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The European Union has adopted new rules that ease administrative requirements for industrial hemp growers while negotiations continue over broader agricultural reforms that could have much wider implications for the […]
Italy’s Supreme Court has ruled that prosecutors cannot automatically confiscate hemp flowers under the country’s ongoing ban without proving the products are capable of producing an intoxicating effect. The latest […]
INTERVIEW: Tim Schmidt is a Tasmanian farmer, director of The Tassie Hemp Co. and one of Australia’s leading industrial hemp advocates. Founding president of the Australian Hemp Council (2020-2025), he […]
The European Union moved another step closer last week to allowing certified permanent carbon removals into its Emissions Trading System (ETS), which would expand the scope of the EU’s flagship […]
Ireland’s industrial hemp sector remains largely dormant, with only about 11 hectares registered for cultivation this year, as Parliament examines regulatory and commercial barriers that have kept the crop from […]
Canada’s leading trade group has urged health officials to raise the country’s THC limit for industrial hemp to 1.0%, eliminate most licensing requirements and open broader markets for hemp flowers […]
New Zealand has entered a new era for hemp production, with sweeping reforms that eliminate licensing and raise the legal THC threshold to 1.0% – ending two decades of regulation […]
A Czech government working group on psychoactive substances has proposed a sweeping package of restrictions that could roll back hemp policies in one of Europe’s most progressive markets, as regulators […]
The circus continues to wind down for the clowns in the U.S. intoxicating “hemp” industry, who are running out of maneuvers to stop a federal crackdown after congressional leaders blocked […]
Brazilian hemp stakeholders are continuing to press for a 1.0% THC threshold for industrial hemp “in the field,” arguing that the long-standing 0.3% benchmark is poorly suited to tropical growing […]
Argentina’s Regulatory Agency for the Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis Industry (ARICCAME) has approved a regulation that establishes provisions for dealing with violations of the nation’s regulatory framework for hemp and […]
[Last in a series of the most popular stories on HempToday in 2024] The debate over intoxicating hemp products intensified in 2024 as jurisdictions and organizations pushed for tighter regulations. […]
[Fourth in a five-part series of the most popular stories on HempToday in 2024] Twenty twenty-four was a pivotal year for hemp policy, marked by progress, setbacks, and debates across […]
[First in a five-part series of the most popular stories on HempToday in 2024] It has been another turbulent year for the CBD industry as regulatory battles and market shifts […]
Stephen Alexander Vaden’s recent nomination by President-elect Donald Trump as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should be a good sign for industrial hemp stakeholders. Vaden, a […]
Congress officially pushed back reauthorization of the U.S. Farm Bill this week, extending the landmark 2018 version of the omnibus agriculture legislation – and meaning more delays in putting the […]
Two states have hit flashpoints over products that contain hemp-derived intoxicating substances, underscoring ongoing tensions between regulatory oversight and booming trade in synthetic products that many consider to be unsafe. […]
While interest remains high in Zimbabwe’s hemp industry, stakeholders are finding the going rough as the nascent sector unfolds. Despite significant regulatory strides, Zimbabwe’s hemp industry is encountering several obstacles […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has updated its federal hemp crop insurance to allow hemp crops to be insured when planted after soybeans in the 14 states where farmers […]
Colorado’s Attorney General continues to crack down on the state’s hemp companies, recently settling claims against one while filing suit against another. In the first case, a CBD company has […]
German cannabis stakeholders are urging legislation critical to the hemp industry be prioritized so it can come into force before any early elections next year, amid the country’s ongoing political […]
Backed by producers of psychoactive hemp products, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has effectively secured a two-track market for intoxicating cannabis where only hemp-derived intoxicants and medical marijuana are legal, with […]
Hemp companies backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in his bid to defeat pro-marijuana legislation are selling illegal high-potency “intoxicating hemp” products that are sometimes tainted, an investigation by the Miami […]
CBD companies serving the Japanese market are scrambling to line up suppliers of “THC-free” formulations in anticipation of strict rules kicking into effect before the end of the year. Japan […]
A key UK drugs agency has recommended raising the THC limit for industrial hemp from 0.2% to 0.3% “on the field,” bringing it in line with the EU and the […]
An Italian court has suspended a decree from the country’s Ministry of Health that blocked the market for CBD, a victory for stakeholders who say they are battling the government […]
A new study published in the Journal of Medical Toxicology highlights a significant increase in hemp-derived delta-8 THC exposures in the U.S., particularly in states where marijuana remains illegal. The […]
The European Commission has opened an investigation into efforts by the Italian government to halt trade in CBD and hemp flowers. Italian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Valentina Palmisano of the […]
The U.S. Army has updated its drug policies to crack down on the use of delta-8 THC, a synthetic form of THC made from hemp-derived CBD. The new policies aim […]
[Also: Updates on developments in Utah and Tennessee] Hemp stakeholders in California and New Jersey suffered major setbacks in court decisions late last week that upheld regulations cracking down on […]
A North Carolina “wellness” company has been hit with a warning from the U.S. Food & Drug Adminstration (FDA), which says it promoted a wide range of hemp cannabinoids under unproven health claims.
