Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has removed nearly 11,000 hemp product packages in the first week of “Operation Safe Summer.” The operation aims to ensure compliance with new child-protection standards for packaging, labeling, and marketing of hemp products. Inspections were conducted across 20 counties in Florida.
Commissioner Wilton Simpson said, “We have drawn a hard line in Florida when it comes to protecting our children from dangerous and deceptive hemp products. ‘Operation Safe Summer’ is our latest effort to crack down on bad actors who think they can skirt the law, ignore public safety, and profit off high-potency, intoxicating hemp products that endanger our children.”
The department issued announcements on April 3 and June 2 regarding amendments to Rule 5K-4.034 of the Florida Administrative Code. These amendments require child-resistant packaging, detailed certificates of analysis, restrictions on marketing aimed at children, and enhanced labeling requirements.
Since July 2023, over 738,000 packages have been found in violation of these standards. During the 2023 legislative session, Commissioner Simpson collaborated with the Florida Legislature to reform hemp laws. SB 1676 introduced age requirements for purchasing hemp products and mandated safe packaging.
In July and August 2023, a large-scale inspection sweep targeted businesses selling hemp products attractive to children. This resulted in uncovering over 83,000 packages marketed towards minors.
For further details about Commissioner Simpson and the department’s initiatives, visit FDACS.gov.
Information from this article can be found here.
