Hemp Industry News - HempToday®: Recent Episodes
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The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) announced it will begin enforcing strict regulations on the sale of intoxicating hemp products, following a recent federal court decision that limited the […]
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 […]
The UK government announced reforms to help hemp farmers this week, but has not indicated if it intends to raise the THC limit for industrial hemp from 0.2% to 0.3% […]
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 […]
A groundbreaking project in Maine has received $1.6 million in funding to continue research into hemp’s potential in remediating soil contaminated by PFAS, the so-called “forever chemicals.” The initiative, at […]
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 […]
Purdue University has launched a consortium to bring together academic researchers, Indiana farmers and industry stakeholders in a field-to-shelf hemp product development initiative. The school’s new Hemp Products Utilization Consortium […]
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 […]
By Steve Allin
In recent weeks, I’ve been focusing on how my knowledge of environmentalism and sustainability can be applied to the current state of the industrial hemp industry. My awareness of environmental issues began as a young school student, thanks to some enlightened teachers at my secondary school.
This awareness grew when I read reviews of The Limits to Growth report and discovered “The Whole Earth Catalog.” These two events introduced me to the idea that our lifestyle was unsustainable and provided tools to address the situation.
Wizards & ProphetsThe creator of The Whole Earth Catalog, Stuart Brand, recently resurfaced in my life through a video by his Long Now Foundation. The video featured Charles C. Mann, a journalist, author, and philosopher. His three books describe how the world was in 1641, how it changed by 1643, and how humanity is trying to deal with the resulting challenges (Wizards & Prophets).
Years ago, I watched a similar TED Talk by Mann, where he explained that those seeking solutions for humanity can be divided into “Wizards” or “Prophets.”
Meet Steve Allin at this year’s International Hemp Building Symposium, October 15-16 in Staffanstorp near Malmö, Sweden
He used two scientists as examples: Norman Borlaug, an agronomist (the “Wizard”), believed science could solve anything and developed rust-resistant wheat, a pillar of the Green Revolution. William Vogt, an ecologist (the “Prophet”), warned that overreliance on technology would push the planet’s limits, with damaging effects.
Both men thought they were protecting nature and improving life, and for a long time, both had valid arguments. However, as we gather more data on our environment, there’s greater urgency in addressing this emergency.
Practical solutionsSo, how do we compare the “Wizards” and “Prophets” of the hemp industry? The business world loves the term “growth,” but I’m sure I’m not the only one questioning an economic system so dependent on it. Many promoting hemp want the sector to grow, but how can we ensure we’re not ignoring future problems while providing practical global solutions?
Hemp has been championed as an environmental tool since “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” by Jack Herer. Unfortunately, some people overstate hemp’s benefits – like claiming no fertilizers are required or exaggerating production volumes. The facts are more complex. Environmental benefits depend on how hemp is grown and harvested, and what companion crops or rotation systems are used.
Carbon storage in soil and materials is still being quantified, and climate change affects agricultural systems. Sowing times are shifting, and field retting is riskier now than in previous centuries.
At this year’s European Industrial Hemp Association event in Prague, large-scale concepts and market expansion dominated. Some presentations balanced wizardry and prophecy, but two stood out as distinct approaches.
Small-scale, large-scaleMaciej Kowalski of Poland’s Kombinat Konopny exemplified the Prophet approach. Starting small, he uses stand retting during harsh Polish winters to process hemp fibers with old local equipment. His community-based project proves the potential for textile production, all within a former horticultural combine. Kombinat Konopny dreams big but is grounded in careful, small-scale steps.
On the Wizard side, Michael Bieder’s company Fibamax has ambitious plans for 250,000 hectares of hemp cultivation, yielding 3 million tons of crop and €1.2 billion in revenue by 2035. Fibamax’s high-tech vision for processing hemp raises concerns. Low prices for hemp as a substitute for other biomass or cellulose materials—like timber or maize, which are subsidized—may pose challenges, as hemp lacks similar subsidies.
This echoes the argument around green energy: the transition from fossil fuels would be faster if oil and gas subsidies were redirected to green energy. Large-scale processes require significant energy, and Fibamax’s motto, “Creative Minds With No Limits,” raises a red flag. Anyone with a realistic view of the future knows there are limits.
I draw a parallel between conventional and organic farming and the growth of a business. Rapidly investing in large-scale processes risks becoming dependent on artificial inputs – like chemical farming. In contrast, growing a small business from the ground up is harder but more sustainable when rooted in the community.
This doesn’t mean I favor one approach over the other. Both will be needed, as farming techniques and geography vary widely around the world. One size will not fit all. We’ll need solutions for both small fields and large farms in the Americas and Europe.
Net zero challengeThe international effort to sequester carbon will require every available tool. Achieving Net Zero or better will be challenging, but lower carbon lifestyles can play a huge role in national reductions. Energy-efficient homes built or retrofitted with hemp materials offer significant savings and health benefits, creating lower-impact life choices.
This is my Wizard mind speaking. My Prophet mind reminds me, however, that many solutions we propose are often used to justify harmful technological expansion. For example, Ryanair’s CEO boasted about new, greener aircraft while simultaneously seeking to double flights from Dublin airport – negating any environmental benefits. This is the Jevons Paradox. Net Zero housing solutions should reduce overall emissions, not excuse greater volumes of consumption.
Steve Allin pioneered the International Hemp Building Association (IHBA), which he serves as director. An author, teacher and consultant on ecological building, Allin has been building with hemp and promoting hemp’s use in construction worldwide for more than 20 years. He is the author of “Building with Hemp” (2005, 2012) and “Hemp Buildings: 50 International Case Studies” (2021). Allin lives in Rusheens, Kenmare, County Kerry, Ireland.
A new bill in the U.S. Congress would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory authority over hemp-derived cannabinoids while allowing states leeway to set additional rules.
The Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act (CSRA), introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, would set a comprehensive federal framework for both products containing delta-8 or other synthetic intoxicants, and non-psychoactive natural cannabinoids such as CBD and CBG.
The proposed measure differs from a previously introduced bill, the so-called “Miller Amendment,” which would place an outright ban on synthetic “high”-producing hemp cannabinoids. The CSRA opts instead for strict FDA controls on harmful or unsafe chemicals used in production. While it does not ban such products, the law would certainly hammer the intoxicating hemp sector, which operates in a legal gray area due to a loophole in federal law.
CSRA vs. ‘Miller’While the CSRA seeks to regulate the entire hemp-derived cannabinoid industry at the federal level, the Miller Amendment reflects a belief that such products are inconsistent with the spirit of hemp legalization under the 2018 Farm Bill, which aimed to distance hemp from marijuana and its psychoactive properties. Proposed as part of the next U.S. Farm Bill, it takes a narrower and more targeted approach, redefining hemp to include only cannabinoids that do not have intoxicating effects.
Either bill, if enacted, would relieve states of the headache brought on by hemp-derived intoxicants that have flooded the market in products that are widely available and commonly promoted to kids – and which have been a boon to a cowboy class of CBD producers.
“Just like the tobacco industry marketing cigarettes to young people, nobody should be slapping fun cartoons and glitzy candy wrapper packaging on cannabis products meant for adults,” Wyden said in a press release. “A federal floor for regulation of hemp products is non-negotiable to ensure that consumers aren’t put at risk by untested products of unknown origin.
