Legislative Update: A Flurry of Hemp Bills from Several States
As we were informed by the US Hemp Roundtable, seven states have taken action on hemp bills varying in status from newly proposed to passed, and as usual, it’s a mixed bag. A rash of bills introduced in Florida over the past several months sought to impose an age restriction on ingestible hemp sales in the state (21 to buy), but all were defeated by the Roundtable, including one that tried to sidestep the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which oversees hemp regulation in the stat...[Read More]
Tennessee, Virginia, and Colorado Take Pro-Hemp Strides
This week’s update on the state of hemp legislation from the U.S. Hemp Roundtable brings a smaller smattering of mostly positive developments, including victories in Tennessee and Virginia and an urgent effort to stamp out deceptive sales practices in Colorado. Tennessee Tennessee Governor Bill Lee recently signed SB0694, a hemp bill strongly advocated by the Roundtable, which allows for the use and transportation of hemp containing up to 5% THC within the state, so long as the end product made ...[Read More]
Michigan regulators shift stance on hemp-derived THC
Michigan made headlines last year as the first state to regulate delta-8 THC for adult-use rather than banning it. Now the agency tasked with oversight appears to be rethinking its open-arms approach to hemp-derived THC, according to Michigan news site MLive.com. April 15, Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency announced it was withdrawing its plan to allow licensed cannabis processors to convert hemp into THC. Rules proposed by the agency in January (then named the Marijuana Regulatory Agency) w...[Read More]
Copycat THC edibles: Is hemp part of the problem?
At the end of April, food industry brands including General Mills, Kellogg’s and Pepsi called on federal lawmakers to help limit sales of THC-infused foods packaged to look like some of children’s most beloved snacks. In a letter to Congress, the collective of brands asked legislators to amend a law to give them more leverage against the companies imitating their packaging. In many cases, those selling the copycat edibles are simply buying the packaging in bulk online. Announcing the letter, the...[Read More]
Two Oregon counties pause hemp licensing by declaring state of emergency
In response to farmers growing THC-rich cannabis under the guise of licensed hemp operations, two counties in Oregon declared a state of emergency over cannabis earlier this week. This will lead to a pause on state-issued hemp licenses in those counties. Josephine County commissioners voted to declare a cannabis emergency March 9, the Oregon-based Mail Tribune reported. Jackson County commissioners followed a day later. Under a new Oregon law, the counties’ emergency declarations will trigger th...[Read More]
Kansas hemp shops raided, hemp-derived THC seized
Raids for delta-8 and delta-10 started on 4/20. CBD shops in Topeka, Kansas, have been raided over the last week and a half, with law enforcement targeting hemp-derived THC. But shop owners say their products are legal according to state and federal law. Raids Start on 4/20 Topeka police searched Guardian Recreational Cannabis Dispensary April 20, making an arrest as part of what they called an “active investigation,” reported Topeka’s 27 News. Then, April 28, the Shawnee Count...[Read More]
House rep. calls for hearing on FDA’s failure to establish CBD regulations
His letter also blasts the proliferation of delta-8 THC. US House Representative James Comer (R-KY) has called for a committee-level hearing with the US Food and Drug Administration to address its failure to establish regulations for the sale of hemp-derived extracts including CBD. Comer, a ranking member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, asked for the hearing via a letter to Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). At the hearing, the FDA would explain how it plans to bring order to an unr...[Read More]
In Massachusetts, hemp and cannabis businesses strike partnerships
Hemp and cannabis might seem like obvious partners in business. But in many places, especially those with recreational adult-use, economic and regulatory tensions have instead created rivalries. One state with recreational cannabis seems to have tweaked its laws in a way that encourages partnerships: Massachusetts. Friends or Rivals? The rivalry between hemp and cannabis seems to have grown in tandem with consumer interest in delta-8 and other hemp-derived THC. Several of the first states to ban...[Read More]
Chicago officer retires from police force, turns focus to CBD business
After 16 years with the Chicago police, Jamay Nellum-Fane retired from the force this week. But she’s not done working. According to the Chicago Sun Times, the former officer has shifted her focus to sharing the thing that made her last few years bearable: CBD, a non-psychotropic cannabis compound that can be extracted from hemp. Her target demographic? Law enforcement officers who are dealing with PTSD, depression and insomnia, often in secret. It’s a mission inspired by her own story. Nellum-F...[Read More]
CBD may slow brain’s aging and extend lifespan, says study
CBD may slow the process of aging in the brain, decreasing the risk of dementia and increasing lifespan, a new study says. Published in GeroScience, a scientific journal that looks at the biology of aging, the study found that CBD may help maintain the health of neurons as we age by stimulating the process that clears away damaged cells. Neurons, or nerve cells, are the building blocks of the brain and nervous system. This system is the mechanism through which we perceive and interact with the w...[Read More]
Virginia governor proposes end to delta-8 THC sales
And restricting CBD to 21+. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin on April 11 proposed changes to a bill that would end sales of delta-8 THC in the state. The governor also proposed restricting sales of CBD to adults 21 and up. Because the governor made changes to the bill, it must return to the Senate and House for another round of votes, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. If approved, hemp retailers, smoke shops and convenience stores must stop selling hemp-derived THC by October 1. “Delta-8...[Read More]
FDA sends warning letters to retailers selling delta-8 THC
Also calls CBD an “unapproved food additive.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 4 sent warning letters to five companies for selling delta-8 THC products. This is the first time the FDA has issued warning letters about delta-8. The agency said these products violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and that there are no FDA-approved drugs containing delta-8 THC. “Delta-8 THC has psychoactive and intoxicating effects and may be dangerous to consumers,” the FD...[Read More]
Roadwork projects leave plastic behind. Minnesota thinks hemp can help.
