Hemp Industry News

CBD Industries LLC — which was formally registered as cbdMD and still trades under that name — is suing Majik Medicine for infringement. Notably, Majik Medicine holds a trademark from 2017 for the “CBD MD” moniker, which cbdMD argues was erroneously awarded.

The Chief Marketing Officer for British American Tobacco, the world’s second-largest tobacco company, said CBD is “an exciting growth area” for the company’s future.

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors has officially banned hemp production. The ban was sought due to concerns by medical and adult-use cannabis growers that hemp cultivation could ruin cannabis crops via cross-pollination and other issues.

The National Labor Relations Board ruled that, under federal restrictions, most cannabis industry workers cannot form unions because they are considered agricultural workers.

Pennsylvania has awarded nearly $19,000 in grants aimed at improving the hemp agriculture industry in the state.

The USDA has raised the limit for hemp THC levels that trigger a crop’s eradication from 0.5% to 1% THC.

Protestors in Pensacola, Florida rallied last weekend in support of the release of Nedal Abdel Mohammad, a local smoke shop owner who was arrested in 2019 after authorities mistook a legal CBD shipment for cannabis.

Veterinarians in Michigan are now allowed to discuss the use of cannabis and industrial hemp products with clients under a bill that was signed into law last week.

K-12 students at next year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show will learn about plastics made from sustainable materials including hemp. The “Cultivating Tomorrow”-themed show will be held virtually from January 9-16.

The FTC and FDA have launched “Operation CBDeceit,” sending fines and warning letters to CBD companies who allegedly made false or misleading health claims about their products.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has introduced a federal bill aimed at boosting the US hemp industry. The proposal would raise the THC threshold from 0.3% to 1% and would require hemp-derived products to be tested post-production, not before.

The application period for becoming a licensed hemp farmer in Louisiana next year is now open.

South Dakota lawmakers have formally approved regulations for the state’s industrial hemp industry. The new rules take effect in 20 days.

Hemp health and wellness company The Gift has been awarded a $10,000 grant through a partnership between Beyoncé’s charity initiative BeyGOOD and the NAACP.

The USDA has expanded its pilot hemp crop insurance offerings into new states and announced improvements to the insurance program.

The United Nations Commission for Narcotic Drugs has voted to reclassify the status of cannabis under the Union’s 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which will give member states more room to reconsider their own cannabis laws.

The Thai government has ruled that most parts of the cannabis/hemp plant — including the leaves, branches, trunks, bark, fiber, and roots (not flower) — are now allowed in manufactured cosmetics and food.

A New York plant nursery is suing the Washington County Sheriff after deputies destroyed more than 250 of the group’s licensed hemp research plants.

A recent study led by Canopy Growth found that CBD extended the mean lifespan of worms by 18 percent and increased late-stage life activity by 206 percent.

Colorado CBD firm Folium Biosciences is being sued for allegedly dumping hemp waste including ethanol into the grounds surrounding its facility.

The European Union’s highest court has ruled that CBD is not a narcotic because it does not have any psychotropic or harmful effects.

About 260,000 plants were destroyed and 30 tons of evidence confiscated last week during a police raid on a hemp farm accused of growing illicit cannabis on Navajo Nation land.

The Vitamin Shoppe has announced the launch of its first proprietary CBD line after it started selling the cannabinoid in stores last year.

The National Industrial Hemp Council has been awarded a $200,000 grant by the USDA to help develop industrial hemp exports.