At its core, the CSRA aims to provide a federal baseline of safety and regulatory standards while allowing states to introduce stricter rules if they see fit – including banning the products altogether, as some states have already done.
Confused consumersWhile some states have regulated intoxicating hemp products, others have not, leaving consumers to sort out legal marijuana from illicit hemp products, according to Wyden’s summary of the bill. “My legislation will ensure that adult consumers know what they’re getting, and that hemp products are never sold or marketed to children.”
While the primary aim of the Miller Amendment is to eliminate all hemp-derived intoxicants such as delta-8 THC from the market, Wyden’s proposal softens that approach, but could nonetheless significantly curb sales of the products by instituting a 21-or-older age limit, strict labeling, child-resistant packaging requirements and a ban on marketing aimed at minors.
The CSRA would also begin to put guardrails on CBD products and those containing other hemp cannabinoids, which continue to be unregulated more than five years after they were legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill. The FDA has contended it does not consider hemp-derived CBD safe enough to be sold lawfully as a dietary supplement although the products are widely available in a semi-gray market. FDA has urged Congress to create a new regulatory pathway for CBD because the agency is not able to manage the compound under current rules for dietary supplements and food additives.
Importantly, CSRA also allows states to impose additional regulations and taxes, ensuring they retain significant control over the sale and distribution of cannabinoid products within their borders, certain to further hurt sales.
Other CSRA provisionsUnder the federal oversight called for in the Wyden bill, all producers of cannabinoid products would be required to register with the FDA, adhere to strict manufacturing standards and submit products to testing for potency, pesticides, heavy metals, and chemical additives to ensure consumer safety.
In provisions applicable to both intoxicating and non-intoxicating products, the CSRA also:
- Allows non-intoxicating, naturally derived hemp cannabinoids to be considered as food or included in food items, if they meet Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act standards;
- Bars businesses from selling cannabinoid products if they contain alcohol, tobacco or nicotine;
- Prohibits vapes containing cannabinoids from being flavored either naturally or artificially;
- Limits vapes to no more than 6 percent terpenes;
- Prohibits cannabinoid packaging or labeling from including cartoons or anthropomorphic images that could appeal to children;
- Prohibits cannabinoid products from being sold in candy or snack forms;
- Ensures FDA can recall products if or when necessary;
- Ensures that imported products meet U.S. standards;
- Funds research to develop a cannabis impairment standard and to create a “cannabis breathalyzer;”
- Creates a $125 million grant program through the Department of Health and Human Services in support of efforts to prevent young people from using cannabis and cannabinoid products;
- Establishes a $200 million state cannabis-impaired driving prevention grant program and a nationwide anti-drugged driving campaign.
Trade groups in supportWyden claims the CRSA is endorsed by the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, the National Cannabis Industry Association, the National Industrial Hemp Council of America, and state hemp industry associations from California, Colorado, Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, South Dakota, Virginia and Texas.
Registered medical and recreational marijuana interests across the country also want to see controls on the illicit hemp products, which they have said represent unfair competition because they are not regulated, while legal operators must meet strict guidelines under expensive licenses.
Origins of ‘diet weed’Intoxicating, psychoactive, or “high”-producing products, most of which are made by putting hemp-derived CBD through a process in the lab, were not understood or envisioned by lawmakers when they passed the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized industrial hemp by removing it from the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act.
The subsequent surge in intoxicating hemp products has been meteoric, with the substances becoming increasingly available in products carried in convenience stores, hemp shops, gas stations, bars, bodegas’ coffee shops, strip malls and even mobile trailers – outlets do not have licenses that allow them to sell intoxicating cannabis products. The illicit products, which go by slang names such as “diet weed,” “marijuana light,” or “gas station pot,” are sold in the form of gummies, candies, drinks, tinctures, “topicals” (often taken internally) and inhalable vapes and smokeable products.
Hemp-derived CBD could prove to be an effective and environmentally friendly insecticide, according to a study by U.S. researchers. The study, published in the scientific journal Insects, showed that CBD can wipe out larvae in two troublesome strains of mosquitoes in their early stages of development – within 48 hours.
The research, led by a team at Ohio State University, marks a promising breakthrough in the ongoing fight against insecticide resistance, particularly in the case of mosquito species such as Aedes aegypti, which transmit deadly yellow fever, dengue, and Zika viruses.
“It’s very important to be able to control these pests at an early stage, when they are at their most vulnerable,” said Erick Martinez Rodriguez, a graduate student in entomology at Ohio State and lead author of the research report. He noted that targeting mosquitoes in their larval stage, before they mature and spread diseases over large distances, is critical for effective pest management.
Stubborn strainsThe breakthrough comes as mosquito populations around the world are developing genetic mutations to ward off conventional insecticides, posing serious challenges for global control programs. One strain of Aedes aegypti – the Puerto Rican strain – has shown stubborn resistance to commonly used synthetic insecticides, which target the nervous system of mosquitoes.
CBD, however, has shown the ability to bypass these metabolic defenses.
The Ohio State researchers extracted CBD by pulverizing dried hemp leaves and soaking them in methanol to create a potent solution. The study found that even a small amount of CBD-rich extract was lethal to mosquito larvae.
“What was surprising was the small amount needed to be so deadly,” Rodriguez said of the potential for the eco-friendly alternative to synthetic insecticides, which often have harmful environmental side effects due to overuse.
Natural insecticidesThis discovery is part of a growing body of research into plant-derived insecticides. Previous studies from Ohio State identified natural mosquito-repellent properties in plants from Madagascar, which inspired the team to explore hemp.
Study co-author Peter Piermarini, a professor of entomology at Ohio State, said CBD could be an attractive candidate for broader pest management strategies. “It’ll be interesting to learn more about how CBD interacts with various proteins in mammals and insects to understand why it’s safe for people but not insects,” he said.
However, Piermarini emphasized the need for more research into how CBD-based insecticides could affect non-target species, such as honeybees, which play a critical role in pollination and biodiversity.
More research neededWhile the findings are promising, they raise questions about the ecological impact of widespread CBD use in pest control. Mosquito larvae thrive in aquatic environments, and introducing CBD-based insecticides into these habitats requires a careful examination of how non-target aquatic species might be affected, the researchers noted. Protecting biodiversity while controlling pests is a delicate balance, and future research is needed to assess potential unintended consequences, they added.
Researchers also see potential in refining extraction methodologies for CBD-based insecticides, ensuring they are efficient and environmentally sustainable. This could involve optimizing the concentration of CBD to make it more effective at lower doses, further minimizing its ecological footprint.
Biopesticide revolution?The study opens several new avenues for research, including the efficacy of CBD against other insect species resistant to traditional insecticides. If CBD can be adapted to control a broader range of pests, it could revolutionize the biopesticide industry, offering a natural and eco-friendly alternative to synthetic chemicals.
Additionally, there is potential for genetic engineering approaches that could enhance the insecticidal properties of hemp, making it an even more powerful tool in pest control.
“Understanding how these natural compounds interact with different insect species will be crucial for developing safe, targeted pest control methods,” Rodriguez said, noting that the ultimate goal is to create solutions that reduce environmental harm while remaining effective against resistant pests.