Root Bioscience Brands, LLC, which does business under the Naternal brand, was ordered to remove from its website extensive unsubstantiated health claims regarding five products aimed at humans and one for pets. The company complied and took down the questionable information.
The health claims suggested that Naternal brand products containing CBD, CBG and CBN help with a wide range of conditions, including Alzheimer’s Disease, concussions, cancer, high blood pressure, addiction to cocaine and opioids, PTSD, autism, ADHD, stress, anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, inflammation, glaucoma, inflammatory bowel disease, skin infections, weak appetite, and Huntington’s Disease.
FD&C Act violationsFDA said the products “are unapproved new drugs introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce in violation of . . . the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.”
Addressing the company’s claims regarding opioid treatment with cannabinoids, the FDA said: “The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has determined that a public health emergency exists nationwide involving the opioid crisis. You market your CBD products for the treatment or cure of opioid addiction. However, these products have not been determined by FDA to be safe and effective for these (or any other) uses.
“Further, the unproven treatments could cause patients to forego or delay FDA-approved treatments for opioid addiction or withdrawal. The marketing and sale of unapproved opioid addiction treatment products is a potentially significant threat to the public health. Therefore, FDA is taking measures to protect consumers from products that, without approval by FDA, claim to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat or cure opioid addiction,” according to the warning letter.
Unproven for petsThe company’s website was also warned over a wide range of health claims for its CBD products for pets, which suggested they can be treatment for seizures, arthritis, diabetes, chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, skin ailments, Lyme Disease, nausea, osteoarthritis and epilepsy.
CBD has not been proven effective for any of those conditions, and is not approved to administer to pets, according to the letter.
The warning letter was addressed to Garrett Perdue, CEO at Morrisville, North Carolina-based Root Bioscience Brands. It was issued jointly by FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and Center for Veterinary Medicine.
CBD will remain off Italian drug lists for now, after a regional court temporarily suspended a government decree that blocked the sale of products taken internally.
The decree, which took effect Aug. 5, designated CBD a narcotic, raising the specter of devastation for supply chains that make and sell CBD-based products in the dietary supplements and herbal medicine sectors – and possibly cosmetics.
But the Regional Administrative Tribunal of Lazio – which has made rulings supporting the hemp sector in the past – stepped in to pause the decree.
CBD rulingWhile that’s a skirmish won, broader restrictions still loom over the Italian CBD sector in a proposed amendment that would shut down the trade in hemp flowers altogether – effectively banning the source of CBD.
As the first debates on the amendment started this week, hemp stakeholders marshaled their forces in opposition to the measure, which would become part of the country’s 2023 Security Law, a sweeping measure that strengthens police agency powers and creates harsh criminal penalties for violators.
Three parties, trade group Canapa Sativa Italia, and two companies, Giantec Srl and Società Biochimica Galloppa Srl, brought the legal action against the government’s decree on CBD. The court ruling temporarily blocking the decree came Tuesday, Sept. 10.
The plaintiffs’ legal case challenged the lack of scientific evidence put forward by the government, saying such tight restrictions on producing, handling and distributing hemp-derived CBD products were not justified.
Meloni’s determinationThe industry is fighting back against an aggressive campaign under the conservative government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who seems determined to wipe out EU-legal CBD and other cannabinoids as well as hemp flowers in Italy. She is calling for an out-and-out ban on hemp flowers and cannabinoids, and strict control over what the government mistakenly considers to be “psychoactive” substances.
The government has also said it intends to prevent hemp from being used as a cover for the illegal marijuana market in Italy and will encourage strict enforcement of all cannabis laws.
In a legally binding decision applicable across the EU, the European Commission declared in 2020 that CBD is not a narcotic and may be legally traded in and among member states; raw hemp flowers may also be traded if they are under the EU THC limit of 0.3% or less. The ruling was based on a celebrated European Union Court of Justice finding made earlier in the same year.
Farm groups push backAt a press conference this week, leading hemp and farm groups pushed for lawmakers to vote against the amendment that would ban hemp flowers.
“For us this is an existential battle, and we are here because we are convinced that we cannot lose today. The challenge is to overcome ideological prejudices about the crop, because the whole industrial hemp sector is at stake here,” said Mattia Cusani of Canapa Sativa Italia.
Tommaso Battista, president of the Copagri farming association, said, “The purely ideological intervention on hemp envisaged in the so-called security bill risks irreparably cutting the legs off an innovative and fast-growing sector.”
