As the governor of Florida campaigns against a cannabis legalization ballot initiative, he has, in a seemingly contradictory move, vetoed a bill to ban the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids in his state.
This comes amid recent reporting that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) planned to block the hemp prohibition legislation in hopes that the industry would return the favor by financially assisting in his effort to defeat the cannabis measure that voters will decide on this November.
DeSantis didn't specifically mention the cannabis legalization initiative in his veto message, but he said generally that, "while Senate Bill 1698's goals are commendable, the bill would, in fact, impose debilitating regulatory burdens on small businesses, and almost certainly fail to achieve its purposes."
"Senate Bill 1698 would introduce dramatic disruption and harm to many small retail and manufacturing businesses in Florida—businesses that have emerged due to recent legislation paving the way for the commercial use of hemp," the governor wrote.
Read more at marijuanamoment.net