Page 1 - CannabisNewsFloridaJune 2019

FLORIDA’S CANNABIS
NEW HEMP SPOTLIGHT:
BILL Peter Sessa
Florida Cannabis
page 35 Coalition

page 36

JUNE 2019

Curaleaf Hemp: Helping People Live Life Well

BY DANIEL CASCIATO

Hemp CBD has become one of the
fastest-growing industries with sales pro-
jected to reach into the billions. In fact, a
recent study by Cowen Research fore-
casted the CBD market to reach $16 bil-
lion by 2025. It’s a rapidly growing
industry with significant opportunities.
Florida differs slightly from other
states because its population skews Dr. Barry Gordon
older, notes Kate Lynch, VP of Marketing
and Business Development at Curaleaf
Hemp. “CBD has been shown to be a Seasonal
useful treatment for inflammation, a a full line of the highest quality CBD products,” she says.
condition people increasingly suffer from as they age.” “Curaleaf Hemp supports overall wellness. Because of our deep Residents Don’t
As a leading vertically integrated cannabis operator, Curaleaf history in medical cannabis, working within one of the most
Hemp’s team has years of experience in cultivation, cannabi- regulated industries, we are also a brand consumers can trust.”
noid extraction and formulation, and currently operates 44 dis- The biggest challenge for Curaleaf Hemp is the lack of Find Reciprocity
pensaries, 12 cultivation sites and 11 processing centers across awareness around CBD products, the benefits of CBD products
12 states. You can also find many of its products now available and how to choose the best products based on quality, testing in Florida’s
in select CVS retail stores. and overall safety. People are still unfamiliar with CBD and its
Lynch says that her company is strongly committed to proac- uses, notes Lynch. Medical Cannabis
tively engaging with state and federal regulatory agencies to “We devote significant resources to educating consumers,
address industry changes. not just about our products, but hemp-based CBD in general,”
“We leveraged our extensive research and development capa- she says. "Our website is home to many resources that discuss Program
bilities to expand into the hemp derived CBD business offering
Continued on page 39
BY VANESSA ORR

Each year, approximately 900,000 to 1
Nation’s Largest CBD Expo Provides Opportunity million seasonal residents move to
Florida to escape colder climates. And
to Share Knowledge, Showcase Products many of those people belong to medical
marijuana programs in their home
states. Unfortunately for them, Florida
does not have reciprocity with other
states, meaning that these temporary vis-
BY VANESSA ORR While trying to find relief for Rebecca, who
suffers from 1p36 Deletion Syndrome, Hyman itors must either try to become enrolled
Knowledge is power, and no one knows this banded together with many other parents of in Florida’s program, or go without the
better than Seth Hyman, who spent years medically compromised children to lobby medication they need.
researching alternative medical treatment Florida legislators to pass the law. He then “People come to Florida for months at
options for his daughter, Rebecca, who suffers went on to work for the law firm Kelly a time, and despite the fact that they
from a severe genetic disorder that causes mul- Kronenberg to help them build a medical mar- have achieved legal adult responsibility
tiple seizures daily. ijuana practice group, all the while developing to use medical marijuana products in
His quest led him not only to champion the firsthand expertise in what can be a very Canada, Maine, Michigan or
legalization of medical marijuana in Florida, daunting field. Pennsylvania, they have to meet a differ-
but to become an expert in navigating the legal “When the farm bill passed in 2018 making ent set of qualifying conditions here,”
and regulatory demands placed on cannabis it legal to grow industrial hemp on a national explained Barry Gordon, M.D., of the
operators and those who use medical marijua- level, there was a lot of confusion about the Compassionate Cannabis Clinic. “It is
na, CBD or hemp-based products. Now he is legalities of CBD, and today, there are still critical that doctors realize that these
helping to spread that knowledge through his Seth Hyman obstacles concerning CBD products in the eyes people will experience a certain level of
support as a sponsor of the USA CBD Expo, of the FDA,” explained Hyman. “Recently a anxiety if they can’t get their medication
coming to Miami Beach, FL from Aug. 2-4. grandmother in Orlando was arrested for going into while they’re in this state.”
“My hemp industry and CBD passion started in Florida; it Disneyworld with a CBD tincture for arthritis; she was charged Just because a person has a license in a
has always been a very personal issue for me,” explained the with a felony and spent the night in jail! The charges were later state with a medical marijuana program
founder and owner of Hempagenix™, a consumer-based prod- dropped, but this just shows how many unknowns there are, doesn’t mean that they necessarily quali-
uct and marketing company that develops hemp- and plant- including between legal products in the industry and law fy in Florida. While the law does allow
based products. “My goal was to help my daughter and other enforcement.” for the certification of seasonal residents
children with complex medical issues to have access to medical According to Hyman, education is key to clearing up the con- with debilitating illnesses (who must
marijuana through the passage of the Compassionate Medical fusion. “A conference like the USA CBD Expo gives people in reside within the state of Florida for at
Cannabis Act; I wouldn’t be here without that.” Continued on page 40 least 31 consecutive days each calendar
Continued on page 37