TAMPA, Fla. — People in Florida’s hemp industry are celebrating after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill aimed at blocking the sale of some hemp products.

The governor said the bill would have hurt small businesses and caused thousands of Floridians to lose their jobs.

Yomiara Pineiro, who opened Enjoy Smoke Shop a few weeks ago, is among those happy with the veto.

Prior to her new shop, she owned a manufacturing company where all her hemp pre-rolls were made. She said the recent veto of SB 1698 (called “Food and Hemp Products”) helped make the transition to this her space easier.

“I’m very grateful that he vetoed the bill. We’re green lighted and we’re here to stay,” she said.

The bill would have prohibited businesses from processing hemp products and stopped the Department of Agriculture from granting permission to remove or use certain hemp products until it determined if the hemp product complied with the law.

For Pineiro, the veto has meant she can keep her doors open. But with it comes a lot of protections to ensure she’s following the laws of the industry.

“We really believe that by I.D.-ing everyone and making sure they’re 21 and up, and keeping the packaging the way that the law asks for it to be, is a way to keep our community safe,” she said.

She says the veto is a big win for the hemp industry.

And for the products she sells, they are becoming more accessible to the new clients she serves.

“It’s to keep everybody safe, but to also give people the options to buy what they want to buy,” she said.

Hoping to pave the way for other hemp businesses, Pineiro says she’ll continuing fighting to keep their doors open, and most importantly, continue educating about their role.

She has also started an educational program to ensure other business owners stay compliant to the hemp laws in the state.