In addition to Copagri and Canapa Sativa Italia, the hemp association Federcanapa and the farming confederation CIA-Agricoltori Italiani were present for the press event.
Union weighs inUnion and political representatives demonstrated against the hemp amendment jointly at a separate event this week organized by the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL), Italy’s oldest trade union representing more than 5 million members. On hand at that event, staged outside the Brindisi Prefecture governmental office were representatives from left-leaning political parties such as Più Europa, PD, M5S and Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra’.
CGIL’s General Secretary, Antonio Macchia, said that the hemp amendment to the Security Law would cause “devastating economic and legal consequences” for hemp producers, while at the same time exposing Italy to EU sanctions because it ignores a ruling of the European Court of Justice.
Hemp flowers have come under attack in Italy since at least early 2022, when the State-Regions Conference – a platform for cooperation among central and regional governments – updated language in a 2018 decree to classify hemp as strictly a medicinal plant. Four cannabis associations filed suit, and the decree was annulled one year later by the same Lazio Tribunal that ruled on this week’s case.
Hemp stakeholders in Tennessee have gone to court to protect their interests in intoxicating hemp substances – following the lead of similar groups in other U.S. states.
The lawsuit, led by hemp producers in the Tennessee Growers Coalition (TGC), alleges the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) skirted its own protocols and state law when it instituted emergency rules meant to tamp down on hemp-derived intoxicants such as delta-8, delta-9 and delta-10 THC found in edibles that have been widely available under no restrictions in Tennessee.
By redefining hemp cannabinoids, the state “placed extensive restrictions on their manufacture and sale,” according to the lawsuit, filed in Davidson County Chancery Court.
The case in Tennessee is just the latest among many across the country as stakeholders clash with state regulators, police and drug agencies, which are working to get trade in the hemp-derived intoxicants under control.
Some states have banned the products altogether. Tennessee has instead allowed them but under strict regulations. State officials estimate that the sales of products containing intoxicating hemp substances represent as much as $180 million in economic value for Tennessee.
Licenses requiredIn addition to the emergency rules, the state established a licensing program for businesses working with hemp-derived cannabinoids, given the acronym “HDC.”
“HDC product” is defined as a product that contains or that is labeled to contain a hemp-derived cannabinoid and that is produced, marketed, or otherwise intended to be consumed orally, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. HDC products also include intermediate products intended for subsequent use as a component in a later finished product.
According to the new regulations, an HDC product license is required per person per location for any person who manufactures, distributes or sells an HDC product at retail.
Other wording changes were also made. Previously in Tennessee law, “manufacture” meant to compound, blend, extract, infuse, cook, or otherwise make or prepare products containing a hemp-derived cannabinoid, including the processes of extraction, infusion, packaging, repackaging, labeling, and relabeling of products containing a hemp-derived cannabinoid.”
Under the new regulations, “manufacture” also includes any action that transforms cannabis physically or chemically beyond its principal form as a farm product or that filters, cleans, or trims that product to isolate any of its particular parts or components.
Topicals exemptedTopical products, defined as products solely intended to be applied to the skin or hair and are not intended to be absorbed through transdermal application, are not under the emergency rules and are not included within the definition of an HDC product even if they contain a hemp-derived cannabinoid.
The rules also prohibit the sale of HDC products to individuals under 21 and limit the amount of intoxicating substances allowed per serving in products such as edibles.
Additionally, labeling and testing requirements have become more stringent, with mandates for detailed ingredient lists, QR codes linking to test results, and warnings on packaging.
The rules also redefine what qualifies as THC by including hemp-derived THC-A, a precursor that converts to THC when heated. This change could lead to a ban on THC-A and certain CBD flower products, as they are often indistinguishable from marijuana except when tested in a lab.
Growers’ argumentThe Tennessee Growers Coalition complaint leans on the argument that existing rules in Tennessee comply with the 2018 Farm Bill passed by the U.S. Congress. That bill redefined industrial hemp and hemp-derived products, removing them from the Schedule I Controlled Substances Act and making hemp an “ordinary (and legal) agricultural commodity,” the suit states.
But intoxicating, psychoactive, or “high”-producing products made from industrial hemp were not understood or envisioned by Congress when it passed the 2018 Farm Bill. That lack of vision left a loophole that unscrupulous CBD and intoxicating hemp operators have taken advantage of, and along the way re-associated non-drug cannabis (hemp) with psychoactive cannabis (marijuana).
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture first issued the emergency rules in December 2023. The lawsuit argues that the Department violated its own protocols because while it held a public hearing, it failed to propose draft regulations and instituted the emergency rules three days before they went into effect on July 1, 2024.
Joining the TGC as plaintiffs in the suit are Saylor Enterprises LLC (d/b/a CBD Plus USA) and Gold Spectrum CBD LLC.
