(Editor’s note: This column is part of a recurring series of commentaries from professionals connected to the hemp industry. Andrew M. Rosner and Kaelan Castetter are vice presidents of the New York State Cannabis Growers and Processors Association.) Government officials nationwide are talking about banning the sale of hemp flower in the name of public… Continue reading 3 strategies to combat smokable-hemp bans
Category: California Hemp Business & Legal News
CBD giant Charlotte’s Web positions to enter THC market
Hemp-derived CBD giant Charlotte’s Web Holdings is positioning itself to enter THC and marijuana markets. The Boulder, Colorado, company says it has signed a five-year, $8 million purchase agreement option with a marijuana company started by its founders, Stanley Brothers USA Holdings Inc. The deal allows Charlotte’s Web to take over the marijuana business after… Continue reading CBD giant Charlotte’s Web positions to enter THC market
Sleep and stress worries create opportunities for CBD and marijuana brands
(Editor’s note: This story is part of a recurring series of commentaries from professionals connected to the hemp industry. Jackie Berg is co-founder of CBD Marketing Hub, a digital-to-door agency focused on CBD and cannabis marketing.) Sleep is valued commodity and something many Americans are increasingly bereft of. Many health experts see sleep issues as… Continue reading Sleep and stress worries create opportunities for CBD and marijuana brands
Canadian biotech firm forms JV with Australis Capital to expand capabilities in U.S.
An expanding tissue-culture laboratory with locations in Washington and Canada has entered into a joint venture with Australis Capital, a U.S. spinoff of Canadian marijuana producer Aurora Cannabis. 3 Rivers Biotech Inc., an agricultural technology company that specializes in commercial-scale micropropagation for marijuana, hemp and traditional crops including vegetables and fruit, will own 85% of… Continue reading Canadian biotech firm forms JV with Australis Capital to expand capabilities in U.S.
California hemp producer sues Santa Cruz County for incorrect hemp sampling, leading to crop loss
Sungrown Organic Hemp, a hemp producer California, says the county owes it $9.6 million for incorrectly sampling its 2019 hemp crop, which led to a false determination that the crop was marijuana. The Watsonville farm filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in county court, claiming that the Santa Cruz County Department of Agriculture used faulty sampling… Continue reading California hemp producer sues Santa Cruz County for incorrect hemp sampling, leading to crop loss
Legendary California marijuana-growing region Humboldt permanently bans hemp cultivation
A renowned marijuana-growing county in northern California’s Emerald Triangle, Humboldt County, has permanently banned outdoor cultivation of low-THC hemp varieties. The unanimous vote by the county Board of Supervisors last week comes after marijuana interests in the area argued that hemp could send male pollen onto higher-THC varieties and depress cannabinoid levels, the (Eureka) Times-Standard… Continue reading Legendary California marijuana-growing region Humboldt permanently bans hemp cultivation
California labor board shuts down hemp seed company for workforce pay, insurance violations
A California hemp seed company was closed by the state labor board following complaints that the company hadn’t paid more than a dozen full-time workers since mid-December. The California Labor Commissioner’s Office shut down Castillo Seed Company, based in Half Moon Bay, in late January. The company had sent a letter to its workforce in… Continue reading California labor board shuts down hemp seed company for workforce pay, insurance violations
AOSCA review board clears 4 new CBD-dominant seeds
A publicly traded California biotech company announced Tuesday that four of its hemp seed varieties have been aproved by the national variety board of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies. Davis-based Arcadia Biosciences received eligibility for certified seed production for its GoodHemp brand varieties including Rogue, Umpqua, Santiam and Potomac. All four varieties are… Continue reading AOSCA review board clears 4 new CBD-dominant seeds
L’Oreal, Neutrogena alumna tapped to lead California CBD maker Papa & Barkley
A cosmetics executive has been tapped to take over California CBD manufacturer Papa & Barkley. Evelyn Wang replaces Adam Grossman as CEO. Grossman will lead the company’s board of directors. Wang comes from Milani Cosmetics. She was formerly an assistant vice president for L’Oreal Paris, and before that was Product Director for Neutrogena Cosmetics, part… Continue reading L’Oreal, Neutrogena alumna tapped to lead California CBD maker Papa & Barkley
This elusive pathogen is damaging hemp nationwide. Here’s how to fight it.
Joseph Ramahi (Editor’s note: This story is part of a recurring series of commentaries from professionals connected to the hemp industry. Joseph Ramahi, PhD, is chief science officer for Cultivaris Hemp, a young-plant producer in Encinitas, California. ) Over and over again I meet hemp growers who are not yet aware of a widespread disease… Continue reading This elusive pathogen is damaging hemp nationwide. Here’s how to fight it.
Circle K wants to block hemp trademark that resembles its own
Circle K Stores Inc. wants to block a California hemp and marijuana holding company from using a design mark with “K” inside a circle. In a filing first reported by Law 360, the convenience-store chain is asking the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to oppose a registration application from Medical Marijuana Inc. of Poway,… Continue reading Circle K wants to block hemp trademark that resembles its own
Clint Eastwood files third suit against CBD companies, saying they’re falsely claiming endorsement
Clint Eastwood has filed a third lawsuit alleging CBD companies are falsely claiming he’s endorsing their products. The legal action is the second the legendary actor has filed against Los Angeles-based Norok Innovation Inc. and its CEO Eric Popowicz but includes a different set of defendants, according to Law 360, which first reported the case.… Continue reading Clint Eastwood files third suit against CBD companies, saying they’re falsely claiming endorsement
USDA approves Rhode Island, Luiseno Indians hemp plans
With just a few days left before changing oversight, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the hemp-regulation plans of Rhode Island and the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians in southern California. Rhode Island will charge interested hemp producers: $250 application fees. $2,250 license fees, with a license valid for two years. Rhode Island doesn’t limit… Continue reading USDA approves Rhode Island, Luiseno Indians hemp plans
California lawsuit over hemp destruction on hold
A federal judge in California has tapped the brakes on a lawsuit from a hemp grower who saw the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife bulldoze 500 acres of his plants. Apothio LLC is suing the state and also Kern County authorities for $1 billion after the plants were razed in 2019. Apothio argues that… Continue reading California lawsuit over hemp destruction on hold
California bill to legalize hemp extracts in food, drinks, includes ban on smokable flower
California lawmakers will be faced again with the long-debated question of whether to allow hemp extracts in food and beverages in the state when the legislative session opens Monday, but this time the proposal comes with a twist: The measure would also ban smokable hemp flower – an increasingly popular and unregulated segment of the industry.… Continue reading California bill to legalize hemp extracts in food, drinks, includes ban on smokable flower
Study suggests West Coast hemp growers escaped smoke damage from wildfires
Wildfire smoke makes the sky eerily orange near East Fork Cultivars in Takilma, Oregon on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020 (Photo courtesy Nathan Howard) A version of this story first appeared at Marijuana Business Daily. Preliminary data out of Oregon suggests that industrial hemp crops may have been spared major damage from the West Coast wildfires… Continue reading Study suggests West Coast hemp growers escaped smoke damage from wildfires
New California cannabis health warning label requirement could trigger swell of industry lawsuits
California’s new warning label as it appears on a La Vida Verde cannabis product. (Photo courtesy of La Vida Verde) A version of this story first appeared at Marijuana Business Daily. California’s hemp-derived CBD manufacturers are at risk of legal “whiplash,” one industry attorney says, after a new mandate requiring health warning labels for all… Continue reading New California cannabis health warning label requirement could trigger swell of industry lawsuits