A blank-check investment company led by the co-CEO of North Carolina CBD maker cbdMD has raised $115 million to invest in consumer goods. The new blank-check company, Adara, did not mention cannabinoid products in its November filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Instead, the company says it... Read more
Pennsylvania is awarding $253,000 to organizations with projects designed to increase sales and exports of hemp products. Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the grants until March 5, PennWatch reported. Projects aimed at promoting consumer awareness are also eligible. “Hemp has presented a unique opportunity to build... Read more
(This story appears in the February issue of Marijuana Business Magazine.) Partnership disputes — whether between business partners or owners and investors — continue to be an ugly feature of the marijuana and hemp industries. Such conflicts can be costly and time-consuming; plus, they can sink a cannabis company.... Read more
Photo courtesy Drew Barber A renowned marijuana-growing county in northern California’s Emerald Triangle, Humboldt County, has permanently banned outdoor cultivation of low-THC hemp varieties. The unanimous vote by the county Board of Supervisors last week comes after marijuana interests in the area argued that hemp could send male pollen... Read more
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is asking job applicants whether they’ve used hemp before it was legalized in 2018, saying current and past drug use is taken into account in the hiring process. The DEA posted the updated questionnaire for applicants this month, asking prospective employees to “Please include... Read more
A coastal Texas smoke-shop owner facing criminal marijuana charges after a police raid Tuesday says the cannabis flower, vapes, gummies and other products taken were legal hemp, not illegal marijuana. Faded Smoke Shop owner Alexandra Degollado faces charges of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, the Victoria Advocate... Read more
This story first appeared at Marijuana Business Daily. Cultivation facility design and engineering firm Urban-Gro priced an initial public offering on the Nasdaq exchange to raise $54 million before expenses. The IPO put up 5.4 million shares of the Lafayette, Colorado-based company at a price of $10 per share.... Read more
Hemp genetics companies have been actively pursuing patents to protect their intellectual property after years of work to develop novel genetics. But despite intellectual property protection that became available after the U.S. legalized hemp production in 2018, some companies are still opting for more expensive and more comprehensive plant... Read more
Prosecutors have dismissed charges against a Minnesota hemp farmer whose plants had elevated THC levels, saying that they had trouble locating witnesses because of delays in the case. Fillmore County prosecutors filed felony possession charges against Luis Hummel in March 2019 after seizing his plants. They tested at 3% THC,... Read more
A California hemp seed company was closed by the state labor board following complaints that the company hadn’t paid more than a dozen full-time workers since mid-December. The California Labor Commissioner’s Office shut down Castillo Seed Company, based in Half Moon Bay, in late January. The company had sent... Read more
