Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and Tampa General Hospital held a roundtable discussion this week on Florida’s efforts to protect children from high-potency hemp products with medical and legislative leaders, including Kelly Cullen, the executive vice president and chief operating officer at Tampa General; Dr. Justin Arnold, an EM physician and medical director of Tampa Poison Center; state Sen. Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland; state Rep. William Robinson, R-Bradenton, and Dr. Matthew Curran, the director of the Division of Food Safety.
“Together with our medical and legislative partners, we have taken significant and meaningful steps to safeguard our children from the risks of high-potency THC products – but our job is not done,” said Simpson. “Whether through closing dangerous loopholes in the law, prohibiting marketing that targets children, establishing age requirements for purchasing hemp products, requiring poison prevention packaging, or conducting inspections sweeps to remove illegal products, we will continue to work with our partners to ensure the safety of our children.”
“At Tampa General, we offer high-quality care to patients of all ages, from the simplest to the most complex cases. Some of these cases involve pediatric patients who unintentionally consume high-potency THC products disguised as candy or other familiar snacks,” said John Couris, the president and CEO of Tampa General. “In partnership with Commissioner Simpson, we’re working to protect children by raising awareness of the risks associated with these products and ensuring they are properly labeled.”
“I am extremely proud of the swift and strong action that has been taken to protect Florida’s children from unregulated hemp products following the implementation of Senate Bill 1676,” said Burton. “The Sunshine State is certainly moving in the right direction, but we must continue these important conversations about the danger high-potency hemp poses to children, building on the work we have done to ensure future generations remain safe and continue to thrive.”
“Before this recent legislation, high-potency THC hemp products were specifically marketed to children,” said Robinson. “This is now against the law in Florida and I am pleased Commissioner Simpson is holding businesses accountable who continue to illegally market these products to children. I am proud of this new law that protects Florida’s children.”
According to Florida Poison Information Center, 933 children were exposed to high-potency THC products across Florida in 2022, many of whom required medical care and hospitalization.
During the 2023 Legislative Session, Simpson worked with Burton and Robinson to reform Florida’s hemp laws to better protect consumers and children. Historically, individuals used a loophole in Florida’s hemp statutes to manufacture and sell euphoric, high-potency THC products – like delta-8 – for consumption without restrictions, including to minors.
SB 1676, which went into effect July 1, added age requirements for the purchase of hemp products intended for consumption, protected Florida’s minors by prohibiting marketing that targets children, protects consumers by mandating that products sold in Florida be packaged in a safe container that compliant with the United States Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970, and holds hemp products that are ingested to the same health and safety standards as other food products.
To enforce these law changes, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services also conducted the largest ever inspection sweep of food establishments selling products that contain hemp extracts in July and August. The statewide inspection sweep specifically targeted the illegal sale of hemp extract products that are attractive and/or marketed to children, prohibited by Florida Law. The sweep included inspections of more than 700 food establishments in all 67 Florida counties and uncovered over 83,000 packages of hemp extract products, including euphoric, high-potency THC products, targeting children.
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