Bobby Gabriel figured hemp was a sure bet, planting about $250,000 worth of the plant, which is said to have thousands of uses. The trouble-- now that he has it, this farmer in Kansas can’t seem to sell it. "The demand is just not there yet. It’s so flooded with stuff from Oregon and Colorado, which are way ahead of us.”
With the Sunshine State poised to be the next allowing cultivation, will farmers here suffer a similar fate?
“I’m very optimistic we’re not going to see that here in the state," said Florida Cannabis Director Holly Bell.
She's drawing confidence from how Florida crafted its hemp program. Agriculture officials are working to not just entice growers to take root but also for the manufacture and processing of the plant.
“What’s happening in states like Kansas, Tennessee, and others, they weren’t developing the infrastructure. They were focused on the cultivation. Grow it and it will come. Well, you also need someone to buy it," Bell said.
Bell already has five applications for Florida-based hemp processors and manufacturers. Plenty of interest she says; but expectations might be hard to meet.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried estimates hemp will have a multi-billion dollar impact on the state.
Florida had two of its hemp rules approved January 1. It’s still waiting for federal officials to green light two others overseeing hemp seeds and cultivation. Bell expects to have a better timetable by the end of the week.