The research was supported by the Infectious Diseases Institute and Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The journal Insects, which is peer-reviewed, is an open-access journal by the Basel, Switzerland-based Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
Liam Donohoe is a lecturer in Engineering at Technological University Dublin, where he earned a Master’s degree in Energy Management. As a PhD Fiosraigh Scholar at TU Dublin’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, he is researching the development of an international standard rating methodology for the dynamic energy performance of hempcrete. A specialist in building energy certification and no- and low-carbon product, standards and systems development, Donohoe founded Black Mountain Insulation Ltd., a global leader in natural insulation materials. He is a director at the International Hemp Building Association (IHBA) and at UK Hempcrete (UKH) where he is Chief Operations Officer.
HempToday: When it comes to bio-based construction materials, what is hemp competing with?
Liam Donohoe: Hemp is competing with everything else in the market. When we pitched the UK Hempcrete business to investors, we had a slide showing the main biobased competitors in Britain and Ireland. The investor we were talking to said, no, tell me you are competing with Kingspan, you are competing with Knauf, you are competing with Rockwool.
A few months later, Kingspan had made two significant investments in the biobased space. His point was: “You are telling me, hemp has the potential to go mainstream. Walk it and talk it.”
HT: What makes hemp better than rammed earth, straw bale, or other natural building materials?
LD: It’s not a case of hemp being “better.” It’s a case of hemp being at a more advanced level of development. We see biobased materials being complementary to hemp as we share similar visions and ethos. But hemp has been invested in and researched so professionally and thoroughly now, at least in Europe, that we have got it to a point where, like any other fiber insulation or low-carbon, insulating block material, it can be specified and implemented in any construction project, from a garden shed to a large international office. UK Hempcrete has clients at both ends and all points of the spectrum in between. Specifically, we see more commonly that architects representing clients often come to us saying, we want to cast hempcrete, and we say why is that, haven’t you heard about ISOHEMP blocks? These are fully certified, dry, solid, regular, and arrive on the site just in time when you need them.
Rammed earth and straw bale just don’t yet arrive on the site according to the building cycle.
Meet Liam Donohoe at the International Hemp Building Association’s 12th Hemp Building Symposium Oct. 15-16 in Staffanstorp, Sweden
HT: What can hemp construction do for the global challenge in housing needs?
The opportunity for hemp is to integrate now with modern technologies for lean construction, and also with modern methods of construction. So I think we will see more modular housing concepts, for example, something like Ian Pritchett developed with BIOND, and now Greencore, Dun Agro and, of course, ISOHEMP, have done with their blocks which we distribute in the UK. We could spend every day reviewing scalable projects with the number of inquiries we now get from housing developers. Also, in the university, we have been working with timber frame home manufacturers, and hope to develop a project there soon.
HT: The concept of the “passive house” looks like a marriage between traditional construction and technology. What’s your view on this whole movement?
LD: I wrote an undergraduate paper on the hemp passive house. My studies had shown me it was possible. During my visit to the amazing Nauhaus in North Carolina, I saw it leap large up from the earth. In Ireland, James Byrne also designed and built an amazing hemp passive house. UKH are currently designing two houses for clients in Northern Ireland to passive house details and standards. But you know what? It’s not a case of hemp adapting to the passive house concept. It’s about the passive house concept adapting more to hemp-lime! That’s what we are doing now. In the International Hemp Building Association (IHBA), we are working with the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) with the EU Standards group to educate policymakers on standards for hemp blocks.
HT: Talk a bit about energy technology in the home. It would seem that certain “smart” technology applications combined with hempcrete construction could yield maximum performance with respect to both carbon emissions and energy efficiency.
LD: Ha! Yes and no. Let me tell you about one of those houses in Northern Ireland we are designing at present. Among the things I do — and let’s just say, it’s a skill I have that’s a lot more advanced than my guitar picking — I work in Britain and Ireland for retrofit and new house energy coordination and certification with energy performance standards. When I ran the numbers on the Northern Ireland hemp-lime house, it is so highly insulated, the client and I worked out it needs little more than a wood-burning stove with a back boiler to heat the home.
But the regulations don’t allow for that! How crazy is that? A hemp-lime house is too good! They want us to put in electrical heating because they come with a regulator and/or timer.
So that’s a case of us having to provide for unnecessary technology because hemp construction is too advanced and regulations haven’t caught up with it yet. The client there may also put in some solar photovoltaic panels, but he just wants to build the house first.
Regarding a situation where you decide you need more advanced technology such as heat pumps, for sure they are extremely well integrated with hemp-lime construction. Smart weather compensation on the outside unit of the heat pump will tell the controller when and how to switch on and get indoor temperatures back up to set point. With a material with slow decrement delay like hemp-lime, that means your compressor will have to turn on less often. The result is the running cost of your heat pump will be lower.
In UKH we often subcontract to clients the services of the leading expert for dynamic simulation modeling for hemp lime-constructed houses in Britain. With years of experience and real-site data built into the model, we can provide a predicted lifetime energy and carbon use datasheet to clients that empirically shows that O&M costs will be lower with a hemp-lime building. This is often convincing to clients building a bigger home. As Alex Sparrow likes to say, “Can you afford NOT to build with hempcrete?”
Our partner, Mura Canning came up with a tag: “Biobased solutions that don’t cost the earth.”
HT: Where do you see product development regarding hempcrete and hemp fiber insulation; what’s happening now; where do you see it going?
LD: As said above the main applications are likely to be labor and cost-saving construction models BEFORE the building site. So modular and pre-framed cassettes etc. Chloe Donovan and Mike Lawrence’s amazing natural building system has a lot of promise there.
However there is still much work to be done in several areas. These include the development of ultra-low-carbon binders (which I’ve concentrated on with my own research work, and under the inspiration of the great Steve Allin who has shared his binder recipes to further science).
HT: Talk about application techniques; spraying, infill, bricks, blocks and the relative strengths and weaknesses of each.
LD: I have a lot of time for blocks because I feel they are more adaptable to how the majority of homes are built today. However, spray has great potential as well, not only in modular construction but also in more mass-scale retrofit of old barns and stone houses. We are only scratching the surface of the retrofit wave in Europe at the moment. Infill has a place there too. But rather than talk about weaknesses or strengths, it’s more about what is the best solution for the project, for the client, for their time horizon and for their budget.
If a person has access to labor, and/or skills in construction, infill is just as good as anything else. But the time horizon has to be there to allow for drying etc. and then the finishing trades.
Blocks just allow a lot more flexibility to the build cycle and this is important for many.
HT: Talk about the importance of standardization to the construction industry, and what standards are crucial for hempcrete to meet.
LD: Certification is germane to construction now for many reasons. Let’s just look at one.
Take Grenfell for one example, where there was apparent certification in place but it was bullshit! It wasn’t worth the toilet paper it was written on! Now it might seem like I’m contradicting myself a little there, but, in fact, what I mean is that robust certification has to be in place. Architects and professionals want to specify biobased but they also want to specify with confidence. So hempcrete has to be better than everything else. We already know it is anyway, but we have to have that written down and tested and have it on a sheet somewhere so that when the energy certification or building control guy like me comes around with his clipboard, there it is and I file it.
That is why in UKH we have developed a suite of services that starts with the customer along every stage of the journey. It’s why we emphasize to clients that they can use any type of binder or block they want (and we supply most of them) but that these ones over here are the ones we most strongly recommend.
That’s because they come with a suite of data, tests, regulations, and standards. More importantly, when the ISOHEMP blocks you ordered from us come on-site, they won’t all be different sizes and irregular. And how do we know this? Because we went out to the state of the art factory in Fernelmont and we saw their quality assurance processes at first hand.
