By Vince Sliwosk, Attorney @ Harris Bricken Hemp was legalized federally just over a year ago. During the run-up, legislators from Mitch McConnell to Ron Wyden said things like “[b]y removing hemp from the federal list of controlled substances, farmers can explore the bright future of this versatile crop, found in everything from a coffee […]
Hemp Business Executive
Will the FDA’s Ban on E-Cigarettes Affect CBD Vaping Devices?
By Nathalie Bougenies, Attorney at Harris Bricken On January 2, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) issued non-binding guidance (“Guidance”) in which the agency explains how it intends to prioritize enforcement actions to tackle the growing increase in youth use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (“ENDS”)–more commonly and broadly referred to as “e-cigarettes”–as well as to […]
High anxiety: Proposed US hemp rules worry industry
PORTLAND, Ore. — Hemp growers and entrepreneurs who were joyous a year ago after U.S. lawmakers reclassified the plant as a legal agricultural crop now are worried their businesses could be crippled if federal policymakers move ahead with draft regulations. Licenses for hemp cultivation topped a half-million acres (200,000 hectares) last year, more than 450% […]
New York’s New Hemp Extract Law and The CBD Marketplace
On December 19, 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law legislation introduced by state Senator Jen Metzger and Assembly member Donna Lupardo, regulating the production and marketing of hemp extract in New York State. Senate Bill 61841 and Assembly Bill 76802 together establish a state permitting process for growers, processors and sellers of hemp extract, […]
Is CBG legal? What is CBG?
By Vince Sliwoski, Attorney at Harris Bricken Looking back, 2019 was the year of cannabidiol (CBD) in the cannabis industry. CBD continued to make its way into countless consumer products, from sodas to sports bras. The CBD craze was a long time coming: we began covering that cannabinoid back in 2015, when industry began promoting […]
He spent a month in Texas jail accused of hauling 3,350 pounds of marijuana. But lab results say it was legal hemp.
In the ongoing chaos of hemp’s legalization that has sent marijuana prosecutions plummeting, Texas has encountered a 3,350-pound problem. Last month, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper arrested a driver who the agency claimed was hauling more than a ton of marijuana through the state near Amarillo. Aneudy Gonzalez was jailed for nearly a month on federal charges […]
It looks like weed, smells like weed, but is it weed? Some states crackdown on smokable hemp
Hemp plants can be made into anything from rope and insulation to granola. But today, most U.S. hemp farmers are growing hemp to produce cannabinoids, such as CBD — which means they’re growing plants that look like marijuana, smell like marijuana and, increasingly, are rolled into joints and smoked like marijuana. People smoke marijuana to […]
Top 4 Predictions for Hemp and Hemp CBD in 2020
By Griffen Thorne, Attorney at Harris Bricken 2019 was, to put it lightly, an intense year for the hemp and hemp-derived cannabidiol (“Hemp CBD”) industries in the United States. We saw the implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill, strongly worded statements by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) that Hemp CBD was unlawful in many […]
December 2019 – Hemp Market Update
Spot Market Updates Biomass Spot Pricing: Biomass markets continue to bifurcate between two markets: 1) the market transacting at fair market values dictated by supply and demand; 2) a market rife with desperate sellers and opportunist buyers. Because of this fragmentation, recent transaction prices vary widely. In general, homogenized biomass prices have continued to soften, […]
New Jersey Leads Nation in Hemp Program Approval and Launch
Jersey got there first! Leapfrogging over 16 other states with more established hemp programs, on December 27, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) approved New Jersey’s proposed hemp growing, processing and selling regulations, including Cannabidol (“CBD”), starting in 2020. NJ Hemp Program’s Creation Following Congress’ December 2018 passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of […]
Amazon prohibits CBD sales, but it’s still easy to buy on the site
To test the e-commerce giant’s ability to police its marketplace, The Washington Post bought 13 products to see if they included CBD. Eleven did. SEATTLE — Cannabidiol is one of the hottest supplements on the market today. The chemical, derived from the Cannabis sativa plant and better known as CBD, is now found in chocolates, […]
CBD DD: Key Considerations When Conducting Due Diligence on Cannabis Companies
While the regulatory atmosphere surrounding cannabis and cannabis-related products is still in flux, private equity and other investors have begun to consider the potential for transactions in the industry. This article explores the key due diligence and regulatory compliance considerations that both buyers and sellers should be aware of in the event of a potential […]
New hemp market taking shape in rural Minnesota
Seventy-five years ago, a May newspaper article reported 5,000 tons of hemp were stacked at the site of the Hutchinson hemp plant — where 3M now stands — with 2,000 more yet to be hauled there. Another article in October reports the Hutchinson plant is one of 11 to be closed in Minnesota following the […]
Maine hemp farmers fear proposed rule change could cost them their crop
Maine is proposing new hemp farming rules that would change the way it calculates how much THC is allowed in state-licensed plants, effectively reducing the already small amount of psychoactive element allowed in this cash crop to prepare farmers for demanding new federal limitations. Using the proposed potency formula, 27 percent of the farmers growing […]
Charlotte’s Web Faces Class Action Lawsuit for Improperly Marketing CBD Products
By Alison Malsbury Attorney at Harris Bricken We’ve written extensively about hemp-derived CBD and the myriad issues faced by manufacturers CBD edibles. You can read more about this topic here: Is Hemp CBD Really Unlawful in California? The FDA Issues Hemp-CBD Warning Letters and a Consumer Update Litigation Update: JustCBD Files Motion to Dismiss Class Action […]
Hemp Industry Is Cleared to Do Business With Banks
United States regulators say hemp businesses should not be treated with any more suspicion than other bank customers. The number of banks in the United States willing to lend to hemp producers can be counted on one hand. That is about to change. Federal and state bank regulators announced Tuesday that they were scrapping a […]
Proposed federal hemp rules would hurt Maine’s fledgling industry, state officials say
State agriculture officials are saying new federal rules regulating hemp production nationally would hurt Maine’s rapidly growing hemp industry. The rules proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are open for public comment, and Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner Amanda Beal detailed the state’s concerns about them in comments released Wednesday. Hemp, […]
Hemp or Pot Farm? Police and Thieves Can’t Always Tell
Farmers in New York have taken drastic measures to protect their crops from trespassers and authorities who think they’re targeting marijuana. SALEM, N.Y. — She planted her spring crops at the family farm, following the same steps as her ancestors did as they farmed the land for seven generations. She tilled the soil, sowed the […]
