The cannabis industry took a step back on its merger and acquisition activity in 2020 due to some pandemic-related instability but the industry picked up where it left off by the end of the year, and we expect that trend to significantly increase in 2021. In the article linked below, Melissa Sander and I discuss
Cooper Signs NC Farm Act Without Hemp Provisions
The highly anticipate North Carolina Farm Act, Senate bill 315, was recently signed by the Governor. However, all reference to updating the state’s industrial hemp program was removed from the final version, leaving the highlights of the bill to be marketing for sweetpotatoes (now one-word) and the broadened definition of agritourism.
Since 2019, ten versions
Illinois Department of Agriculture Announces New Policy For Use of Hemp in Cannabis Products
The Illinois Department of Agriculture recently released a policy for cultivators regarding the use of hemp in medical and adult use cannabis products. The complete version of the policy can be found here. The policy will be in effect through October 31, 2020, although it is subject to change at any time by the
More California Cannabis Updates
Last week, my colleagues wrote about AB 1291, which expanded upon the requirement for California cannabis companies with 20 or more employees to enter into labor peace agreements. A handful of other laws of note have recently been passed in California.
Industrial Hemp
SB 153 sets the stage for compliance with the 2018 Farm Bill
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
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
NC Joins in on CBD Crackdown
Last week, North Carolina regulators followed the lead of public health officials in several other states and began cracking down on CBD-infused products. Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, is one of over 100 cannabinoids, such as THC, found in the cannabis plant. Unlike THC, it doesn’t have consciousness-altering effects and can’t give you a “high.”
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
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