New regulations clarifying the types of hemp and CBD products that are legal to sell and purchase in Iowa took effect with the enactment of the Hemp Consumer and Public Safety law on Wednesday. The law changes certain provisions of the Iowa Hemp Act, which Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds... Read more
U.S. farmers are planting less hemp than they did last year due to regulatory uncertainty, a surplus of hemp flower and biomass held over from 2019 and continuously falling wholesale prices. As of Thursday, licensed total hemp acreage to date has reached 465,787 acres for the 2020 production season,... Read more
Florida agriculture officials say they’re finding elevated lead levels in some hemp products on store shelves and have alerted federal agencies. The state’s hemp czar, Holly Bell, told the Florida Hemp Advisory Committee this week that random bottled samples that were pulled from stores showed “a toxic-waste-level concentration” of... Read more
Hemp-derived CBD companies increasingly face class-action claims by consumers and stockholders, driven by industry growth, product claims, regulatory uncertainties and preventable mistakes by the companies themselves. Companies can reduce their exposure by being more transparent and forthright when disclosing their financials, the potential of their products and other relevant... 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
(This story has been updated to reflect that Pyxus trades on the Nasdaq.) The first Big Tobacco company to join the hemp and marijuana industries has filed for bankruptcy protection. Pyxus International, one of the world’s largest tobacco suppliers, was hard hit by declining tobacco consumption and coronavirus-sparked supply... Read more
A group of hemp growers and processors in New York is calling on the state Department of Health to release regulations so that hemp and CBD businesses can make business decisions. According to a letter from the New York Cannabis Growers and Processors Association to state health regulators, legislation... 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
