USDA approves hemp production plans for Minnesota, Puerto Rico, Tennessee
The Good Ole Hemp farm in St. Cloud, Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of Josh Helberg, owner of Good Ole Hemp) Federal agriculture officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture signed off on hemp production plans for two states and a U.S. territory this week. Minnesota, which has been a hemp... Read more
Massachusetts investment firm sues Florida hemp company over $350K loss
A Massachusetts investment fund is suing a Florida hemp company, saying investors were scammed of $350,000. Auctus Fund is accusing Hemp Naturals Inc. of: breach of contract. unjust enrichment. fraud and deceit. negligent representation. The Auctus lawsuit filed Monday in Massachusetts federal court says Hemp Naturals has failed to... Read more
Hemp Industries Association dismantles state-chapter system
The Hemp Industries Association is closing its 13 affiliates nationwide and forming a group to recommend a new structure for the nonprofit advocacy organization. The HIA board’s decision announced Thursday comes during a time of great tumult for the organization, with departures from high-profile leaders over the last year... Read more
Hemp industry groups join to explore checkoff program, but have long way to go
National hemp groups are organizing a campaign to establish a checkoff program – a sometimes-acrimonious system designed to raise money for industry research and promotion by taxing those who profit from the plant. Checkoffs exist for nearly a dozen U.S. commodities, and in the case of the dairy industry,... Read more
Canadian CBD maker appoints former Clorox executive as product development lead
Neptune Wellness Solutions, a Laval, Quebec-based CBD extractor and manufacturer, has named former Clorox product development lead Eric Gharakhanian as the director of product development for its Health & Wellness Innovations division. Gharakhanian will lead the development of Neptune’s portfolio of health and wellness products across the personal care... Read more
Illinois, Wisconsin universities team up to test different hemp varieties with farmers’ help
The University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin are recruiting Midwestern farmers to plant and test different varieties of hemp this year in exchange for discounted cannabinoid sampling. Project participants must agree to at least two sampling dates per plant variety for collection into the Midwestern Hemp Database.... Read more
Committee Blog: Join Us On The Facilities Design Committee!
Make an impact in the cannabis industry! Our Mission NCIA’s Facilities Design Committee provides access to resources for the NCIA community and regulators that will inform the design and use of GMP-driven, sustainable and operationally efficient facilities to position our industry to compete in the global marketplace. The FDC... Read more
Reinventing NCIA’s 2020 Events
Based on the ongoing uncertainty around phased openings of specific states and to ensure the most successful – and healthy – event for all exhibitors, sponsors, attendees, speakers, and partners, we have decided to move the remainder of our 2020 events to next year. NCIA’s Midwest Cannabis Business Conference, originally... Read more
Clock ticking on two USDA grant opportunities for hemp growers
(Editor’s note: This story is part of a recurring series of commentaries from professionals connected to the hemp industry. Andrea Steel is co-chairwoman of the Cannabis Business Law Group at Coats Rose, a Houston law firm.) By deeming hemp an agricultural commodity and removing it from the definition of... Read more
Mississippi directs hemp growers to apply for USDA program, passing on state program
One of the last hemp holdout states, Mississippi, is directing farmers interested in growing the crop to apply for an individual producer license through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The state passed the Mississippi Hemp Cultivation Act into law late last month, legalizing hemp cultivation and directing the Commissioner... Read more
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