Montana, North Dakota keeping old rules for 2020 hemp production season
Two more top hemp states have decided to operate their 2020 hemp production programs under the rules of the 2014 Farm Bill. As the U.S. Department of Agriculture closed the public comment period last week on its interim final rule for hemp production, regulators in Montana and North Dakota said... Read more
Oregon wholesale marijuana flower prices rise after growers exit market, some pivot to hemp
Oregon marijuana growers report wholesale flower prices are improving, which is welcome news for recreational cannabis cultivators in one of the country’s previously most oversupplied MJ markets. The changed business climate is even leading some growers to expand facilities and ramp up production. Marijuana growers in the state report... Read more
Editor’s Notebook: Is a factory future inevitable for CBD?
(This is an abridged version of a column that appears in the January issue of Marijuana Business Magazine.) Buy a $4.99 bottle of Advil at any drugstore in the world, then throw the bottle in your home medicine cabinet. Or your desk at work. Maybe the glove box of your car. It doesn’t matter. You open... Read more
Hemp fiber manufacturer Sunstrand files for bankruptcy
Kentucky hemp fiber manufacturer Sunstrand has filed for bankruptcy protection in federal court. The privately held company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a type of bankruptcy sometimes called straight or liquidation bankruptcy. Based in Louisville, Sunstrand said it has between $100,001 and $500,000 in assets but owes more than $10 million.... Read more
Massages and coffee trucks: How CBD brands use experiential marketing to drive brand awareness
(This is an abridged version of a story that appears in the January issue of Marijuana Business Magazine.) Looking to stand out in a sea of competition, CBD companies are committing themselves to experiential strategies to create memorable experiences for consumers. One manufacturer, Stratos, hosted a partners’ massage class designed... Read more
Extractor seeking return of hemp from Idaho dealt another setback
A Colorado CBD manufacturer is considering another appeal on its quest to get back hemp biomass seized last year in Idaho. Big Sky Scientific of Aurora, Colorado, received another rejection last week from an Idaho judge. The company is trying to get Idaho State Police to return roughly 6,700... Read more
Colorado joins hemp states giving up on USDA approval for 2020 season
Colorado is the latest hemp state to withdraw its request to win federal approval for regulating the crop in 2020. The state’s governor, attorney general and agriculture commissioner said Colorado will withdraw its application to win U.S. Department of Agriculture approval for 2020, joining several other markets that are exercising... Read more
Sale of hemp tea in Germany leads to probation for store owners
A German court has sentenced the operators of hemp retail shop Hanfbar to several months on probation for selling hemp tea. The judge ruled that the tea is banned by the Germany Narcotics Law, Braunschweiger Zeitung reported. Business partners Marcel Kaine and Bardia Hatefi will serve nine and seven months... Read more
As USDA comments close, 30 states face law changes, group warns
As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) closes an extended public-comment period on its national hemp regulations Wednesday, the agency’s state-level counterparts are warning that the young industry will be harmed if changes aren’t made. The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture wrote in an open letter that... Read more
Australia considers allowing some over-the-counter CBD products
Australian health authorities are considering a new scheduling status for CBD, potentially making it available over the counter in low doses as early as this year. The change could open a large new market in a nation with a thriving gray market for CBD but no legal access without... Read more
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