I could talk more about risk assessment, and mitigation, as well as insurance, but as those topics aren’t very interesting really, I’m going to stop. But that’s just it isn’t it? In hemp construction, we sometimes downplay the value of such things. Look here: I am almost doing it again!
But the rest of the building world takes this stuff deadly seriously and so should we. Hemp just has to go through the rest of that product cycle until it becomes as boring as the rest of the construction industry. That’s when we will know that any doubts or perceptions of incredibility no longer exist. When it’s so standardized that no one even asks about it anymore. When Joni Mitchell brings out an updated version of Big Yellow Taxi and it goes: “They paved paradise, and put up a hempcrete EV parking lot”
A Georgia law that will limit sales of CBD and intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid products to those over 21 is set to take effect Oct. 1.
The law also limits the total for all forms of THC content in products containing hemp-derived substances to 0.3%.
Passed and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in May, the legislation affects products intended to be ingested, absorbed or inhaled.
Addresses THCASenate Bill 494 (SB 494) also restricts the sale of THCA, a non-intoxicating compound that can be made psychoactive, to those 21 and older.
The new law was driven by concerns over health and safety risks from unregulated markets for non-psychoactive CBD and synthetic hemp-derived products that can have psychoactive effects.
In pushing for the law, legislators cited the sale of such products to minors, and consumer confusion between hemp and marijuana. Concerns also arose regarding consumer safety, and law enforcement’s ability to control access to the products.
Is CBD safe?The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said it does not consider hemp-derived CBD safe enough to be sold lawfully as a dietary supplement, and urged Congress to create a new pathway to regulate the substance. In the absence of federal regulations, the market for the products rapidly took off following the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized industrial hemp federally. With CBD rules lacking, states have been trying to rein in the products.
Appearing before a congressional committee in April, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said studies have shown CBD can produce toxicity in the liver, and may harm the male reproductive system. CBD exposure is particularly concerning for children and during pregnancy, Califf also said.
The upcoming Farm Bill may compel the FDA to establish specific rules for CBD as a dietary supplement or food ingredient, which could open up more mainstream market opportunities. Originally the 2023 Farm Bill, that legislation is not expected to be passed until the end of this year or early in 2025.
Cooking it upHemp-derived “high”-producing compounds such as delta-8 THC – the most popular of the intoxicating hemp substances – delta-10 THC, THC-O-acetate, HHC, THCP and others, start with hemp-derived CBD base material that is put through a synthetic process.
THCA, also found in hemp plants, has minimal to no intoxicating effects on its own, but becomes psychoactive delta-9 THC when it is exposed to heat, light, or certain chemicals.
When marketed as flower buds, THCA purportedly meets the Farm Bill’s 0.3% limit on total delta-9 THC and therefore meets the definition of federally compliant hemp, producers have contended.
Farm Act loopholeThe illicit hemp substances have been marketed by dodgy producers in the U.S. as “legal hemp” due to a loophole in the 2018 Farm Act, which legalized hemp federally. The landmark bill failed to anticipate the development of THCA buds and other products containing psychoactive substances derived from industrial hemp.
“[Congress] left it pretty open-ended,” state Sen. Sam Watson, a Republican who introduced SB 494, told the Capitol Beat News Service. “There’s no regulatory environment around it. … It’s a consumer-protection bill.”
Watson said the high-inducing hemp products, which have been marketed to children under knock-off brands that mimic popular treats, shouldn’t be legal.
“It scares me as a parent,” he said. “If you’re using this stuff for medical purposes or a sleep issue, why do you need a candy bar for that?”
Drawing a lineThe Georgia law’ makes a distinction between “industrial hemp products,” those which are not consumable, and “hemp products,” which “means all products with the federally defined THC level for hemp derived from, or made by, processing hemp plants or plant parts that are prepared in a form available for legal commercial sale, but not including food products infused with THC.”
“Process” or “processing” does not include “merely placing raw or dried material into another container or packaging raw or dried material for resale; or traditional farming practices such as those commonly known as drying, shucking and bucking, storing, trimming, and curing,” according to the language in the law.
SB 494 also:
- Updates rules for licensing, certificates of analysis, inspection, testing, retail operations and signage.
- Prohibits hemp compounds from being used in alcoholic beverages and food, except for gummies or extracts.
- Bars packaging that may be considered attractive to children.
The lower house of the Italian parliament has approved a controversial amendment that would ban the trade in hemp flowers – effectively shutting down the source of CBD and cutting off trade in smokable buds.
But a key drug policy agency said fears expressed by stakeholders that the proposed law and regulatory changes will kill the hemp industry are overstated because they will not affect products made from the plant’s seeds and stalks.
The proposed ban is part of a two-pronged approach by the government of Giorgia Meloni, who appears determined to wipe out EU-legal hemp flowers and the cannabinoids derived from them.
War on CBDA government decree separately blocked the sale of oral CBD products beginning last month, but that order – which placed CBD in Italy’s table of narcotic medicines – was temporarily blocked by a regional court earlier this month.
Hemp trade groups Canapa Sativa Italia (CSI) and Federcanapa, and farming groups CIA-Agricoltori Italiani and Copagri have all lined up against Meloni’s efforts to shut down businesses based on hemp flowers.
“The decision of the Italian Government to continue with this measure, despite the unanimous opposition of the trade organizations, represents a serious mistake,” Mattia Cusani, CSI president, told the magazine Dolce Vita.
To become law, the amendment, which would be attached to Italy’s 2023 Security Law, still needs to be approved by the Italian Senate before going to President Sergio Mattarella for his signature. “The battle for the future of industrial hemp is just beginning,” said Cusani, who predicted a protracted battle over the flower ban in the Italian Senate.
EC investigating“We are confident that this rule will be rejected by both the Senate and the European courts. The sector will continue to operate, and hemp inflorescences will still be legally marketed and imported,” Cusani said following the amendment’s passage by the Chamber of Deputies.
The European Commission has said it is investigating a complaint already filed by CSI which argues that the ban violates European Union rules on competition and the free movement of goods. In a legally binding decision applicable across the EU, the 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.
In addition to being the source of CBD, industrial hemp flowers are also sold in Italy as “cannabis light,” catering to a growing market seeking alternative wellness products without the psychoactive effects of marijuana.
Food, fiber safeMeanwhile, Italy’s national anti-drug policy agency reacted to the pushback by stakeholders who have said the decree banning CBD and the amendment on flowers would kill the entire hemp sector.
In a statement released earlier this week, the Department of Anti-Drug Policies (DPA) under the Presidency of the Council of Ministers said the anti-flower measures will not affect food seed and fiber products.
“The Security Bill does not criminalize or affect the cultivation and agro-industrial supply chain of hemp, as it does not prohibit or limit the production of Cannabis Sativa L. . . . and does not create regulatory and legal conflicts with other EU countries,” according to the DPA statement.
The agency said the amendment is “in line with” the 2002 European Council directive that established a common catalogue of varieties of approved agricultural plant species within the European Union. That directive, “includes the cannabis plant and cannabis resin among narcotic substances, allowing the possibility of using the seeds and stem of the plant only for industrial purposes.” DPA said.
The drug policy agency said marketing and sales of hemp flowers and their derivatives for recreational use violate Italy’s 2016 law that established rules for hemp production.
