Since hemp was approved for hemp cultivation in mid-2019, 729 Florida farmers have been approved to grow the crop.
Despite challenges posed in 2020, the industry is beginning to bloom.
The Department of Agriculture’s Cannabis Director Holly Bell told Senators all but one of Florida’s 67 counties have farmers licensed to grow hemp.
About 290 acres were planted in 2020. “We did have 44 acres destroyed,” said Bell. “There were only about two of them because the field went what we call ‘hot’ above the level of 0.3 total THC allowed.”
That’s a success rate of 85%. Most of the unsuccessful crops were the result of inexperienced growers and Florida’s unique climate, but universities like FAMU are actively conducting research to identify strains that grow best in the Sunshine State.
Read more at news4jax.com