04/01/2025
Florida’s H**p Bill SB 438 is a Direct Threat to Small Businesses and the Future of THC Beverages
The Florida Senate is advancing SB 438, a bill marketed as a public safety measure—but in reality, it’s poised to dismantle the progress Florida’s h**p industry has made over the last few years. For small businesses like ours, this isn’t regulation—it’s elimination.
We’re Already Following the Rules
Let’s get one thing straight: we’re not operating in a grey area. Florida’s licensed h**p businesses are already required to obtain a $650 h**p food permit annually to legally sell THC-infused consumables. Our products go through full panel lab testing—not just potency, but heavy metals, pesticides, residual solvents, and more. We’ve invested in quality and safety because we believe in transparency and trust with our customers.
We don’t market to kids—in fact, that’s already illegal. And we don’t sell to anyone under 21, period. The idea that this bill is protecting children or reducing access is a false narrative. The protections are already in place and being enforced.
The Real Problem: Arbitrary Limits and Liquor Control
What SB 438 actually does is enforce arbitrary limits on THC beverages and force them into the liquor system. Under this bill, products would be capped at 5mg per serving and 50mg per container. Worse, they would only be allowed to be sold by retailers with liquor licenses and distributed by licensed alcohol distributors.
This is a complete mismatch for our industry. Our mixers and infused syrups—designed to be versatile like vodka or cocktail mixers in the alcohol world—are crafted for adult consumers who want options beyond alcohol. Forcing us into the same infrastructure as liquor undermines what makes our products unique. It makes no sense to place h**p drinks under stricter controls than alcohol, which causes exponentially more harm and has no testing requirements.
If the concern is dosage or safety, we’re happy to support reasonable standards. A more sensible limit would be 25mg per serving, and 500mg per unopened beverage container—a cap that reflects how real consumers use THC beverages. Anything less than that chokes the market and blocks innovation.
This Bill Doesn’t Level the Playing Field—It Tilts It
SB 438 doesn’t “clean up” the industry—it carves out a lane for major liquor companies and locks everyone else out. Businesses like ours—the ones who built Florida’s THC drink scene—would be excluded from the market we created unless we pivot to alcohol licensing and distribution, which is cost-prohibitive and contradictory to our wellness-focused brand.
We’ve put in the work. We’ve tested everything. We’ve complied with every law. We’ve brought legal cannabis into community spaces responsibly—and now, we’re being legislated out in favor of players who haven’t even entered the game yet.
Let’s Fix What Needs Fixing—Not Start From Scratch
We’re not against regulation. But this bill needs serious adjustments. Set fair dosage limits. Keep distribution and retail access open to existing permitted h**p operators. Hold liquor to the same standards if that’s the direction lawmakers want to go. What we don’t need is a policy that shuts down small h**p brands while letting alcohol waltz into a market we’ve built with care and compliance.
This is a moment for lawmakers to decide: Are we protecting Floridians, or are we protecting monopolies?
