All hemp products are dependent on one thing: the ability to grow a reliable and quality crop. Growers need to pick plants that will deliver the characteristics they need and provide inputs that support the end goals. But where to begin? In this report, some of the industry’s most experienced and innovative cultivators share their… Continue reading From the Roots Up: A Guide for Hemp Cultivators
Category: Featured
Hemp in the Time of COVID-19: Executives reflect on pandemic’s anniversary
No part of the global economy has escaped the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed more than 2.5 million lives around the world and sickened countless more. But few industries were in the kind of infancy the hemp industry was in when the World Health Organization declared the virus a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.… Continue reading Hemp in the Time of COVID-19: Executives reflect on pandemic’s anniversary
How to prepare outdoor hemp and marijuana fields for growing season
(This is the first of a series focused on planning for best cultivation practices for hemp and marijuana growers. Look for additional stories on handling young plants, stocking up on supplies, fertigation and other topics throughout the year.) Outdoor hemp and marijuana growers are getting ready to get their crops in the ground in the… Continue reading How to prepare outdoor hemp and marijuana fields for growing season
3 strategies to combat smokable-hemp bans
(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
Texas hemp farmers mostly spared from winter storm as other ag segments suffered
Hemp farmers are gearing up to plant their fields only two weeks after Texas froze over during Winter Storm Uri – a freak snow and ice storm that caused more than $600 million in damages to the state’s agricultural economy. According to early data from the Texas A&M Extension Service, other industries such as citrus,… Continue reading Texas hemp farmers mostly spared from winter storm as other ag segments suffered
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
Chart: Despite buzz around delta-8 THC, cannabinoid cultivation dominated by CBD, CBG
The entire cannabis industry is buzzing about delta-8 THC and other cannabinoids found rarely in the plant but gaining favor among growers and consumers. Indeed, there has been a noticeable shift toward so-called novel cannabinoids among hemp producers surveyed by Hemp Industry Daily. But CBD still rules the roost. Cannabidiol, by far, continues to be… Continue reading Chart: Despite buzz around delta-8 THC, cannabinoid cultivation dominated by CBD, CBG
Minor cannabinoids are a ‘new frontier’ in wellness: Q&A with Jonathan Vaught, CEO of Front Range Biosciences
Minor cannabinoids have been gathering interest among growers and extractors over the past year, with research on CBG, CBN, CBC and THC-V showing unique health benefits for consumers. But are consumers even aware of these molecules and is there demand in the marketplace? And are there genetics available that can yield enough of these minor… Continue reading Minor cannabinoids are a ‘new frontier’ in wellness: Q&A with Jonathan Vaught, CEO of Front Range Biosciences
‘People expected me to fail’: Black female hemp farmers discuss disparity in the industry
Jillian Hishaw (Editor’s note: This story is part of a recurring series of commentaries from professionals connected to the hemp industry. Jillian Hishaw is an agricultural strategist and former U.S. Department of Agriculture Adjudicator of the Office to the Assistant Secretary of Civil Rights. She’s now Founder & CEO of Family Agriculture Resource Management Services… Continue reading ‘People expected me to fail’: Black female hemp farmers discuss disparity in the industry
Genetic editing offers hemp and marijuana companies a way to improve plant strains
This story first appeared at Marijuana Business Daily. The development of new genetic-editing technology offers cannabis companies a cost-effective way to make specific changes to marijuana and hemp plants – such as more disease resistance – without creating a genetically modified organism. The technology, known as Crispr-Cas9, will allow the cannabis industry to build new,… Continue reading Genetic editing offers hemp and marijuana companies a way to improve plant strains
Federal judge hands Indiana producers a setback on smokable-hemp challenge
A federal judge in Indiana is reversing course on a state law banning smokable hemp, handing growers and processors another defeat as they seek to find a path to market for the most profitable part of the plant. U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker told the Midwest Hemp Council and several hemp businesses challenging Indiana’s… Continue reading Federal judge hands Indiana producers a setback on smokable-hemp challenge
Hemp in US animal feed is one step closer to fruition
In the United States currently, humans can eat foods made from hemp – yet we can’t legally eat meat or eggs from animals that have eaten hemp. But with recent action by the Hemp Feed Coalition (HFC), a Fort Collins, Colorado-based nonprofit seeking to gain federal approval for hemp and its byproducts as a source… Continue reading Hemp in US animal feed is one step closer to fruition
Editor’s Notebook: Make the press your secret branding weapon
(This opinion column appears in the February issue of Marijuana Business Magazine.) Everyone in the hemp industry knows the story of Charlotte’s Web: A group of well-meaning brothers working under Colorado’s medical marijuana system developed a cannabis strain that worked miracles on a sick little girl named Charlotte. Word spread about the awe-inspiring results of… Continue reading Editor’s Notebook: Make the press your secret branding weapon
Choosing the best location for your retail CBD business
(A version of this story appears in the February issue of Marijuana Business Magazine.) From mom-and-pop shops to corporate chains, everyone in the retail business knows that a carefully chosen location is key to success. The cannabis industry is no exception. Although regulatory requirements, license availability and market demand will vary from place to place,… Continue reading Choosing the best location for your retail CBD business
Judge: CBD company did not mislead investors
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York Crediting the CBD company’s forthrightness, a federal judge in New York federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Massachusetts-based Curaleaf from investors who argued the company misled them about legality of its CBD products. The investors sued when Curaleaf’s share price fell in 2019 after… Continue reading Judge: CBD company did not mislead investors
NFL requesting research on CBD for pain management
The National Football League and its players’ union have requested industry research on CBD and other cannabinoids for pain management. The NFL says it is looking for information about “alternatives to opioids in routine pain management.” The request mentions CBD but is open to research on other cannabinoids. The request issued Wednesday also mentions research… Continue reading NFL requesting research on CBD for pain management
8 things to consider when selecting seed-propagated hemp genetics for field planting
Hemp farmers have a number of choices and sources for the varieties they will plant in 2021. But if they’re electing to use seed-propagated varieties, there are several criteria that growers should consider in selecting genetics. Jeremy Klettke, founder, CEO and head plant breeder at Davis Farms of Oregon in Portland, outlined basic requirements growers… Continue reading 8 things to consider when selecting seed-propagated hemp genetics for field planting
How to head off partnership disputes before they happen
(This story appears in the February issue of Marijuana Business Magazine.) Partnership disputes — whether between business partners or owners and investors — continue to be an ugly feature of the marijuana and hemp industries. Such conflicts can be costly and time-consuming; plus, they can sink a cannabis company. But there are steps companies can… Continue reading How to head off partnership disputes before they happen
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
Are hemp plant breeders ramping up on utility patents to protect novel varieties?