Specifics under lawDPA said under that law: “Provisions for the promotion of the cultivation and agro-industrial supply chain of hemp, in fact, authorizes the cultivation and processing of Cannabis Sativa L. only for the purpose of obtaining the following products: foods and cosmetics, produced exclusively in compliance with the regulations of the respective sectors; semi-finished products, such as fiber, shives, powders, wood chips, oils or fuels, for supplies to industries and artisanal activities in various sectors, including the energy sector; material intended for green manure; organic material intended for bioengineering work or products useful for green building; material intended for phytoremediation for the remediation of contaminated sites; crops dedicated to educational and demonstration activities as well as research by public or private institutions; crops intended for floriculture. The use of hemp as biomass for energy purposes is permitted exclusively for the company’s self-production of energy.”
Hemp stakeholder groups have said the government’s efforts to wipe out hemp flowers and cannabinoids in Italy could shut down as many as 3,000 companies and idle 11,000 workers.
Epidiolex, the medical-grade CBD used to treat rare forms of childhood epilepsy, could provide relief to military veterans suffering the effects of exposure to chemicals in wartime, according to recent research by Chinese experts.
The findings, in a study of rats, suggest the drug might be an effective treatment for Gulf War Illness (GWI), a chronic condition suffered by veterans of Operation Desert Storm in 1990-1991.
“Long-term oral administration of CBD holds promise to alleviate cognitive and mood impairments as well as chronic pain experienced by veterans suffering from GWI,” the study observes.
CBD helped ease the blockage of pleasure feelings, and lowered the rats’ sensitivity to pain, according to the research. Also, rats administered Epidiolex showed improvements in recognizing objects and remembering locations, the study revealed.
Causes of GWIEpidiolex, a high-CBD, no-THC formula, is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment specifically for seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, Dravet Syndrome and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. It is also approved by the European Medicines Agency and the UK’s Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. (The drug goes by the alternative spelling “Epidyolex” in Europe and the UK.) Canada’s federal health regulator, Health Canada, approved the medicine late last year.
GWI is attributed to exposure to various environmental hazards, including pesticides, chemical warfare agents, and medications administered during the 1990-1991 conflict in the Middle East, as well as the burning of oil wells.
The illness causes immune system dysfunction, inflammation, and damage to the nervous system. Veterans with GWI experience chronic fatigue, muscle and joint pain, gastrointestinal issues, respiratory problems, cognitive dysfunction, sleep disturbances and headaches.
More research neededThe researchers said the study is promising in light of previous research on other compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, such as curcumin, melatonin, and monosodium luminol, which also showed benefits in alleviating symptoms of GWI. However, those compounds required relatively higher doses than CBD, indicating that Epidiolex may offer a more efficient solution at lower dosages. Lower dosages also reduce the risk of potential side effects and make treatment more accessible for patients.
Epidiolex effectively improved brain function at a dose of 20 mg/kg, which is roughly equivalent to a human dose of 3.2 mg/kg per day.
“CBD treatment could be a viable option either alone or in combination with existing treatments,” the study concluded, although researchers emphasized the need to rule out potential drug-drug interactions before widespread use.
With an estimated 25% to 32% of the nearly 700,000 U.S. veterans who served in the Gulf War affected by GWI, the number of veterans potentially suffering from the condition ranges from 175,000 to 224,000.
The study highlighted the need for more comprehensive research before conclusions can be drawn about the efficacy of CBD as a treatment for GWI. The study raised concerns about the potential for adverse effects, particularly the risk of suicidal ideation. Although the FDA has issued warnings about the possibility of suicide in patients taking Epidiolex, those warnings are based on presumed effects rather than concrete data, the study noted.
CBD research growsThe study’s findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that CBD’s anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties may be beneficial for a wide range of conditions, including PTSD, another condition suffered by military veterans.
The study was carried out in a collaboration among academic institutions, industry research bodies and corporations that focus on military and civilian medicine and pharmaceutical research. The authors of the report, published on BioMed Central, a part of German Scientific publisher Springer Nature, are from the School of Basic Medicine at Qingdao University, the People’s Liberation Army’s Military Institute for Disease Prevention and Control, the School of Pharmacy at Qingdao University, and Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
The Chinese study comes after research in Japan concluded that Epidiolex failed to reduce the frequency of seizures in children in a critical Phase 3 trial.
Epidiolex is produced by GW Pharmaceuticals, a division of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Dublin.
New Jersey lawmakers have placed products containing intoxicating hemp substances under the same rules as those governing state-legal marijuana operators and halted their sale until formal approval from cannabis regulators.
The move is part of a broader effort by the state to control the illicit market for hemp-derived intoxicants. Gov. Phil Murphy last week signed legislation that places the products, which have flourished unregulated, under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC).
“These products are sold outside of the regulated market for cannabis even though they can have similar effects, may contain harmful chemicals and other contaminants, and often are sold without appropriate testing and labeling,” Murphy said in a statement. “Too frequently, these products are readily available to minors. The status quo is untenable and this bill will put an end to it.”
By incorporating intoxicating hemp products into the state’s legal marijuana market, officials hope to eliminate competition from unregulated sources and ensure that all intoxicating products meet the same standards. Lawmakers cited concerns over quality and safety, especially among minors.
Health concernsSome intoxicating hemp products have been linked to adverse health effects. Unlike state-regulated marijuana products, which must undergo rigorous testing for contaminants and potency, hemp-derived intoxicants have largely escaped such oversight, with producers exploiting a loophole in federal law.
The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill, which legalized industrial hemp farming and all downstream products, did not anticipate the development of intoxicating substances derived from hemp, most of which are lab-created based on hemp-derived CBD. Many are synthetic forms of THC, the substance that triggers psychoactive effects in users.
States across the U.S. are working to regulate intoxicating hemp products, with some banning them altogether and others imposing strict rules. Officials in some states have opposed the products because they are marketed in packaging that mimics popular treats for children.
“Without regulation, we cannot ensure that these products are safe for consumption,” said Assemblyman Herb Conaway, a lead sponsor of the New Jersey bill. “The way delta-8 (THC) and similar substances have flooded the market is alarming, especially since these products are often packaged in ways that appeal to children.”
Weed standards applyUnder the new law, hemp-derived products containing THC in levels high enough to produce intoxication must now adhere to the same safety, testing, and packaging standards as marijuana. These standards include limits on THC content, child-resistant packaging, and clear labeling requirements.
“There’s a reason why marijuana products are subject to strict oversight,” said Ken Wolski, executive director of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana of New Jersey. “We need the same standards to apply to intoxicating hemp products to ensure consistency and consumer safety.”
Retailers and manufacturers dealing in intoxicating hemp products will now have to navigate the state’s marijuana regulations, which are more stringent and require licenses that many current hemp businesses do not hold.
Changes cheeredMedical and recreational marijuana interests have supported the crackdown on intoxicating hemp producers, suggesting they represent unfair competition because they are not required to meet the stringent guidelines and costly fees under which licensed marijuana companies operate.
The sale of products containing intoxicating hemp will remain paused to allow the Cannabis Regulatory Commission time to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework that ensures consumer safety without stifling the hemp industry, the agency said.
‘True’ hemp under NJDA“We understand the concerns of both consumers and businesses, and we are committed to creating a regulatory environment that protects public health while allowing for innovation and growth within the cannabis and hemp industries,” the CRC said in a statement last week.
