The days where the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) pays no mind to cannabis businesses (marijuana and hemp) are long gone. These days, the FTC is treating consumer complaints regarding hemp and marijuana businesses similar to complaints against businesses in other industries. The self-proclaimed mission of the FTC is to: “prevent anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business
We work with international cannabis companies that operate in the U.S., and we regularly field inquiries from others who want to enter the U.S. market. Some are already selling into the U.S. market through an intermediary like a broker or a sales agent. In the United States, there are four main ways to enter the
When issues arise, many people think filing a lawsuit is the answer. That will initiate the litigation process, which will most likely involve an exchange of information and documents, the process of taking depositions, and probably some motion practice along the way. While in some cases it certainly is, we typically counsel new clients (and
On March 7, Oregon law makers passed Senate Bill 1564 (SB 1564) which empowers counties to impose hemp moratoriums within their jurisdictions. To impose a hemp moratorium, a county must simply declare a state of emergency related to cannabis and notify the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) of the declaration and request that the ODA
Unfortunately, it looks like Mexico may leave hemp out of the cannabis law bill. That is right folks, after much discussion, lobbying and attempts to educate the government on cannabis legalization in Mexico (yes, we have also made our small contributions), the Mexican Senate seems more focused on creating the appearance that it will go
On February 21, the Natural Product Association (NPA) filed a citizen petition with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on specific cannabidiol (CBD) relief in which it requests enforcement discretion for the premarket approval of CBD products. In its petition, the NPA is asking the FDA to do one of three things: Determine that CBD
The battle to raise the limit of THC allowed in hemp from .3% to 1% continues. The 2018 Farm Bill defined hemp as “[t]he plant species Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant . . . with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.” It
The litigation fallout from the hemp rush continues to wind its way through state and federal courts. Just a few years ago everyone and their brother was hot on hemp. Investment capital flooded into Oregon and other states and the industry was awash in new Hemp/CBD farming, processing, manufacturing, and retail businesses. The sheen has
The 2022 Oregon legislative session kicks off today. It’s a short session this year, with fewer cannabis bills than usual crowding the docket. In 2021, for example, we had 28 enrolled bills to start; eventually, 10 became law. This year we start with only five enrolled bills. Those five submissions overlap in some cases, but
Costa Rica’s proposed hemp and medical cannabis law was passed by the Legislative Assembly on January 13, after a 29-10 vote. But what should have been a landmark accomplishment for cannabis legalization in the region has been overshadowed by President Carlos Alvarado’s refusal to sign Bill No. 21388 into law. According to President Alvarado, there
