Hemp Industry News

While there are more U.S. farmers this year who are licensed to grow hemp, total hemp acreage is down 9% from 2019.

Louisiana Gov. Edwards signed legislation this week that regulates hemp and CBD products, including a ban on selling hemp products “for inhalation” except for hemp-based rolling papers.

The FTC has filed a rare lawsuit against CBD company Whole Leaf Organics over unfounded treatment claims made by the company.

A recent industry rules update allows Illinois hemp producers to sell to licensed medical and adult-use cannabis processors.

Hemp businesses are unlikely to receive coronavirus assistance from the USDA as the sector hasn’t suffered a 5% decline in prices.

Japanese company Hiro International has unveiled a new line of CBD products produced using orange peels, not hemp or cannabis.

Aurora Cannabis announced it will acquire U.S. hemp CBD company Reliva in a $40 million all-stock deal.

PetSmart is now carrying its first cannabinoid extract product at 122 locations in Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Oregon, and Tennessee.

A judge has approved the $77 million bankruptcy sale of GenCanna Global USA Inc., a Kentucky hemp processing company, to MGG GenCanna Acquisition Group.

Summitt Labs announced last week it was voluntarily recalling Batch#730 Lot#K018 of its Kore Organic Watermelon CBD Oil Tincture.

94% of Arkansas hemp farmers reported losses from last year’s crop; farmers planted 1,819 acres of the crop but only 883 acres were harvested.

The USDA last week approved hemp production plans for Massachusetts and five separate Native American tribes.

Oregonized Hemp Co. is suing two different sheriffs’ offices claiming that they unlawfully seized and destroyed $2 million worth of the company’s industrial hemp crop.

Panda Biotech announced it is donating 60 tons of hemp fiber seed to Texas farmers as the state’s hemp industry takes off.

The FDA has issued warnings to two CBD companies over claims that their products could treat opioid addiction and/or replace pharmaceutical drugs.

The USDA has approved Florida’s hemp program; the state will be accepting industry applications starting today.

Lebanese lawmakers have approved the legalization of medical cannabis and industrial hemp; the move was recommended by economic advisors prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Hemp Feed Coalition is submitting an application to get hemp approved as chicken feed by the FDA; the process could take 18 months or longer.

Texas regulators issued the state’s first industrial hemp license this week; Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said it was “just the beginning.”

The USDA approved state hemp program plans for Georgia and South Carolina this week.

State-legal hemp businesses will be allowed to access financial relief under the multi-million dollar federal coronavirus stimulus package approved last week.

The USDA has approved Iowa’s proposed industrial hemp plan; state officials, however, have specified that the program does not legalize the CBD industry.

Kentucky lawmakers have advanced two pieces of hemp legislation: one would establish CBD label requirements and the other would legalize smokeable hemp products.

Kentucky hemp processing company Atalo Holdings has filed for bankruptcy after “a failed capital commitment, which left the company unable to pay its creditors.”