Category: Hemp
-
Senators Harris, Sanders, Warren and More Request Federal Support for Cannabis Companies During COVID-19
Cannabis companies have been locked out of federal support due to cannabis remaining illegal under federal law, but 10 senators are working to change that. A letter signed by Senators Michael Bennet, Catherine Cortez Masto, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Jacky Rosen, Bernie Sanders, Ron Wyden, and Elizabeth Warren was sent to…
-
Virginia Cannabis Reform Continues
Virginia approved cannabis decriminalization earlier this month and continues expanding cannabis and cannabis-related reform. Senate Bill 918/House Bill 1430, recently approved by Governor Ralph Northam, regulates products containing CBD as food: “The bill authorizes the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt regulations establishing contaminant tolerances, labeling requirements, and batch testing requirements,” SB 918’s…
-
West Virginia Medicinal Cannabis Program Inches Along; USDA Approves WV’s Hemp Plan
Medicinal cannabis in West Virginia has been slow going. In 2017, West Virginia governor Jim Justice signed into law the Medical Cannabis Act which allowed for regulated cannabis products to be purchased by those with specific medical conditions which included cancer, Crohn’s disease, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, neuropathy, and Parkinson’s disease. Patients could only purchase it…
-
Maryland and D.C. Dispensaries Cannot Receive Federal Stimulus Funds
As The Outlaw Report noted last week, cannabis companies are not eligible for federal support from the Small Business Administration (SBA) mostly because the federal government also doesn’t view cannabis as medicine. It remains a Schedule I drug under federal guidelines. That also means the industry which like all other industries, is entering into a…
-
Virginia Lawmakers Approve Smokable Hemp Bill, Need Gov. Signature
A proposal to allow smokable hemp sales to those aged 21 and over is making its way to the desk of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. Sponsored by Del. Daniel Marshall, HB 962 cleared the House of Delegates earlier this month and was approved by the Senate in a 37-3 vote this past week. “Over the…
-
Maryland Hemp Farmers Come Out in Opposition to Buffer Bill
Maryland hemp farmers came out in opposition to two hemp-related bills that would limit where they can grow their crop all because of significant complaints by neighbors about a farm in Baltimore County. The two bills are House Bill 510, which would prevent a farm where hemp is grown to be within two miles of…
-
In Annapolis, a Debate About Medicinal Cannabis Licenses and the Free Market
According to Chairman of the African-American Cannabis Association Joe Gaskins, the white and moneyed performed a “heist” over the past few years, swiping all of Maryland’s medicinal cannabis licenses for themselves and leaving equally qualified black growers and processors with nothing. “In the beginning, it seemed to be a great idea,” Gaskins said last week…
-
Hemp and Cannabis a Headache for Residents, Great for Real Estate
Baltimore County residents are upset about the cannabis-ish smell wafting from Broadway Hemp Farm, and now a House Bill has been introduced to do something about it. As the Baltimore Sun reported last week, the smell coming from Broadway Hemp is bothering folks in the county because the residents—who were granted anonymity in the story—claimed,…
-
When It Comes To Hemp, Maryland Is Somewhat ‘Open For Business’
While Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia push for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to speed up its review of Virginia’s Plan to Regulate Hemp Production, Maryland’s move into the world of industrialized hemp remains more circumspect. Maryland’s Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program is only now in its second year and…
-
Virginia Senators Warner and Kaine Demand Urgent Approval of Hemp Plan
Virginia is poised to be a top producer in the country for industrial hemp, but not all legislators and advocates are in agreement with the regulations needed to ensure its success. In a letter sent on January 23, 2020, Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expedite its…