Regulators and law enforcement agencies in New York and Texas have stepped up enforcement actions against sellers of intoxicating hemp products with raids this month. In New York, hundreds of […]
Enthusiasm is building for cannabis production in Morocco, with the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC) reporting a surge in licenses issued since the start of 2024. […]
An international trade group has recommended limits on THC for hempseed and hempseed waste used as animal feed that go well beyond those being sought in the U.S., Europe and […]
A California bill intended to crack down on products containing hemp-derived intoxicating substances likely will not get consideration this legislative session, leaving the window open for sales of the controversial […]
Canadian health officials are seeking public comment on proposed guidance for pesticides used on marijuana and industrial hemp, suggesting the expansion of cannabis cultivation could bring greater pest control problems. […]
Six Italian cannabis groups have launched a petition aimed at reversing a domestic ban on hemp flowers, and at least one political party has taken up their fight in Brussels. […]
The Australian Hemp Council (AHC) has launched a campaign to raise funds needed to meet newly established requirements that would clarify the market for hemp in animal feeds. After the […]
More than two years after Guyana passed the country’s Industrial Hemp Act, the government still has not appointed a licensing authority, holding up widespread commercialization. Stakeholders are awaiting the establishment […]
Anti-drug, education, police and health groups have asked Congress to ban intoxicating hemp substances, as the battle against the illicit compounds is reaching a fever pitch. The organizations, 51 in […]
Waste left over from the production of hemp oil has been approved as feedstock by a key farming industry group after a yearslong quest by U.S. stakeholders. The Association of […]
Regulators in the U.S. Virgin Islands have warned licensed hemp retailers to stop selling food and drinks containing CBD, raw flowers and pre-rolls under threat of punishment – leading to […]
More signals surfaced last week indicating Thailand is likely to reverse course on cannabis by shutting down a combined legal CBD and marijuana market projected to reach billions in value. […]
French health officials have issued an urgent warning to consumers to avoid products containing synthetic hemp-derived intoxicants, and declared an exhaustive list of substances as narcotics. The National Agency for […]
Intoxicating hemp products are being removed from the market in South Dakota, Louisiana, Iowa and Nebraska as a result of recent legislative and legal developments. In South Dakota, a federal […]
Oregon law agencies hope updated rules on inspections and policing of the state’s cannabis industry will prevent illicit marijuana growers from operating under cover of hemp licenses. The new rules […]
Japan appears poised to issue highly restrictive THC limits for CBD products that would essentially wipe out a market for over-the-counter products estimated at more than $170 million (¥27 billion), […]
A UK physician who aggressively recommended a treatment plan that included CBD for a terminal cancer patient has lost his medical license. A disciplinary panel at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal […]
Not all hemp cannabinoids would be banned under a controversial amendment proposed for the next U.S. Farm Bill, according to analysis from a key legislative agency. The Congressional Research Service […]
A Colorado company has been hit with a lawsuit for selling highly potent cannabis products that it marketed as industrial hemp. The state’s attorney general, Phil Weiser, said his office […]
A Mexican company has been notified it was approved for a hemp license, only the second such permit granted by the country’s health agency. The Federal Commission for the Protection […]
Restrictions on per-serving THC limits in CBD products proposed in California could bring a setback for consumers who take high doses of over-the-counter CBD for medical conditions, some caretakers have […]
A U.S. Congressional spending bill released this week includes language that would likely shut down widespread distribution of unregulated intoxicating hemp products – perhaps before the end of the year. […]
Intoxicating hemp substances will remain on the market in Florida after Gov. Ron DeSantis nixed a proposed law that would have banned products containing them. DeSantis on Friday vetoed Senate […]
A plan to re-criminalize cannabis in Thailand could cost CBD stakeholders millions of dollars in lost investments, a key trade group has warned. The Thai Hemp and Cannabis Industry Association […]
Southern states are coming down on both sides of the intoxicating hemp debate, with Texas being urged to enact strict rules for the synthetic compounds while Louisiana lawmakers have sidelined […]
Massachusetts cannabis regulators say intoxicating hemp products constitute a “public menace” to the health of the state’s citizens, and are harming regulated marijuana dispensaries that operate under strict rules. The […]
A proposed law in New Jersey would essentially wipe out delta-8 THC and other intoxicating hemp substances and restrict the sale of CBD to the state’s licensed pot dispensaries. Under […]
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has clarified the definition of THC in the context of industrial hemp, potentially placing greater restrictions on intoxicating products derived from hemp compounds, according […]
The Italian government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has taken aim at industrial hemp in legislation that would wipe out CBD and all other products derived from the plant’s flowers. […]
Proposed new provisions for the next U.S. Farm Bill are bearing down on delta-8 THC and other intoxicating hemp-derived substances as lawmakers begin to look at serious language that would […]
A controversial clause on THC will be removed from German regulations on industrial hemp, and other rules are being adjusted to ease the path for producers, according to the country’s […]
