Former medical marijuana entrepreneur engaged to Florida Ag Commissioner

Wire reports

Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Florida native, recently announced her engagement to businessman Jake Bergmann. Bergmann is the former CEO of Surterra Wellness, a medical marijuana company founded in 2014.

Florida is considering a ballot initiative that will legalize recreational marijuana. Nikki Fried’s fiancé Jake Bergmann is the former CEO of Surterra Wellness, which has contributed more than $1 million dollars to the Make It Legal initiative.

Nikki Fried was elected Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services in 2018.

Though Bergmann still maintains a stake in Surterra Wellness, which has since changed its name to Parallel, he stepped down as CEO on Nov. 5, 2018, just before Fried was elected to her current position. But this hasn’t stopped concerns of a conflict of interest over Fried and Bergmann’s relationship.

In this file photo, Congressman Matt Gaetz, R-FL, right, looks on as Jake Bergmann, former CEO and founder of Surterra Wellness, left, speaks during the company's grand opening of a Pensacola location on Monday, December 11, 2017.

Bergmann donated $60,000 to Fried’s campaign when she was running for commissioner and his former company is spearheading an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana across the state.

Though Fried’s office isn’t in charge of medical marijuana, as commissioner she has championed the state’s hemp production as well as issues related to cannabis access.

“I have no allegiances to any company. My allegiances are to the state of Florida and to the patients,” Fried told Florida Trend.

The couple hasn’t set a wedding date yet.