Under New Jersey rules, only adults aged 21 and over are permitted to purchase, possess, and consume intoxicating cannabis products. Retail sales are controlled by the CRC, which requires licenses to operate dispensaries, cultivation, and processing facilities. Consumption is restricted to private property, and public use is prohibited. Home cultivation of marijuana plants for personal use is not allowed.
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) retains licensing and regulatory oversight of hemp operators in the grain and fiber subsectors.
A new hemp fiber processing facility opened by a Minnesota Native American community will need to source hemp crops from outside of tribal lands to make the factory operate efficiently, according to a project leader.
Minnesota’s Lower Sioux Indian Community opened the decortication facility with a ceremony last week. The tribe said it intends to grow and then process fiber hemp into building materials to meet a shortage of about 100 homes on the reservation.
Former tribal council member Earl Pendleton, who has explored options for developing sustainable homes for the Lower Sioux community, said housing needs propelled the idea, but the prospect of economic growth and outside partnerships also spurred the project.
The facility is located in Morton, Redwood County, Minn., adjacent to the Sioux reservation in the southern part of the state.
Hemp farmers neededTribal leaders on the housing project told Minnesota Public Radio that the facility can process up to 2,500 acres of hemp annually. The tribe has only 500 tillable acres on its land and can grow only about 100 acres of hemp a year, Danny Desjarlais, a tribal member and manager of the hemp construction project, told Lancaster Farming.
“We don’t have enough acreage here in the community to be able to fulfill the need to build these houses,” Desjarlais said.
“We’ll always be needing the local farmers in the area to produce the hemp,” according to Pendleton. He envisions a circular economy model in which the tribe farms hemp and uses the hurd to build affordable, energy-efficient homes made of hempcrete for the Lower Sioux community, but also sells products outside of the reservation.
Multi-million $ projectThe Star-Tribune reported the investment at $2.3 million in a 10,000-sq-ft facility.
A report earlier this year by ENR Midwest, a regional business-to-business news website that covers the construction and engineering industries, estimated the project was to invest $6.2 million for a 20,000 sq ft facility. Desjarlais said the tribe has planned Phase 2 of the project to add another 10,000 feet to the factory.
The factory is financed by money the community raised from its existing hemp program, sustainability grants, and loans, including a $1.5 million grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
Desjarlais told the Star-Tribune the facility is probably “ahead of the market,” and likely will be unprofitable for the foreseeable future, suggesting the tribe will continue to depend on government grants until demand emerges.
First house is builtThe tribe recently completed its first hempcrete house using materials from outside the reservation. The first two occupants have already moved into the duplex, believed to be the first of its kind in Minnesota. More dwellings are planned for construction in the next spring and summer months, Desjarlais said.
The Minnesota Lower Sioux Indian Community, also known as the Mdewakanton Sioux, is a federally recognized tribe whose lands are located near the Minnesota River. The 1,473-acre reservation is home to more than 1,100 residents. Farms on the reservation grow traditional crops such as corn, beans, and squash.
The tribe’s primary source of revenue now is Jackpot Junction Casino, a major employer that funds essential tribal services like healthcare, education, and social programs.
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.
A government-held company said it will make Argentina’s first export shipments of hemp to three countries, where it sold a total 730 kilos of high-CBD, low-THC flowers. Cannava S.E., owned […]
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. […]
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has sued the owner of Facebook, saying the social media giant hosted bogus online ads which falsely depict him promoting CBD. The lawsuit, against Meta […]
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 […]
The fortunes of leading U.S. CBD company Charlotte’s Web continued a downward trend in the first quarter of 2024 as the company recorded $9.7 million in losses on reduced revenues […]
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 […]
Women who use CBD for pregnancy-related mental and physical discomfort could be putting their offspring at risk, according to a new study by researchers in the U.S. and Canada that […]
Inconsistencies in trade data are hampering global business in hemp products, holding back the economic and environmental benefits for developing nations, according to a new global study. A more systematic […]
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 […]
The government of Tasmania said it is working to simplify things for hemp producers after a comprehensive review of the state’s Industrial Hemp Act 2015. Jane Howlett, Minister for Primary Industries and […]
Late-comer Idaho has joined the ranks of leading hemp states in the U.S., with more than 2,440 acres licensed this year, according to the state’s agriculture department. Compared to last […]
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. […]
Struggling UK CBD company Chill Brands Group PLC has suspended trading of its shares amid a clash among board members and executives. In a June 10 announcement, the company said […]
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 Florida university that received a $237 million “gift” from a Texas hemp entrepreneur likely won’t cash in on the pledge, school officials have indicated. The donation to Florida Agricultural […]
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 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 […]
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is officially moving to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug, a less dangerous category than Schedule I in which it is now classified, the Biden […]
Purdue University researchers say they are using cellulose extracted from industrial hemp to develop biodegradable superabsorbent materials that will be less polluting than those now used in disposable diapers, feminine […]
Developments in six states this month reflect the growing national movement to crack down on hemp-derived delta-8 THC and other intoxicating hemp compounds that have flourished due to a loophole […]
University researchers and a village in Belgium are testing the potential of hemp growing for remediation of soil contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – “forever chemicals” that have […]
INTERVIEW: Emad Rahim has worked as a management consultant for over a decade, supporting organizations and universities in project management, strategic planning, change management, leadership development, and diversity/DEI education and […]
The Colombian government said it will invest five billion Colombian pesos ($1.3 million) to promote the production of marijuana and hemp, according to an announcement this week. The Ministry of […]
The American former chairman of a Canadian wellness company and CBD producer has been fined $115,000 in an insider trading case. John M. Moretz, who served as chairman of Neptune […]
Total financing of CA$6.1 million (~US$4.5 million) has been announced in support of a hemp supply chain to produce uniforms in the Canadian province of Alberta. The federal government said […]
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. […]
INTERVIEW: Anthony Barraco is a research technician with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) who conducts studies aimed at conserving the genetic diversity of industrial hemp. He […]
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 […]
An isle of Jersey CBD operator has won a landmark legal case against the UK Home Office, which had banned the import of its products due to trace amounts of […]
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 […]
INTERVIEW: Dave Cook is co-founder and owner of Tuscarora Mills, Bedford, Pennsylvania, a manufacturer of flat woven textile fabrics made from hemp and other natural fibers. An expert in textile […]
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 […]
An online retailer of intoxicating hemp products was justified in canceling a distribution contract with its suppliers over moldy products and other problems with shipments, a North Carolina judge has […]
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 […]
A cannabis farming cooperative in Ecuador’s northern Amazon will work with German specialists to optimize biochar production for carbon dioxide removal and soil regeneration. Cooperativa Ananda and Hamburg-based CarbonConnect announced […]
Nearly 8,000 people reported adverse effects after consuming products containing delta-8 THC or other intoxicating hemp compounds between 2021-2023, according to America’s network of poison control centers. More than half […]
Income from hemp flowers bounced back slightly last year while fiber growers saw the value of their outputs fall sharply even though total fiber fields expanded, according to the third […]
Police raided several locations around Europe late last week, arresting nine suspects in a four-year cannabis Ponzi scheme that reportedly netted the scammers €645 million ($604 million). Europol, the cooperative […]
Two more states have joined the growing ranks of those trying to get their arms around a runaway market for intoxicating hemp products. Legislation in Mississippi and Illinois would put […]
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 move towards prefabricated building components is growing as interest grows in construction based on hempcrete and hemp fibers. The trend is reflected in the program of the 11th International … Symposium will hear about pre-fab building components, visit large-scale hempcrete project Read More »
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CBD products in the UK carry less of the hemp-derived compound than advertised, according to research that looked at four product categories. The study, by researchers from Loughborough University and … UK study shows advertising overstates CBD levels in 4 product categories Read More »
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 »