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed into law a bill that bans synthetically produced delta-8 THC and similar lab-made intoxicating hemp compounds that have grown in popularity as substitutes for marijuana products. The measure, […]
A farming group in the Australian state of Victoria said it is backing proposed legislation that would loosen regulations for hemp growers and unlock the potential for production of sustainable […]
Long-needed banking legislation for marijuana companies that could also help hemp operators has again emerged in the U.S. Congress, but it’s far from certain the reforms will pass anytime soon. […]
Two states moved this week to crack down on hemp-derived intoxicating hemp products, with Gov. Brian Kemp signing a Georgia law into effect and Connecticut’s House of Representatives sending a […]
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has agreed with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to Schedule III, recognizing its […]
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case with potentially significant financial repercussions for the CBD industry. The case centers around a truck driver who claims he was […]
Two more states have joined the chorus of nearly 30 others seeking to restrict delta-8 THC and other unregulated, synthetic forms of intoxicating hemp from the market. California agencies Friday […]
Intoxicating hemp products would be banned or under regulations sufficiently strict to wipe out the market in Louisiana under competing measures passed by the State Senate and House of Representatives […]
Japan’s CBD market reached $154 million (¥24 billion) last year, and further growth is anticipated following the enactment of changes in the nation’s main cannabis law, according to a new […]
The commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) repeated the contention that the agency does not consider hemp-derived CBD safe enough to be sold lawfully as a dietary […]
A marijuana trade group is urging the U.S. Congress to regulate intoxicating hemp compounds separately from non-psychoactive seed- and fiber-derived byproducts, calling for a more restrictive definition of industrial hemp […]
The UK government has doubled the licensing period for hemp growers to six years and loosened rules for where crops can be grown, but other tight restrictions remain in place, […]
Laws that would crack down on CBD and intoxicating hemp products appear likely to be enacted in two more U.S. states as a wave of such legislation continues to wash […]
A group of New York companies have re-filed a lawsuit against the state, seeking an injunction that would let them continue to sell intoxicating hemp products. Claiming enforcement of new […]
Canadian regulators have failed to recommend changes that would start treating hemp as a normal agricultural crop, drawing sharp criticism from the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA), the country’s leading […]
Intoxicating hemp products are now banned in South Dakota after Gov. Kristi Noem signed a law intended to remove from the market all products containing delta-8 THC and other synthetic […]
While the legalization of industrial hemp five years ago heralded potentially vast new markets, the reality has brought chaos, exploitation and threats to public health, state attorneys general warn in […]
The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh could soon see hemp legalized, according to signals from recent government deliberations. A committee headed by state Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi has recommended … Government talks indicate hemp advancing in Indian state of Himachal Pradesh Read More »
Shady producers of delta-8 THC, the popular synthetic form of marijuana made from hemp-derived CBD, are crying the blues as states ramp up their attempts to protect children from the … To protect consumers, make CBD medicine only, restrict delta-8 THC to pot shops Read More »
Argentina has set the THC limit for industrial hemp at 1.0% and established a “one-stop shop” for administration of the hemp and medical marijuana sectors under rules published this month. … With latest decree, Argentina has chance to be leader in Latin-American hemp Read More »
After fits and starts, it appears Ghana finally has legislation that will open up the market for industrial hemp and medical cannabis. The country’s Parliament recently passed the Narcotics Control … Ghana finally appears to have law that will open hemp market Read More »
Albania has opened a wider berth for industrial hemp, setting the THC limit at 0.8% for crops in the field but placing CBD under highly restrictive rules that allow only … Albania sets THC limit for hemp at 0.8%, but CBD is ruled medical cannabis Read More »
“Hemp in the Modern World: The Years Long Wait for FDA Action,” this week’s congressional hearing in the U.S. Congress, will do little to change the arc of things for … Posturing at Congressional CBD hearing adds nothing new to sector’s outlook Read More »
Maryland hemp stakeholders have filed a lawsuit against state officials over market access for their CBD products, which are now highly restricted under a law that took effect this month. … Hemp producers challenge Maryland law that threatens to wipe out state CBD market Read More »
Four legislators representing both political parties have reintroduced a bare-bones bill designed to get the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) moving on regulations for CBD. The Hemp Access and Consumer … Bi-partisan bill aimed to spur CBD regulations is re-introduced in Congress Read More »
A U.S. congressional committee is scheduled to talk hemp this week as lawmakers presumably will increase pressure on the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to establish guardrails to safely guide … Committee will probe ‘yearslong wait’ for CBD rules in hemp hearing this week Read More »
The Czech government will regulate but not ban synthetically produced “high”-producing compounds made from hemp-derived CBD, according to the Ministry of Health. The move reverses food safety officials’ earlier announced … Czech Republic will regulate but not ban synthetics made from CBD Read More »
