Check out a recent article from myself and my colleague, Ben Jones, on the 2018 Farm Bill.
Industrial Hemp
Industrial Hemp: On the Brink of Legalization
After a lengthy compromise process, The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) was passed on December 12, 2018 by Congress and delivered to the White House for the President to sign. The 2018 Farm Bill will replace the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2014, which expired on September 30, 2018. Distributing more than $850 billion, the 2018 Farm Bill is an enormous piece of legislation and funds programs such as crop insurance, school lunches, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Integrated into the massive omnibus Farm Bill is the bipartisan Hemp Farming Act of 2018, spearheaded by Senator Mitch McConnell. The Hemp Farming Act will legalize at the federal level the production of industrial hemp, defined as Cannabis sativa L. plants containing less than three-tenths of a percent of THC, the intoxicating chemical in marijuana. The low concentration of THC makes these plants unsuitable for marijuana production, which remains federally illegal.
First and foremost, the 2018 Farm Bill will abolish this inconsistent treatment by removing industrial hemp from the definition of “marihuana” in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). In addition, tetrahydrocannabinols contained in industrial hemp will be removed from the purview of the CSA. This amendment to the CSA will decriminalize the production and use of the Cannabis sativa L. plant and its derived products that match the definition of industrial hemp, such as hemp seed oil, CBD oil, hemp fibers and hemp paper.
Continue Reading Industrial Hemp: On the Brink of Legalization
Husch Blackwell Cannabis Team to Speak at Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
On May 31, Husch Blackwell Cannabis team members Steve Levine and Marshall Custer will present on Marijuana and Industrial Hemp Industries: The Impact on Colorado’s Economy at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. They will provide industry and legal insight related to the burgeoning marijuana and industrial hemp industries in Colorado. The program will also…

Will Hemp be Legalized Soon?
Yesterday, Senator Mitch McConnell spoke to a group of hemp advocates in his home state of Kentucky that he will introduce legislation to legalize industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity. If approved, Sen. McConnell’s legislation would allow states to control their own hemp regulations by removing federal restrictions.
What does this mean?
While industrial…
Cannabis Law Now Seminar: Good Manufacturing Practices
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.
Organic Certification of Industrial Hemp Production Allowed by USDA
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
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 …
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,…