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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 »
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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 »
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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 »
Industrial hemp can help large companies to decarbonize their supply chains, but rigorous certification programs are needed if the plant is to reach its full potential as a nature-based solution … Shortage of certified carbon credits is opportunity for hemp, new report says Read More »
Awareness of hemp is strong in some categories, but takeup of hemp products lags significantly, a study of Vermont consumers reveals. CBD remains the most recognized downstream output made from … Consumers well aware of some hemp products, but do they buy? 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 »
Colorado researchers have found that CBD passes through the placenta of pregnant women and accumulates in the fetal brain, risking harm to preborns. The finding, by a team at the … Expectant mothers pass CBD through placenta, posing risk to fetal brains Read More »
Producers of non-ingestible CBD products saw advertising rules loosened on Facebook in the U.S. after parent company Meta overhauled policies for its social media platforms. The changes also apply to … Facebook updates policy for ‘non-ingestible’ CBD, loosens rules for hemp fiber, seed 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 »
Most shareholders in U.S. CBD maker Charlotte’s Web withheld their votes for four directors during the company’s recent annual meeting, as a conflict between the founders and the current board … Board says founders’ plan would create conflicts of interest at Charlotte’s Web 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 »
Packaging could be the first major application of hemp bioplastics, a new study from Canadian researchers suggests. The research, by a team at Western University (WU), London, Ontario, replaced high-density … Hemp can be substitute for polyethylene in packaging, Canadian study shows Read More »
University researchers in Michigan are studying hemp for its potential to clean up soil contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), manufactured chemicals that have drawn close scrutiny by environmental … Hemp shows promise in cleanup of toxic chemicals used in many products Read More »
A scam CBD operator has received a three-year prison term and must repay his victims more than $2 million, under federal sentencing handed down last week. Rahsaan Jackson Garth, 49, … Scam CBD operator must pay $2 million to farmers, serve prison term Read More »
A £5.9 million (€6.9 million/$7.5 million) project in the UK puts hemp front and center as it embarks on a study about how effectively crops can absorb greenhouse gas and … UK project will explore environmental, business cases for hemp, other crops Read More »
Founders of leading U.S. CBD maker Charlotte’s Web have called for changes at the top by seeking resignations from four of six current directors, including board President John Held and … With Charlotte’s Web ‘at risk,’ founders call for shakeup at the top Read More »
An Oregon law expected to be finalized this week will make landowners responsible for environmental devastation brought by illegal cannabis operators who have operated in the southern part of the … After pot growers hid behind hemp licenses, Oregon landowners must clean up the mess 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 »
The parliament in the Australian state of Victoria has agreed to look into opportunities to expand the local hemp industry, which stakeholders say could take up some economic slack after … Hemp operators in Australian state say hemp can help fill gap after logging is banned 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 bi-partisan hemp bill that would separate grain and fiber outputs from flower-derived products such as CBD and other cannabinoids has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The … U.S. House bill would separate hemp cannabinoids from grain and fiber 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 »
As hemp growers and processors begin exploring the potential business in carbon credits, they should tread carefully. With a growing number of companies crowding into the potential $100 billion market … How hemp operators can avoid the carbon accounting scammers Read More »
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An agent of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who was fired in 2019 over a drug test has filed suit against the agency. Anthony Armour, who worked in DEA … Opioid-fighting agent fired over CBD use hits DEA with lawsuit Read More »
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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 »
Hemp stakeholders in Pennsylvania have launched an initiative to support the development of regional supply chains for a wide range of hemp outputs. The Pennsylvanian Industrial Hemp Engine (PIHE), which … Pennsylvania hemp initiative aims to build out regional supply chains Read More »
With the hemp industry in a deep trough, the U.S. Farm Bill now before Congress is an opportunity for a desperately needed reset. But if a recent Farm Bill position … Industry Leaders’ hemp vision for the 2023 Farm Bill falls far short 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 »
The Zimbabwean government said it will ramp up research and eventually produce domestic hemp varieties as part of the country’s efforts to shore up income from a shrinking tobacco industry. … Zimbabwe will push research to develop domestic hemp varieties 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 »
Officials in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh are intensifying the study of hemp’s potential for a broad range of medical and health applications, according to Revenue Minister Jagat Singh … Committee in northern Indian state intensifies study of industrial hemp 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 »
Marijuana companies could secure financial services and confusion over banking for hemp operators could be clarified after the reintroduction of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act in the … SAFE Banking Act finally appears headed for vote in U.S. Senate 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 takeover of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) branches by First Citizens Bank could help hemp companies in a number of states where the North-Carolina-based regional bank previously had no presence. … Bank takeover could help more hemp farmers, but overall reform still needed 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 »
Total U.S. hemp fields plunged by nearly 50% in 2022, dropping to just 18,251, according to figures reported by producers to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). American farmers harvested … Hemp acres plunge 50%; value drops 71%, says annual USDA report 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 »
Construction of a newly opened hempcrete building at Canada’s University of British Columbia (UBC) resulted in 80 percent less carbon emissions than had it been built using traditional techniques and … Canadian team’s hempcrete building is ‘carbon-minimal, beautiful’ Read More »
Hempseed cake is a highly nutritious viable alternative feed source for cattle, a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has found. The study, which the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service … USDA study shows hempseed cake ‘viable alternative’ for cattle feed 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 »
A Chicago-based drinks maker has signed a sponsorship agreement with the Chicago Cubs in a first-ever deal involving a producer of CBD-containing products and an individual American baseball team. Under … CBD drinks maker inks sponsorship deal with baseball’s Chicago Cubs 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 »
Cigarette giant British American Tobacco (BAT) said it will invest $10 million for a 20% stake in a new joint venture between two Colorado hemp companies. London-based BAT said it … BAT invests $10 million in U.S. venture to develop hemp drug 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 »
India’s Technology Development Board (TDB) has pledged $1.4 million to support development of technology for bast fiber processing of industrial hemp, flax, nettle and other plants. TDB, a part of … Indian government supports tech development for fibers with $1.4 million 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 »
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would unburden hemp grain and fiber growers of sampling and testing protocols, costly requirements that disincentivize growers, according to the measure’s sponsors. While … Bi-partisan bill would ease testing requirements for hemp grain, fiber growers 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 »
As Zimbabwe continues to shape rules and laws for the hemp industry, the country needs to simultaneously build out infrastructure and expand research while spreading risk by moving beyond CBD … Zimbabwe’s hemp fortunes hinge on diversification into fiber, foods 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 »
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 »
It started with a meeting at the police station followed by a smelly bus trip, as the late Dr. Raphael Mechoulam recalled years later. The future “father of cannabis research” … Mechoulam’s studies in cannabis started with police, and a smelly bus trip 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 »
Sandy Templeton is the owner of Digital Oil LLC, Backus, Minnesota, and a partner in HempStrategist, a hemp-focused marketing communications specialist. Templeton has worked in digital marketing for more than … Hemp companies should ‘sharpen pencils’ to shape industry debate Read More »
A drastic imbalance between revenues and expenses shows publicly traded companies are overstretched in the European CBD market and continue to rack up massive losses, a UK cannabis analyst says … Publicly traded CBD companies continue to shed millions in Europe Read More »
Argentina is moving beyond the hemp flower, with 15 grain and fiber varieties now undergoing evaluation for inclusion in the country’s official seed catalog. Buenos Aires-based Industrial Hemp Solutions (IHS) said … Researchers in Argentina testing 15 hemp grain, fiber varieties 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 »