Six companies in five states have received warning letters from government agencies for selling illegal products containing delta-8 THC made from industrial hemp. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) … FDA, FTC issue new round of warnings over hemp-derived synthetic THC Read More »
A British Isles CBD producer said authorities have blocked it from exporting its products to the UK because they contain THC, illustrating lingering regulatory inconsistencies for the popular compound in … Jersey CBD maker halts operations after its products are blocked from UK Read More »
A new law on CBD in Washington has the potential to radically realign the CBD market as it now exists in the state by essentially handing the sector over to … New law could radically alter Washington CBD market, giving control to marijuana interests Read More »
France will seek restrictions on CBD as an ingredient in cosmetics products in a proposal now before EU authorities. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced that France intends to propose … France proposes restrictive classification for CBD in EU cosmetics products Read More »
Louisiana lawmakers have failed in their attempts to reign in products that contain delta-8 THC, the unregulated, high-producing synthetic compound present in gummies, tinctures and other consumables that are widely … Delta-8 products will remain on shelves in Louisiana as lawmakers fail to act Read More »
Minnesota’s new cannabis law has legalized both high-producing delta-8 and delta-9 THC derived from industrial hemp, and will allow such products to be widely available to consumers. The relatively low-dose … Minnesota OKs hemp-derived delta-8 and delta-9 THC, bans other synthetics Read More »
Hemp leaves separate from flowers are a traditional food and may be marketed in Europe, the European Commission has clarified once and for all. The decision, which came from a … Clarification on legality of hemp leaves in EU should boost tea market Read More »
A U.S. hemp stakeholder group has again criticized the government’s Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for drawing conclusions based on outdated research it says exaggerates the potential dangers of CBD. … Hemp group says FDA’s position on CBD is based on outdated research Read More »
Resolving safety issues and setting a legal path for CBD looks like it won’t come anytime soon, according to comments during a webinar held by the U.S. Food & Drug … ‘New path’ to market for legal CBD in U.S. looks like it will be a long one Read More »
The Czech government has halted a planned ban and will further study regulations for CBD and other hemp-derived cannabinoids, reversing a policy announced late last month. “We have agreed that … Czech government halts planned ban and will reconsider CBD rules Read More »
Creating a common language for hemp can unlock innovation and ease the incorporation of hemp products into global supply chains, according to a position paper issued this week by the … International group urges creation of common language for hemp Read More »
Colorado lawmakers say they have worked out a compromise in proposed legislation stakeholders had feared would place overly strict limits on CBD. The measure, Senate Bill 271 (SB 271), is … Colorado lawmakers say compromise reached on THC levels for CBD Read More »
Reading the tea leaves on both sides of the Atlantic these days, one has to wonder: Is CBD about to be relegated to drug-only status? The question is not as … Are regulators about to take the easy way out and declare CBD a drug? Read More »
Minnesota hemp stakeholders say the inclusion of hemp in state cannabis legislation would create burdensome rules that could stifle the industry. The Minnesota Industrial Hemp Association (MIHA) said licensing categories … Legislative bundling of hemp and marijuana would make Minnesota an outlier Read More »
Food safety officials in the Czech Republic say they will ban the marketing of products that contain CBD and other cannabinoids from hemp, citing EU regulations and a lack of … Czech Republic will ban CBD and other hemp-derived cannabinoids Read More »
Desperate CBD makers have put a target on their back in Europe as drug authorities this month sent up warning flags over HHC, an unregulated psychoactive compound being sold as … Spread of products that mimic marijuana is a black eye for European CBD Read More »
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) failure to regulate CBD leaves the door open for nefarious business operators, and threatens consumers’ health, the chairman of a key congressional committee … FDA’s failure to regulate CBD is health threat, says U.S. House committee chair Read More »
One year after Costa Rica celebrated passage of a cannabis law, the hemp industry has been slow to get off the ground. After the law passed in March 2022, agriculture … Stakeholders lament slow start for hemp in Costa Rica Read More »
Virginia hemp stakeholders have failed in their attempts to sideline a bill that bans delta-8 THC, and sets strict limits on total THC levels in hemp food products. Both houses … Virginia poised to ban delta-8 THC, put tight restrictions on CBD Read More »
Finnish authorities have banned the sale of hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a hemp-derived cannabinoid that has popped up in concentrated form as an alternative to marijuana in some European countries over the … Finnish authorities ban ‘high’-producing, hemp-derived HHC Read More »
A ban on delta-8 THC appears likely in Arkansas while restrictions on the psychoactive hemp-derived substance have been averted for now in Georgia. The Arkansas Senate voted last week to … D-8 ban appears likely in Arkansas, while Georgia dodges a bullet Read More »
An Alabama CBD maker said it will go to court to try to quash an order by state health officials that called on the company to stop promoting and selling … Alabama producer says it will fight back against state order on CBD Read More »
One year after he unveiled an ambitious plan to develop South Africa’s cannabis industry, President Cyril Ramaphosa said his government making progress in setting up a national infrastructure for hemp … Progress reported on hemp in South Africa, but critic says small farmers left out Read More »
