On Thursday, March 29, the Cannabis team at Husch Blackwell and Navigant, will host a cannabis seminar on developing quality systems for the cannabis/hemp industry. We will discuss the process, validations and preparation for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification. For more details, please read more here.
Hemp Sector Issues
Congress Protects Medical Marijuana in New Spending Bill…Adult-Use is Still Not Addressed
By Steve Levine on
Yesterday, details of the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget were released. Congress has once again elected to prohibit the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) from spending money on actions that prevent medical marijuana states giving practical effect to their state laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana. Congress also continued existing provisions…
Over $1 Billion Raised by the Cannabis Industry
According to a prominent cannabis advisory firm, the cannabis industry raised over a $1 Billion in investment dollars in 2016. These investments included public companies on the TSXV (cultivation and extract company), NYSE (REIT) and NASDAQ (pharmaceutical company).
What does this mean?
Majority of large investments are going into real estate and pharmaceutical company – as…
Establishment of a New Drug Code for “Marihuana Extract”
Yesterday the DEA published a final rule providing for a new drug code for “Marihuana Extract” . The DEA states that this will allow them to track quantities of “Marihuana Extract” separately from marijuana to aid in the compliance with relevant drug treaties. This new rule is set to become effective on January 13, 2017. The…
DEA Takes Steps to Increase the Number of Marijuana Cultivators to Manufacture Marijuana To Supply Researchers in the U.S.
On August 12, 2016, the DEA published a policy in the federal register (81 Fed. Reg. 53846) designed to increase the number of entities registered under the CSA to grow marijuana to supply legitimate researchers in the United States. The DEA has concluded that the best way to satisfy the current researcher demand for…
Organic Certification of Industrial Hemp Production Allowed by USDA
By Steve Levine on
Posted in Hemp Sector Issues
The USDA retracted its previous policy today and has permitted the organic certification of industrial hemp by certified agents accredited by the NOP, if produced in accordance with USDA organic regulations. For imported hemp, existing regulations and guidelines continue to govern whether products may be certified as organic.
What does this mean?
Industrial hemp cultivated…
Industrial Hemp – Statement of Principles from USDA
By Steve Levine on
Posted in Hemp Sector Issues, Regulatory Issues
The US Department of Agriculture provided statements of principals on industrial hemp, in consultation with the DEA and the FDA, to inform the public how Federal law applies to activities associated with industrial hemp that is grown in accordance with the Agricultural Act of 2014. Generally, the statement of principles are consistent with my …
Ninth Circuit ruling upholds Congress de-funding of DOJ enforcement actions against state-legal medical marijuana businesses
A favorable ruling from the Ninth Circuit in United States v. McIntosh is a reassuring win for the medical marijuana industry. This federal case concluded that § 542 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act prohibits DOJ from spending money on actions that prevent medical marijuana states giving practical effect to their state laws that authorize…
Marijuana will not be rescheduled in 2016
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration filed documents with the Federal Register on Thursday outlining its denial of petitions to reschedule marijuana. The DEA stated that marijuana has no known medical use and that the decision was based heavily on the evaluations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human…
2016 Federal Budget Approved – State MMJ Programs and Industrial Hemp Provided Protection
President Obama approved the 2016 federal budget and it contained a prohibition that none of the funds made available to the Department of Justice may be used, with respect to any of the States that have state-legal medical marijuana programs, to prevent any of them from implementing their own laws that authorize the use, distribution,…