A bipartisan group of members of Congress is pushing the Trump administration to provide a legal pathway for food products infused with the marijuana compound cannabidiol, better known as CBD. In a letter sent to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday, the lawmakers wrote that a series of recent actions by state and local officials in New York … Read More
McConnell And Wyden Push USDA To Implement Hemp Legalization ‘Expeditiously’
The 2018 Farm Bill included language federally legalizing hemp, and the authors of that provision told the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a letter this week that such policies must be implemented “expeditiously” and “as Congress intended.” “We specifically drafted the Hemp Farming Act in a way that allows hemp pilot states to build upon the progress and investments made through the … Read More
Study Shows How Cannabis Component CBD Can Help People With Substance Use Disorders
Cannabidiol, or CBD, shows promise as a potential treatment option for various types of substance use disorders, according to a recent review of existing studies. A team of Australian researchers summarized the results of multiple human and animal trials on CBD and addiction, finding that the non-intoxicating component of marijuana can reduce cravings and the risk of relapse for chronic alcohol, tobacco and opioid misuse. … Read More
World Health Organization Recommends Reclassifying Cannabis Under International Treaties
Global health experts at the United Nations are recommending that cannabis and its key components be formally rescheduled under international drug treaties. The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for whole-plant marijuana, as well as cannabis resin, to be removed from Schedule IV—the most restrictive category of a 1961 drug convention signed by countries from around the world. The body also wants delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol … Read More
Industrial Hemp Cultivation Exploded In The U.S. Last Year, Report Shows
Industrial hemp production significantly increased in the U.S. in 2018, with farmers cultivating three times as many acres of the crop as compared to the pervious year, according to a report released on Monday. Farmers grew more than 78,000 acres of legal hemp last year, the advocacy group VoteHemp reported. In 2017, they grew about 26,000 acres and in 2016, … Read More
Senators Urge Federal Agency To Update Hemp Policies During Government Shutdown
The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized industrial hemp and gave current and prospective farmers of the crop reason to celebrate. But the partial government shutdown, which entered its 27th day on Thursday, has put a damper on celebrations. Specifically, the impasse of government funding has stalled the implementation of the wide-ranging agriculture legislation, and that’s created uncertainty for farmers … Read More
U.S. Senators Warn Trump Administration About Excess Regulations On Hemp
Two Democratic senators from Oregon warned the Trump administration on Tuesday that they will be closely monitoring the implementation of industrial hemp legalization, stressing that the sale of cannabidiol (CBD) and other hemp-derived products should not be overly regulated under the 2018 Farm Bill. In a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff … Read More
The Government Shutdown Is Preventing Farmers From Growing Hemp
Prospective hemp farmers in Utah will have to wait out the government shutdown before they’re able to legally grow the crop. Utah started allowing hemp cultivation under a state Department of Agriculture and Food program in November in accordance with research-focused provisions of the prior federal Farm Bill that was passed in 2014. But before farmers can take advantage of … Read More
Hemp Is Officially Legalized With President Trump’s Signature On The Farm Bill
President Donald Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill—which legalizes industrial hemp after decades of the crop being caught up in broader cannabis prohibition—into law on Thursday. The signing ceremony represents the culmination of a months-long debate over various provisions of the wide-ranging agriculture legislation. But after the House and Senate Agriculture Committees reconciled their respective versions, the final Farm Bill easily passed in full … Read More
FDA To Take Steps Toward Allowing CBD Products Following Hemp Legalization
Just after President Donald Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill into law on Thursday, legalizing industrial hemp, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a lengthy press release responding to the legislative development—including a pledge to pursue pathways that would allow businesses to legally market products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds. The federal agency stressed that it retains the right to regulate products … Read More