State officials in Kansas are pushing back against a proposed law that would allow hemp fiber, grain and seeds to be used as food for pets, and feed for poultry … Kansas officials push back against law to allow hemp animal feed Read More »
The failure of a minor bill that would have helped CBD producers in South Dakota won’t have much of an effect on the overall hemp industry in the state, where … Veto of THC bill won’t have much effect on hemp in South Dakota Read More »
A subsidiary of a Canadian cannabis company has received the first license to develop hemp operations from Mexican health authorities, but a legal framework that would underpin the industry has … Canadian company’s subsidiary first to get hemp license in Mexico Read More »
Texas agriculture officials have approved hempseed-derived feed for chickens and horses, and authorized the state feed agency to set regulations for such products. The Texas Commercial Feed Control Act authorizes … Hempseed-derived feed for horses, chickens approved in Texas Read More »
A Brazilian court has agreed to rule on a case that would greenlight businesses and farmers to grow cannabis, but even with a positive outcome in the case, Brazil could still be years … Brazilian court agrees to rule on growing hemp, but lawmaking lags Read More »
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has now advanced a total 2,847 CBD products to the second stage of its three-stage approval process for new (or “novel”) foods. In the … Nearly 3,000 products advance in UK’s $800 million CBD sweepstakes Read More »
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has agreed to amend a hemp bill awaiting his signature, but hemp stakeholders say the changes don’t go far enough. Youngkin ordered changes to a provision … Virginia hemp stakeholders say THC rules in amended bill don’t go far enough Read More »
French authorities have approved temporary guidelines which allow CBD products to be declared as food supplements and remain on the market pending authorization under the EU’s food safety program. The … France sets temporary rules to keep $300 million market for CBD open Read More »
U.S. lawmakers re-introduced two bills that would establish a legal framework for hemp-derived cannabinoids, hoping to revive a rulemaking process that has been slow to unfold. The measures would mandate … U.S. lawmakers re-introduce bills that would set framework for CBD Read More »
A batch of applications for CBD products submitted by a UK trade group has been advanced by food safety authorities. The Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI), which formed a … CBD applications from 7 companies advanced by UK food safety authorities Read More »
Indiana farmers appear to have all but given up on industrial hemp, and stakeholders say the state government is to blame. Now down to just 40 licensees after hitting a … Failure to set legal framework in Indiana means ‘hemp program is dying’ Read More »
A bill introduced in the U.S. Congress would allow convicted drug felons to own or serve in principal roles in hemp companies, striking down restrictions in the 2018 Farm Bill. … U.S. lawmakers float bill that would give ‘second chance’ to drug felons Read More »
More state governments are joining the growing chorus that would ban synthetic, hemp-derived delta-8 THC, with Arkansas, West Virginia and Texas the most recent to take such measures under consideration. … Clouds darken over CBD as more states consider banning delta-8 Read More »
UK hemp stakeholders fear CBD could be relegated to medical-only status after the release of a controversial report from a government regulator claimed 10 people have died after ingesting the … UK stakeholders scoff at report of CBD deaths, criticize Jazz Read More »
The government of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu is looking to attract foreign investors and operators to develop medical cannabis and industrial hemp production for export-only after recently finalizing … Tiny Pacific island nation of Vanuatu hopes to draw hemp investors Read More »
Hemp building stakeholders in the U.S. say they are putting the finishing touches on documentation that will enshrine hempcrete as an approved building material for residential structures under the International … Hempcrete takes ‘important step’ in U.S. by entering international code Read More »
Federal CBD policy should advance research that can inform consumers about risk while at the same time giving stakeholders regulatory certainty, a senior advisor at the U.S. Food and Drug … ‘Large, innovative’ CBD sector needs balanced rules, says FDA advisor Read More »
Hemp-derived synthetic forms of THC, the psychoactive element in cannabis, do not meet the federal definition of hemp and are therefore controlled substances, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has … DEA asserts hemp-derived THC products are controlled substances Read More »
While North Carolina hemp farmers all but abandoned the flower market, flower-derived CBD products continue to flood the state, underscoring consumer safety threats amid a yawning regulatory gap. Growing and … NC grapples with CBD, as downsized hemp industry re-sets to fiber Read More »
More than 400 CBD products have now been stricken from a public list by UK food safety officials, and may not be sold to consumers. The UK’s Food Standards Agency … More than 400 CBD products are now barred from sale in UK Read More »
Argentina has officially launched an agency in support of industrial hemp and medical cannabis, the latest in a string of key moves that show the government is serious about developing … Argentina launches agency to guide hemp, medical cannabis Read More »
Saying federal safety standards are insufficient to manage the CBD industry, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has called on Congress to set rules for the products through legislation. … FDA says it can’t manage regulation of CBD, calls on Congress to act Read More »
A New Jersey state senator has introduced a bill to regulate delta-8 THC, calling the synthetic compound “the bathtub gin of the cannabis space” as he warned many such products might … Delta-8 is ‘bathtub gin of the cannabis space,’ New Jersey lawmaker warns Read More »
