Hemp Alert: Updates from Florida, Tennessee & Minnesota

By
HeadQuest
Hemp Regs Florida Minnesota Tennessee

Hemp Industry Highlights: Your Weekly Spotlight

Florida Hemp Alert: Your Voice Needed Now!

Florida’s hemp industry is at a pivotal juncture with the passage of Senate Bill 1698 by the legislature, setting the stage for potential sweeping changes. Despite the tight vote, reflecting the community’s strong advocacy, the bill’s current form threatens to significantly contract the hemp products market, impacting retailers and farmers alike.

The spotlight now turns to Governor Ron DeSantis, known for his support of small businesses, who has the power to veto this legislation. With the U.S. Hemp Roundtable spearheading a campaign to encourage a veto, your participation is crucial. This is our last stand to prevent the bill from becoming law.

Act now to protect the future of the hemp industry in Florida. Your voice can make a difference in this critical moment. Join the effort to urge Governor DeSantis to side with small businesses and veto Senate Bill 1698. The time to act is now—let’s unite to safeguard our industry’s prosperity.

Take Action with the Hemp Roundtable

Tennessee’s Tug-of-War: THC-A and the Future of Hemp Business

Tennessee’s Department of Agriculture is currently drafting regulations that have stirred unease among hemp business owners, especially regarding the treatment of THC-A (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) in hemp-derived products. Following the enactment of a law regulating the sale of such products to individuals over the age of 21, the state’s contemplation to impose restrictions on THC-A has raised alarms. THC-A currently constitutes a significant portion of the hemp market in Tennessee. This regulatory shift threatens to undercut local businesses by driving consumers to out-of-state or online markets, where Tennessee’s regulations do not apply, potentially sidelining a thriving industry built around these products.

The backlash from the business community was evident during a Department of Agriculture hearing, where the proposed THC-A restrictions were met with widespread criticism. Over 2,000 written comments have been submitted, many highlighting the dire consequences for local hemp retailers and the broader industry if these restrictions go into effect. With THC-A products making up a substantial share of the market, the proposed rules could dramatically impact the viability of many businesses, spurring concerns over a shift towards the black market or loss of sales to other states. As the department reviews feedback with a July 1 deadline for implementing new regulations, Tennessee’s hemp industry stakeholders are closely watching, hoping for a regulatory outcome that supports the growth and sustainability of their businesses.

Minnesota’s Hemp Market: Stricter Oversight on Horizon

 Minnesota’s shift towards legal adult-use cannabis has placed the hemp industry under heightened scrutiny. With the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) joining forces, a new enforcement era begins, focusing on the illicit sale of cannabis flower. This initiative emerges as the state aligns its cannabis and hemp markets with legal adulthood, setting a precedent for the regulation of hemp-derived products.

Amidst this transition, the sale of raw cannabis flower remains unauthorized, pending the distribution of OCM business licenses, prompting a clampdown on retailers exploiting regulatory gaps to market full-strength hemp products as compliant offerings.

Central to this enforcement is the OCM’s commitment to upholding THC limits, as mandated by both state and federal law. The forthcoming inspections aim to ensure that hemp products do not surpass the legal THC concentration, emphasizing post-decarboxylation levels where THCA could convert into psychoactive delta-9 THC. The regulations extend to edible cannabinoid products, mandating that they contain no more than five milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol per serving and a total of 50 milligrams per package. Violations could result in significant repercussions, including fines up to $1 million and potential impacts on future licensure. This regulatory rigor underscores the imperative for retailers to diligently verify their product’s compliance, as Minnesota steers towards a secure, legal cannabis framework, ensuring the hemp market’s integrity and consumer safety

Resources:

  1. Creator of Charlotte’s Web CBD urges DeSantis to veto hemp bill
  2. Include hemp round table petition link
  3. Tennessee cannabis products industry worries: Could new regulations stop sales in state?
  4. Minnesota To Crack Down on Illegal Flower Sales, Including Full-Strength Hemp

Recent Stories

Recent Articles

CBD 3
By
Jimmy Wohl
Lung, Tongue, and Skin
I went home and told my girlfriend, who, after Googling the name of the business I bought it from, told me that, yes, it was technically weed. But it was CBD. She started laughing, telling me I had been ripped off.
banking 2
By
Joe Reefer
High Risk, High Cash: The Banking Struggles of Legal Cannabis
State-sanctioned medical and recreational cannabis programs benefit the average user in many ways. Still, they remain a double-edged sword for dispensary owners, greenhouse growers, and others who earn their living from the cannabis industry. There are plenty of profits to be had, sure, but how exactly are you expected to secure your cash or process electronic transactions when banks refuse to work with you?
WIC 2
By
Emily Long
Women in Cannabis – Aubrey Amatelli
Aubrey Amatelli wants to help dispensaries and cannabis retailers navigate one of the toughest parts of the industry: money. When the company she worked for right out of grad school was acquired by JPMorgan, Aubrey entered the complex world of payments and has stayed there for her entire career.
MJ 1
By
Matt Weeks
Building the Best: How the MJBizCon Gets Made
There’s a paradox to business conferences. The best ones manage to swing from buttoned down to wildly unscripted—sometimes seconds apart. For attendees, it’s the combination of personal connections and professional development that makes regular trips to conferences worthwhile. And in an industry like this one, pulling that off is harder than it looks.
staffing 1
By
Karen Maina
Staff Your Shop And Build Your Tribe
Your shop is not only a smoke shop; It's also a hangout spot and a community hub. It is a place where the regulars know your staff by name, and your staff knows what the regulars need. That's the secret sauce that the big-box chains can't replicate, and it starts with who you put behind the counter. A well-staffed smoke shop is an operational strategy, but it's also a community. In lean economic times, that community is what keeps the lights on. When people feel like your shop is their spot, they don't stop coming in when money's tight. They prioritize it. It all starts with Hiring.
2026-06-01_20-59-01
By
Emily Long
Women in Cannabis – Dr. Chanda Macias
Dr. Macias first fell in love with science while studying at Howard University, where she completed her undergraduate studies and later earned her PhD in cellular and molecular biology. While at Howard, she became especially interested in cancer research due to personal ties. Growing up in a Creole family and predominantly Black community in Louisiana, Dr. Macias watched many women around her battle breast cancer, so at Howard, she decided to focus her research on the BRCA1 gene.
2026-06-01_20-45-52
By
Matt Weeks
Cards Denied: Smoke Shops, Dispensaries, and the Paradox of Modern Banking
It’s almost amazing that the same institutions that brought us the 2008 financial crisis have a problem with selling glass pipes. Almost. The truth is that an industry's past sins are only held against it when the money isn’t right. Big banks were willing to risk cratering the U.S. housing market because the profits were too good to ignore. But the cannabis industry rolls a different kind of paper, so instead of a slap on the wrist, it gets a surcharge.
2026-06-01_20-34-44
By
Karen Maina
Print Lives! Why Flyers and Posters Still Work
Smokeshop and counterculture enthusiasts enjoy discovery as part of the experience. Customers enjoy browsing. When they walk into a shop, they don't simply grab a product and leave. They look for something new. This is the main reason flyers and posters still work. Smokeshops and dispensaries are highly visual environments. You want to see bold artwork, psychedelic graphics, and street-style posters that naturally capture attention.