement initiative targeting child safety violations.
Dubbed “Operation Safe Summer,” the crackdown is being led by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and focuses on hemp retailers and manufacturers across the state. The operation aims to enforce recently updated rules designed to prevent products from being marketed or packaged in ways that appeal to children.
“Florida will not tolerate the sale of dangerous, illegal hemp products that endanger our children,” Simpson said. “We will continue to aggressively enforce the law, hold bad actors accountable, and put the safety of Florida’s families over profits.”
Seizure totals include:
- Week 1: 38,861 packages removed
- Week 2: 40,796 packages removed
- Week 3: 6,024 packages removed
- Total: 85,681 illegal hemp packages removed from 40 counties
The enforcement effort follows rule changes enacted on March 12, 2025, which strengthened packaging, labeling, and marketing standards for hemp and hemp-extract products intended for human consumption. Key updates include mandatory child-resistant packaging, stricter labeling requirements, and limitations on visual elements that may attract children, such as cartoon characters or animal shapes.
The state also now requires certificates of analysis that disclose THC content and confirm the absence of contaminants, as well as restrictions on color additives and marketing techniques.
Since FDACS began these enforcement efforts in July 2023, the department says it has seized over 750,000 illegal hemp packages statewide.
The new rules stem from Senate Bill 1676, passed in the 2023 legislative session, which added age restrictions for hemp sales and mandated safety standards similar to those for other food products. That summer, FDACS launched its largest inspection sweep to date, visiting more than 700 businesses in all 67 counties and removing over 83,000 packages deemed especially harmful due to their appeal to minors or high THC potency.
FDACS says enforcement will continue throughout the summer, and businesses that fail to comply risk administrative penalties.
