While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) continues to drag its feet in forging a clear path for the sale and marketing of hemp-derived cannabidiol (“Hemp CBD”) products, foreign agencies and industry players are leading the way by adopting their own sets of regulations. Last week, giant beauty retailer Sephora announced it was now…
Read moreIn recent years, the United States has seen a proliferation of ketamine clinics. From 2015 to 2018, the number of clinics increased from 60 to 300; that number is undoubtedly higher today. People are increasingly using ketamine for ailments that resist treatment through traditional pharmaceutical drugs. In an even larger trend, the health care provider…
Read moreBREAKING NEWS: FDA and USDA Start Making Sense on Hemp CBD
Uncategorized February 27, 2020
According to Hemp Industry Daily reporter Laura Drotleff, it was an eventful week for hemp regulation at the National Association of State Department of Agriculture (NASDA) meeting in Arlington, Virginia. Drotleff reported on two major developments at NASDA. These developments came from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), respectively,…
Read moreThe Sale of CBD Foods Is Legal in the UK (For Now)
Uncategorized February 21, 2020
Last week, the Food Standard Agency (“FSA”), the agency responsible for protecting public health in relation to food in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (collectively, the “UK”), cleared a path for the sale of CBD-infused food for the next 12 months. Specifically, the FSA is giving the CBD industry until March 31, 2021 to submit…
Read moreThe Psilocybin Movement is Like the Cannabis Movement (Except When It’s Not)
Uncategorized February 20, 2020
There is a bona fide movement underway with psilocybin. Decriminalization occurred last year in Denver, Oakland and Santa Cruz, and that was just a start: nearly 100 other cities are looking at decriminalizing psychedelics. At the state level, ballot measures are out for signature in California and Oregon. Federally, legislation has been proposed to allow…
Read moreHemp CBD Across State Lines: Ohio
Uncategorized February 16, 2020
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (“2018 Farm Bill”) legalized hemp by removing the crop and its derivatives from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) and by providing a detailed framework for the cultivation of hemp. The 2018 Farm Bill gives the US Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) regulatory authority over hemp…
Read moreThe Four Basic Labeling Requirements for CBD Products
CaliforniaColoradoOregonUncategorizedUtah February 14, 2020
Last week, I attended Portland’s Hemp CBD Connex, an annual event that highlights the vast potential of hemp and CBD. Of interest to me–because my practice focuses on the regulatory framework of CBD products–was a panel entitled “Weeding Through the CBD Jungle: How to Grow, Run and Be Successful.” This panel was led by two…
Read moreHemp CBD Across State Lines: North Dakota
Uncategorized February 9, 2020
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (“2018 Farm Bill”) legalized hemp by removing the crop and its derivatives from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) and by providing a detailed framework for the cultivation of hemp. The 2018 Farm Bill gives the US Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) regulatory authority over hemp…
Read moreHemp CBD: Will Federal Courts Wait to Decide CBD Cases Until the FDA Issues Regulations?
FloridaUncategorized January 28, 2020
Not long ago Hemp Industry Daily reported on a decision by U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro in the Southern District of Florida in which the Court stayed a putative class action lawsuit against a seller of CBD products until the FDA completes rulemaking regarding the marketing, including labelling, of hemp-derived ingestible products. The case is…
Read moreThis Psilocybin Patent Could Be a Really Big Deal
Uncategorized January 22, 2020
Last week, COMPASS Pathways announced its acquisition of US Patent No 10,591,175. What does that patent cover? Psilocybin! More specifically, COMPASS has locked down “methods of treating drug-resistant depression with a psilocybin formulation.” The company is also running a phase IIb clinical trial of its patented formulation, COMP360, which we covered in a blog post…
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