MIAMI-DADE – The Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously on September 4 to support legislation kickstarting industrial hemp production in Miami-Dade County.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried says hemp will be “a tremendous marketplace for Florida,” an estimated $20 to $30 billion industry. Jorge Abreu, former Executive Director of the Dade County Farm Bureau, calls it a “new frontier” for South Florida’s agricultural community.
The resolution, sponsored by County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, directs the administration to support Florida’s industrial hemp program by hosting informational sessions on the process for growers to begin cultivation, and to prepare a report on local opportunities for hemp production in partnership with research and educational institutions.
“Hemp production is poised to become a new industrial revolution in Florida,” said Commissioner Levine Cava. “We need to make sure Miami-Dade and our farmers are prepared to lead and to see the full economic impact of this new industry.”
