USDA calls on hemp operators to apply for supply-chain research grants up to $10 million
Photo courtesy Asheville Hemp Project Federal agricultural funding grantors are asking for hemp operators working toward transformational changes in the U.S. food and agriculture system to apply for research money to help develop the hemp supply chain. The program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food... Read more
Study: CBD oil could extend strawberries’ shelf life
University of South Florida researchers say CBD oil applied to strawberries can extend the fruit’s shelf life, potentially opening a new commercial end use for the hemp extract. A new study published in Postharvest Biology and Technology says “CBD oil has promising potential as an antimicrobial treatment to fresh... Read more
Mexican Congress delays hemp bill debate, pushing approval into 2021
Get in-depth analysis on Latin America hemp and marijuana markets from MJBizCon’s Passholder Days. It’s all available to you on demand. The Mexican lower house has delayed a hemp and marijuana legalization bill until at least February. Local media reports that lawmakers say they need more time to study the bill.... Read more
Oregon withdraws state hemp plan from USDA
Oregon has withdrawn its proposed hemp plan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Oregon Department of Agriculture sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue last week making the change. The shift comes in response to a federal budget vote giving states more time to operate as... Read more
NCIA’s 2021 Board of Directors Results Are In!
The results of NCIA’s 2021-2023 Board of Directors nominations process are in! We are appreciative to have received so many very thoughtful and impressive applications from dozens of NCIA members seeking to fill six available seats. Congratulations to the incoming members, and thanks to everyone who applied for a... Read more
Amid slumping economy, hemp legalization in Costa Rica gains momentum
Costa Rica’s government and the public are embracing the idea that industrial hemp can be a much-needed economic driver if legalized, but the question of allowing marijuana for medical use has been a harder sell. The last time Costa Rica lawmakers brought up a cannabis legalization measure for a... Read more
Texas hemp growers say legal and genetics barriers must be overcome to see industry take off
Texas hemp field (Photo courtesy of Texas Department of Agriculture) Texas hemp growers are wrapping up their first season with the new crop with a lot of optimism – but also a sense that the industry there won’t boom without some changes to the laws and some genetics improvements.... Read more
Martha Stewart brand CBD wellness products hit national retail shelves
One of the nation’s largest chained retailers of health supplements, The Vitamin Shoppe, is the first national retailer to carry the full line of hemp-derived CBD wellness products from lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, according to Smith Falls, Ontario-based cannabis operator Canopy Growth Corp. Previously, the Martha Stewart brand, which... Read more
Florida projects hemp acreage will grow to half the size of citrus acreage
Florida’s agriculture chief predicts that hemp acreage in the Sunshine State will grow to about half the size of the state’s famed citrus acreage within three to five years. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said Tuesday that the state’s 22,078 acres of hemp this year will balloon to 300,000 by... Read more
Historic Victory in the House: The MORE Act
by Madeline Grant, NCIA’s Government Relations Manager Last Friday, the House of Representatives voted to approve the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, H.R. 3884. With a vote of 228-164, the MORE Act passed the House and this is an historic victory, one that we’ve never seen the... Read more
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