The Oversight Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives says it will investigate the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over its regulatory jurisdiction of hemp-derived CBD. The committee is … U.S. house committee to investigate FDA over CBD rulemaking Read More »
France’s Council of State has formally lifted a ban on the sale of hemp flowers used to produce CBD and other cannabinoids, finalizing the overrule of a 2021 government decision. The … France lifts ban on flowers as framework for CBD advances Read More »
[Third in a series of the most popular stories on HempToday in 2022] The legal and regulatory landscape for industrial hemp still has a long way to go toward normalization, … Slowly but surely, new laws and regulations for industrial hemp advance Read More »
By Richard Rose | Hemp Food Association Food from the seed is the hemp industry’s first billion-dollar segment and has driven the planting of vast acreages in Canada and elsewhere; … Food: ‘We need to address the needs of hemp’s most important sector’ Read More »
The U.S. Congress has failed to act on a banking bill that would have led the way to financial services for hemp and marijuana companies. The bill, the Secure and … Failure of banking act means challenges for hemp producers will linger Read More »
A California cannabis group has called for legislators to close loopholes in federal laws to avert a “public health disaster” caused by widely available delta-8 THC and other potentially intoxicating … Lack of clarity over hemp-derived delta-8 THC called ‘public health disaster’ Read More »
A UK CBD seller has received a warning from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over health claims in marketing materials. The ASA, which reviews advertising...
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The novel food consortium of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) has finalized applications for two forms of CBD headed for the European Food Safety...
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Medical officials in Brazil have suspended a resolution that would have limited CBD to medicine available by prescription only to those who suffer a narrow...
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Prosecutors in Ohio say two men pocketed nearly $800,000 in investor funds collected in a bogus medical cannabis and CBD business. A Warren County grand jury...
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A Virginia boy’s death that has been attributed to over-ingestion of hemp-derived delta-8 THC from gummies is likely to have serious repercussions in the U.S...
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The removal of all forms of cannabis from drug status in Germany will help to end the stigmatization of hemp, and support the reform of...
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A national animal food group is urging Idaho officials to delay enforcement of a ban on sales of animal foods that contain hemp or hemp...
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More than 500 products analyzed by a team of U.S. researchers revealed contaminants are widely present in CBD, according to a soon-to-be-published paper on edibles...
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Hong Kong will criminalize CBD early next year, categorizing the compound as a dangerous drug. Under changes to Hong Kong’s drug control laws expected to...
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Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has recommended allowing imports of cannabis for medical use, opening a crack for medical grade CBD. Under the...
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CBD stakeholders say they hope the appointment of a cannabis policy expert at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) signals the agency may finally...
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German hemp fields continued to expand this year, growing 7% to reach an all-time high of 7,000 hectares (17,000 acres) despite significant barriers faced by...
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The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has rejected a Freedom of Information request submitted by HempToday (HT) regarding companies that currently have products in the...
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Hemp farming and production licenses will be inexpensive and widely available in Costa Rica, according to regulations that have been approved by the government. Cultivation...
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A Pakistani Senate committee has criticized efforts to expand the number of ministries involved in setting policy for industrial hemp after the cabinet of Prime...
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Minnesota lawmakers are expected to eventually address rules that inadvertently made the state a hotbed for hemp-derived delta-8 THC edibles as a result of a...
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When it comes to getting a legal CBD product on the market in the UK, it looks like a free-for-all. With the Food Standards Agency...
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A Canadian health committee called on government to support studies that will more broadly look at CBD’s potential as a wellness aid while ensuring consumer...
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A judge in Kentucky has barred law enforcement from meddling in the production and sale of delta-8 THC but dismissed an injunction against the state...
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Zimbabwe has opened up the domestic market for CBD as a traditional herbal medicine, expanding upon previous laws which had allowed production only for export....
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Consumers in Texas can continue to puff hemp, but the production of hemp smokables is outlawed in the state as a result of a recent...
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Albania’s Ministry of Health has put forth a plan to update and refine rules for the production of industrial hemp, but would limit business activity...
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