By Vince Sliwoski, Attorney at Harris Bricken One of the coolest things we’ve done here at Harris Bricken was work with the National Credit Union Association on its June 2020 guidance for servicing hemp-related businesses. Back when we first started working with small, Northwest credit unions in 2014 and 2015 (on the THC banking side) […]
2018 Farm Bill
The 2018 Farm Bill is Growing More than Just Hemp on the Farm
A look at some companies expanding their traditional market to meeting the challenges of a regulated market working on narrowing margins I have added a verse to “Old McDonald Had a Farm.”[1] Old McDonald had a farm,E-I-E-I-O And on this farm, they grew some hemp, E-I-E-I-O With a CBD here, and a CBG there Here […]
Is CBN a Controlled Substance? Yes. No. Maybe.
By Natalie Bougenies, Attorney at Harris Bricken Earlier this year, we discussed the legality of lesser-known hemp-derived cannabinoids which appeared to be gaining success in the U.S. One of these promising cannabinoids is cannabinol (“CBN”). Put simply, CBN is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid that results from the degradation of THC. Because it is difficult, if not […]
New York to Require Licenses to Manufacture and Sell Hemp Derived CBD Products
By Jared Schwass, Matthew R. Kittay, and Michael R. Herz Hemp and hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products have seen an increase in demand over the last few years, but the legal and regulatory structure behind those products has been unclear and confusing. One reason behind the confusion is that there has been a lag in the implementation […]
Hemp-Derived THC Products: Legal or Loophole?
By Ian A. Stewart, Devon Mills and Neil Willner Hemp-derived CBD products have exploded onto the market since Congress removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in the 2018 Farm Bill. Now, new hemp-derived products are emerging that contain amounts of THC comparable to state-regulated marijuana consumer products, which are still illegal under federal […]
Budding Hemp Farmers Struggle To Find Success In The ‘Green Rush’
Hemp farming exploded after the 2018 Farm Bill passed last December. The bill decriminalized the plant at the federal level, opening the door for many U.S. farmers to grow and sell hemp. Over the past year, licensed hemp acreage increased more than 445%, according to the advocacy and research group Vote Hemp. More than 510,000 acres of hemp […]
The Importance of Testing to the Standardization of Hemp Research
The legalization of hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill has opened many new opportunities for research by universities across the country. One example is that of the Oregon State University Global Hemp Innovation Center. This program is the latest example of expansion into institutional hemp research, with their program tasked “to advance the research of hemp […]
Hemp Regulation: USDA Struggles with Drafting THC Testing Rules
By Nathalie Bougenies, Attorney at Harris Bricken Hemp stakeholders have been eagerly waiting for the release of rules and regulations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”). Although the 2018 Farm Bill removed the hemp and its derivatives from the Controlled Substances Act, it did not provide clear, consistent and reliable standards to safely and […]
Credit Unions Greenlighted to Bank with Hemp Businesses
On August 19, 2019, the National Credit Union Association (NCUA), a federal agency that regulates, charters, and supervises federal credit unions, released updated guidance on federally-backed credit unions working with hemp-based businesses. The guidelines clarify that credit unions are permitted to offer financial services, including loans, to businesses dealing in the realm of hemp or […]
Proceed with Caution: Marketing Claims for Cannabis and CBD Products
The CBD market is exploding, prompting companies to use bold and creative marketing moves to differentiate themselves in the sea of products beginning to flood the market. But what happens when a company’s eagerness to convey the supposed revolutionary effectiveness of its CBD products leads it to make cure-all, but scientifically unsubstantiated, claims? Curaleaf, a […]