There’s a 30-ton, little-known problem with roadwork on Minnesota’s state highways. The tools road crews use to control erosion and keep sediment from running into local waterways are often made of single-use plastic. To stop an estimated 125,000 tons of sediment from washing into waterways every year, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) uses 30 tons of plastic in items like erosion control blankets and sediment control logs. Most of that plastic ends up in the landfill. But some ...[Read More]
Indiana lawmakers propose studying delta-8 THC before considering ban
Indiana lawmakers disagree about whether to put an end to sales of hemp-derived THC. As they work it out, House legislators proposed tasking a committee with the study of delta-8 THC. As a bill to ban THC ban moved from Senate to House and back again in January and February, one House Representative said legislators need to know more about delta-8 before considering whether to ban it, according to the Statehouse File. Senate Proposes Ban The first draft of Senate Bill 209, introduced in January ...[Read More]
Pennsylvania Senators Announce Plan to Ban Delta-8 THC
Two Democratic Pennsylvania senators, Judy Schwank and Sharif Street, sent a memo to their Senate colleagues April 6 seeking co-sponsors for a bill that would ban sales of delta-8 THC in the state, reports Cannabis Business Times. They have not introduced the bill yet, but said they plan to do so soon. Delta-8 is a THC isomer derived from hemp. Like the more well-known delta-9 THC, it has psychotropic effects — though users report those effects are milder than delta-9. Delta-8 occurs naturally i...[Read More]
In spending package, Congress calls on FDA to regulate CBD
Federal lawmakers are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prioritize regulation of CBD and other cannabis-derived substances, reports Hemp Grower. Last week, when Congress authorized spending for the fiscal year with its omnibus spending package, it directed the FDA to establish regulations for cannabis derivatives including CBD. Although the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations didn’t increase funding for the FDA to use toward regulation of cannabis and its derivatives, it di...[Read More]
Virginia won’t ban delta-8 THC this session
Proposed 21+ age restriction on CBD also fails for now. A Virginia bill that would have banned delta-8 THC and put age restrictions on CBD failed to pass the in state’s Senate and won’t be considered until the legislature’s next session, reports Hemp Today. A version of the bill, Senate Bill 591, had already passed the Senate and House. But it was amended by Governor Glenn Youngkin, so returned to the General Assembly for another vote. The Assembly’s version of the bill would have allowed delta-...[Read More]
The USDA surveyed hemp growers across America. Here’s what they found.
In February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released results of a hemp farming survey, done in late 2021. They looked at how much hemp was planted and harvested, and whether it was for grain, flower, or fiber. They also asked about race, gender, whether farming was the grower’s primary job, and when they started farming. Here’s what they found. The vast majority of hemp farmers are white. 90% of hemp growers are white 6% are Black 2% are mixed race 1% are Indigenous 1% are of Asian heritage ...[Read More]
3 States Introduce Restrictive Hemp Bills
The U.S. Hemp Roundtable and industry supporters have persuaded Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to strike a particularly restrictive provision from a hemp bill, but not without drawbacks, and Colorado and Rhode Island introduced similarly stringent bills this week. Virginia First, though Virginia Governor Youngkin decided to remove the provision from SB 591 that would have effectively illegalized all full-spectrum hemp products (setting a limit at 0.25mg of THC per serving or 1mg per package), ...[Read More]
Washington State lawmakers’ attempts to ban delta-8 stall for now
Lawmakers’ attempts to restrict or end completely the sale of hemp-derived THC in Washington State failed to pass in the most recent legislative session, reports the Associated Press. Several bills had been introduced in response to increasing sales of hemp-derived THC, including reported sales to minors. Although delta-9 cannabis is fully legal in the state, its strict regulations include age restrictions. Meanwhile, delta-8 products are unregulated and widely available in convenience stores an...[Read More]
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Patriots Hemp only works with cannabis farms that meet our high standards for non-GMO, sustainable hemp. We can get these cannabidiol-rich buds (CBD) while still protecting all of our customers. By screening all of our CBD products, we can confirm they are less than 0.3 percent THC so there are no issues with infringing any laws nationwide.. While still delivering high-quality high-density THC-rich products in juridictions that allow it.
