The United Kingdom has down-scheduled Epidyolex to the lowest level of control for drugs, greatly easing restrictions on the cannabidiol medicine and reducing red tape for companies that supply it. The new classification came into force Wednesday. “This will reduce administrative processes for companies wanting to supply Epidyolex to... Read more
Health officials in the Czech Republic have allowed a local extraction facility to export full-spectrum hemp-derived cannabis extract to a Spanish pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer. Prague-based PharmaCan s.r.o. was granted an export authorization from the Czech Ministry of Health to send 500 grams of extract to Spain, the company’s subsidiary... Read more
Canadian hemp company Sweet Earth Holdings Corp. has named former politician Amrik Virk as its new president. The company said in a news release that Virk will also be joining the board of Sweet Earth. Virk has previously held senior positions in Canadian government, including Minister of Advanced Education... Read more
Authorities across Europe have listed 114 products containing CBD in the European Union’s food-safety alert system since the start of last year, with data indicating that some countries are policing novel-food violations more frequently than others. The listing of cannabidiol, THC and hemp-derived products in the EU’s Rapid Alert... Read more
A global giant in generic drugs manufacturing is expanding into the CBD market through a new partnership with Colorado CBD manufacturer Kazmira LLC. Perrigo Co., based in Dublin, Ireland, has invested $50 million for a 20% equity stake in Kazmira, located just east of Denver in Watkins, Colorado. The... Read more
Hemp entrepreneurs currently bound by state and national rules are setting their sights higher. Europe’s dominant hemp industry association unveiled plans this week to form an international hemp association that could advocate for the industry before global authorities such as the World Health Organization and United Nations. The head... Read more
A meeting is scheduled for next week to discuss World Health Organization recommendations on marijuana, CBD and related substances. The recommendations include removing CBD and CBD preparations containing no more than 0.2% THC from the international drug-control conventions. The WHO’s CBD recommendation, if ultimately adopted, could lead to freer... Read more
The main hemp industry body in Europe has received a green light from its members to move forward with “unprecedented” studies on cannabidiol and THC as part of a joint novel food authorization application. An “overwhelming majority” of European Industrial Hemp Association members voted on Monday in favor of... Read more
(This is the second installment of a two-part story on the prospects for hemp-derived construction materials in the post-coronavirus era. The first part can be read here.) HempFlax’s acquisition of Germany’s natural fiber insulation manufacturer Thermo Natur last month provided an example of how an established hemp growing and... Read more
Hemp farmers in Portugal may soon face a quartet of regulators to inspect and verify their crops, according to local media. Citing a draft amendment to Portugal’s medical cannabis legislation, the Lusa news agency reported on Tuesday that the cultivation of EU-certified industrial hemp could soon be regulated by four... Read more
