Page 9 - Cannabis News Florida Sept 2019

Providing a Careful

Approach

As we overcome these obstacles and swing for the fences, the next fastpitch is CBD
processing. CBD extraction is the topic of conversation lately and there's no doubt
investment into CBD extraction is already happening in Florida. However, fiber pro-
duction requires retting, degumming, and decortification. This fiber production tech-
nology is advanced in China but woefully neglected in the United States. We know
big manufacturers have been sniffing around but until big money jumps into the
BY JEFF GREENE space we can expect it to move at a snail’s pace.
Rounding out the inning are the retailers, which legally must register with Florida
It’s true. Hemp is the next cash crop. However, before to ensure they’re not selling unregistered or uncertified products, plus all organic
you buy a bag of seeds on the internet, locate a plot of labelling is accurate and consumer safe. It’s important that retailers request a
land in sunny Florida, and toss seeds like Johnny Certificate of Analysis (COA) for each product being sold in their stores from an
Appleseed expecting money to grow out of the ground, accredited 3rd party laboratory. Per the FDA, CBD cannot medically cure or treat
first, do the research. I can’t stress enough how impor- what ails you, so labels must not claim to do so. Consumers are learning anecdotally
tant it is to look before you leap; I recommend working via social media and online how CBD, CBG, CBN and the entourage effect can help
with an association that can act as a professional guide with certain health conditions. If products go to a retailer, manufacturer, or other
because navigating these waters will be no easy task. reseller, no health claims are allowed by law on the product label or marketing.
Case in point, July 2019 is on record as the day mer- So, as a fledgling industry, where consumers can’t be told how to ingest the prod-
chant service providers threw the hemp industry a ucts, or how much product to administer, retailers must exercise caution over the
major-league curveball. The hemp industry had been on watchful eye of law enforcement, manufacturers need clean extraction, and farmers
a winning streak and many newcomers to the business need certified seeds, then how is our business going to grow from under the radar to
hadn't lived through the bleakness of instant bank $20 billion over the next five years? The answer is simpler than you’d suspect - con-
Jeff Greene account closings, bad product, no product, or wire and sumers see firsthand that the products work for them and they spread the word.
revoked merchant privileges, but for those in the indus- Retailers educate themselves by joining organizations such as the Florida Hemp
try for any length of time, this was their normal. “I have Council, while manufacturers and farmers do what they have always done, meet con-
experienced and heard stories of CFOs spending 60- sumer demand.
70% of their time over the last three months completing
applications for banking and merchant services,” said
Christopher Martinez, Chairman and President of The
Florida Hemp Council. The good news is some banks
and merchant service providers realize the burgeoning Jeff Greene is Vice President
opportunity and are lining the bases with new payment of Marketing of the
options. Florida Hemp Council.
Are your seeds Certified? Seeds are only certified to
variety and not to levels of THC, or CBD because this
data does not exist ... yet. And for every state which has
legalized hemp it’ll take two to three years before a farm
turns a significant profit. The growing farms in Florida
Christopher Martinez
will not be any different.

36 September 2019 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News