Nebraska hemp stakeholders are hoping for passage of a bill that would align the state’s hemp program with federal rules, suggesting the changes could revive the fortunes of the crop … Proposed bill would hit reset button for hemp in beleaguered Nebraska 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 »
Lawmakers in Kentucky and Virginia have floated laws that would ban delta-8 THC products, citing safety concerns over the popular synthetic compound, which is made from hemp-derived CBD. Stakeholders in … Lawmakers in two more states turn up the heat on delta-8 THC 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 »
A regional court in Italy has upheld a lawsuit filed by four cannabis associations, overturning a decree issued one year ago that classified hemp as a narcotic in contravention of … Italian trade groups cheer court ruling that hemp is not a narcotic Read More »
A Canadian hemp composite producer has received a $10 million (US $7.4 million) grant that will support development of a manufacturing facility to turn out products for the automotive, marine, … $7.4 million grant backs Canadian hemp composite maker Read More »
Amended legislation in Zimbabwe has removed industrial hemp from the country’s list of dangerous drugs and set the defining line between marijuana and hemp at 1.0%. The legislation, the Criminal … Zimbabwe strikes hemp from drugs list, sets THC limit at 1.0% Read More »
Officials in western Ukraine have launched a project to develop a hemp industrial park by retrofitting an old flax plant they say can lead to development of a “modern cluster … Hemp industrial park in Ukraine aims to create production cluster 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 »
U.S. hemp fields are expected to reach 50,000 acres by 2028 as production expands at a rate of 34% per year and processing infrastructure continues to expand, according to projections … 20 hemp fiber processors now online in U.S., analyst says Read More »
More than $35 million has been granted to five hemp-specific projects under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities” program. While the projects look promising, the money is just … $35 million for hemp is just 1% of USDA ‘Climate-Smart’ total Read More »
Hong Kong has banned CBD, adopting harsh criminal punishment aligned with China’s zero-tolerance policy which led to a ban on the mainland last year. The new policy, approved last October … Following China, Hong Kong criminalizes CBD under harsh penalties 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 »
French and Polish hemp varieties stood out in initial hemp cultivation trials in Australia, according to development corporation Agri-Futures Australia. Reports are coming in from hemp trials now ongoing in … French and Polish hemp varieties stand out in Australian trials Read More »
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has added a bit more clarity to the hemp markets with a weekly report covering prices and imports. The reports, to be issued each … USDA weekly hemp reports aim to add much-needed market insight 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 »
South Dakota has leaped into second place as a grower of industrial hemp, increasing plantings while most states across the U.S. trimmed their fields last year, according to analysis by … South Dakota was No. 2 grower in 2022, state hemp association says Read More »
The maker of CBD prescription drug Epidiolex has filed a lawsuit in the USA alleging patent infringement. GW Research Ltd, a subsidiary of Ireland-based Jazz Pharmaceuticals, claims that more than … Epidiolex maker files suit in U.S. to protect its patents Read More »
Swedish hemp company Ekolution AB is supplying insulation panels filled with hemp fiber in what the company says is the “world’s largest” construction project of its kind using hemp building … Sweden’s Ekolution supplies insulation for ‘world’s largest’ hemp project 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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Portuguese law authorities have returned 40kg of hemp flowers to an entrepreneur who was acquitted of drug trafficking charges in April. The return of the...
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INTERVIEW: Sigfried Legeay is CFO and co-founder at London-based Canxchange, the European commodities exchange for industrial hemp and cannabinoid products that provides access to the...
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The Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI) said it has submitted toxicology data to the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) in support of companies that...
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The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture said it will award $200,000 in matching funds to nonprofit marketing and promotion organizations for projects aimed at increasing sales,...
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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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Colorado-based CBD maker Folium Biosciences has put its CBD extraction and purification facility up for sale before the facility was ever used. The property listing,...
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A county judge in Oregon has dismissed the bulk of claims in a securities fraud case involving two U.S. cannabis companies, citing jurisdictional grounds. The...
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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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German hemp stakeholders say action is needed by lawmakers to shield producers from prosecution after the country’s high court confirmed convictions in two cases involving...
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Growing hemp proved successful in removing harmful chemicals from topsoil and purifying polluted groundwater, according to tests recently carried out in Belgium, research supported by...
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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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The Hemp Alliance of Tennessee (HAT) appointed three new members to its board of directors. They are Jacob Coy, a vice president and hemp banking...
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The government of Argentina has created a technology company aimed at advancing the industrial hemp and medical cannabis sectors. The company, Cannabis Conicet, will operate...
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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has targeted two privately held California pharmaceutical companies, seeking $6.6 million over an alleged inside deal involving the...
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Two new CBD hemp cultivars developed in the United States have been accepted for inclusion in the EU Common Catalogue of Plant Varieties and are...
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Creditors owed a total of €9.6 million by Austria-based CBD company Deep Nature Project GmbH will receive 20% of the money under a recently announced...
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U.S. CBD company Charlotte’s Web Holdings (CW) will pay Major League Baseball $30.5 million plus a 10% royalty on sales, and grant the professional sports...
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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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The 2022 hemp harvest in the U.S. is expected to shrink by nearly half this year, falling from roughly 36,925 acres in 2021 to about...
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Two Colorado companies have been awarded $1.14 million after bringing suit over a CBD biomass deal that went bad. A U.S. federal court for 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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By Steve Allin When I first got involved with attempting to set up an industrial hemp industry in Ireland I spent a lot of time...
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German hemp company Signature Products GmbH will begin supplying the European market with Chinese-made CCELL vape devices, the company has announced. CEO Florian Pichlmaier said...
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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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Poland-based Herbs & Hydro has expanded its line of health & beauty products, adding to its range of shampoos, conditioners and soaps based on hemp...
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A key cannabis bill now before the U.S. Senate would establish the legality of all forms of THC naturally present in hemp, adding varieties so...
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The Thai Industrial Hemp Trade Association (TIHTA) said it has signed a cooperation agreement with 12 manufacturing industries to advance innovations and technology for the...
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A ban on the sale of CBD and other hemp-derived products intended for pets and farm animals will go into effect Nov. 1 in Idaho...
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A Pennsylvania company said it plans to invest $10.9 million in a new hemp fiber processing facility in North Carolina. BIOPHIL Natural Fibers, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania,...
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German and French researchers are studying new ways to extract cellulose from waste hemp fibers to make aerogels, high-tech materials that have a wide range...
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Two projects have received a total of $20 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Climate Smart Commodities program. A group of stakeholders...
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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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Canada’s RAMM Pharma Corp. said it has purchased European CBD maker HemPoland from The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TGOD) for roughly $920,000 (C$1.2 million)...
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Pre-fabricated hemp building solutions will get special attention at this year’s 10th edition of the International Hemp Building Symposium, set for Lacapelle Marival, France, Oct. 11-12, 2022....
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