Hemp genetics companies have been actively pursuing patents to protect their intellectual property after years of work to develop novel genetics. But despite intellectual property protection that became available after the U.S. legalized hemp production in 2018, some companies are still opting for more expensive and more comprehensive plant utility patents for the highest level… Continue reading Are hemp plant breeders ramping up on utility patents to protect novel varieties?
USDA creating hemp germplasm collection, funding lab to study plant breeding
Dionne Toombs Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture say they’re studying ways to boost hemp production and profitability for growers, and are collecting the first national statistics on domestic hemp production to be ready by next year. But Dionne Toombs, director for USDA’s Office of the Chief Scientist, gave no indication this week at… Continue reading USDA creating hemp germplasm collection, funding lab to study plant breeding
3M eyes hemp for adhesives, packaging replacements — even growing new organs
3M’s Don Davidson uses everyday sticky notes to demostrate how hemp could become part of tomorrow’s adhesives (photo via National Hemp Symposium) Industrial conglomerate 3M Co. thinks hemp can be part of the sustainability “megatrend” and is looking at hemp components to do everything from strengthening packaging tape to helping grow human tissue and organs.… Continue reading 3M eyes hemp for adhesives, packaging replacements — even growing new organs
Hemp operators interested in federal checkoff program, survey shows
A clear majority of hemp farmers and processors support establishing a federal program to promote the crop, according to a survey by two industry groups, but not everyone supports paying for it. The National Industrial Hemp Council and the Hemp Industries Association polled their members late last year on the question of having a checkoff… Continue reading Hemp operators interested in federal checkoff program, survey shows
Opinion: Hope is not a strategy, so stop tolling
(Editor’s note: This story is part of a recurring series of commentaries from professionals connected to the hemp industry. Julie Lerner is CEO of PanXchange, a commodity trading platform and benchmark price provider.) Basing the multibillion-dollar, pie-in-the-sky forecasts for the U.S. addressable market for CBD on retail shelf prices disturbs me. It’s as illogical as… Continue reading Opinion: Hope is not a strategy, so stop tolling
Time to invest in cannabis in Mexico is now, attorneys say
Mexico is moving ahead on medical marijuana regulation — and all hemp and marijuana companies that envision doing business there in the future should start preparing now, lawyers say. The Mexican government has begun setting a regulatory structure for medical cannabis in the country, making it possible for companies to start applying for research licenses… Continue reading Time to invest in cannabis in Mexico is now, attorneys say
Know before you grow: How to access certified hemp varieties
In the two years since hemp became a legal commercial crop in the United States, producers’ challenges in sourcing a consistent supply of predictable, reliable genetics haven’t subsided, as the industry establishes itself and plant-breeding efforts continue. Growers looking to source reliable hemp genetics may consider looking at seed from varieties that have been produced… Continue reading Know before you grow: How to access certified hemp varieties
CBD maker GW Pharma agrees to $7.2 billion acquisition by Ireland’s Jazz Pharmaceuticals
(A version of this story originally appeared at Marijuana Business Daily and will be updated.) An Irish pharmaceutical firm, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, has agreed to purchase United Kingdom-based GW Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest medical cannabinoid companies in the world, for $7.2 billion, the drug companies said Wednesday. The proposed cash-and-stock deal would be the largest… Continue reading CBD maker GW Pharma agrees to $7.2 billion acquisition by Ireland’s Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Hemp in the Biden administration: Optimism and uncertainty
The hemp industry has high hopes for thriving under President Joe Biden, with operators seeing opportunities in the president’s climate plan and feeling optimistic that congressional action on high-THC cannabis will open more opportunities for hemp entrepreneurs. But the industry is still waiting for answers on some of its most pressing concerns, especially the legality… Continue reading Hemp in the Biden administration: Optimism and uncertainty
Despite pandemic, Midwest hemp producers build regional database to spot best cultivation practices
Want to know the best time to plant hemp in the Midwest? Or what cultivar consistently produces a crop below 0.3% THC? Researchers in the Midwest have successfully pooled that information despite the pandemic, creating a database designed to give farmers an idea of what to expect from their hemp cultivars in 2021 and beyond.… Continue reading Despite pandemic, Midwest hemp producers build regional database to spot best cultivation practices