On March 23, the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) stated that cannabis businesses will not be eligible for loans under its Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, despite expanding the program in response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). However, the SBA noted that businesses that produce or sell hemp and hemp-derived products may apply for such loans.
Florida Rolls Out New CBD Regulations in 2020
See this post by Dori K. Stibolt regarding the new regulations governing CBD in Florida.
USDA Releases Interim Hemp Production Regulations
In December 2018, Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill. While Congressional passage of the “Farm Bill” is a relatively regular occurrence, the latest iteration had big implications for the Hemp Industry, because of a provision of the bill which removed hemp from the definition of “marijuana” under the Controlled Substances Act. While this
NC House Committee Moves Up Smokable Hemp Ban Date
Last Friday the Agriculture Committee of the NC House of Representatives passed an amendment to the NC Farm Act of 2019 that could have a severe impact on hemp farmers. The previous version of the bill, passed by the NC Senate on June 17 in a 31-14 vote, contained a provision that would ban smokable
NC Bill with Proposed Smokable Hemp Ban Makes It Way through Committee
Yesterday a bill containing a proposed ban on smokable hemp passed the NC Senate Agricultural Committee. The bill still has to pass through three other committees before it reaches the floor for a vote. It has also been amended to delay the proposed ban on smokable hemp until 12/1/2020.
The bill has seen opposition from
Texas Is About to Legalize Hemp Production, but Remains Reluctant to Legalize Marijuana
While many states sprint towards the legalization of cannabis—at least nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized it for recreational use—Texas, a state often associated with conservative values, continues to take baby steps. Still, progress is progress, even if at a snail’s pace.
Under the Texas Compassionate Use Act, enacted in 2015, patients
May the Industrial Hemp Activities Commence! Not So Fast…
Recently Congress passed the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the “2018 Farm Bill”), which legalized activities pertaining to industrial hemp on the federal level. So now we can begin cultivating, processing, and selling industrial hemp, right? The short answer: No.
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp, provided that the
Farm Bill Gives a Major Boost to Hemp Industry
Congress has passed the 2018 Farm Bill by an overwhelmingly majority and the President is expected to sign it into law. The Farm Bill has huge implications for the industrial hemp industry because it removes hemp from the federal list of controlled substances and enables farmers to apply for crop insurance. Hemp is a variety
Is the First Cannabis Patent Lawsuit at Risk of Failing Because It Covers a Product of Nature Only?
John Shaeffer writes:
On July 30, 2018, United Cannabis Corporation (“UCNN”) filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Colorado against Pure Hemp Collective Inc. (“Pure Hemp”) alleging that Pure Hemp infringed U.S. Patent No. 9,730,911 (“the ‘911 Patent”), which is entitled Cannabis Extracts and Methods of Preparing and Using Same. The ‘911 Patent
Will Florida Trade Orange Trees for Hemp Fields?
Citrus greening, a disease that has been slowly spreading throughout Florida since 2004, has been putting the squeeze on Florida’s key agricultural crop (the citrus industry in Florida is worth $10.7 billion). Citrus greening impairs the citrus trees ability to produce fruit and eventually kills the trees. Many Florida citrus farmers are turning to