Today the US takes a major step forward in cannabis reform! The 2018 Farm Bill legalizes industrial hemp, and was just signed into law by President Trump. Industrial hemp will now be treated like an agricultural commodity, not a controlled substance. Our in-depth look at the hemp provisions in this new Farm Bill is available
Update: The 2018 Farm Bill was just approved by the House. It now heads to President Trump’s Desk. At long last, it’s finally happening: The 2018 Farm Bill has made it out of conference and been approved by the Senate. It currently awaits approval from the House, which is expected this week. If Donald Trump
Back in August, I covered the landmark Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug trial approval for psilocybin, the naturally occurring, psychedelic ingredient found in around 200 species of mushrooms. I speculated that if everything goes well, we could see an approved psilocybin drug hit the market sometime in the next 5 to 10 years. I
In previous posts, we’ve puzzled about why no one has filed a cannabis patent infringement case, despite the large number of patents granted for cannabis plants and compounds. See here, and here. That all changed last week. United Cannabis Corporation (“UCANN”) has now filed what is believed to be the first cannabis patent infringement complaint.
Now that the MAUCRSA transition period is over and full cannabis testing is in the works, we can fully expect California marijuana companies to start engaging in recalls of certain products for a variety of reasons. In fact, a voluntary recall has already been initiated by The Bloom Brand where an impermissible pesticide (Myclobutanil) was
Last week, the California Department of Public Health’s Food and Drug Branch (CDPH-FDB) issued a revised FAQ on cannabidiol (CBD) in food products that will likely block the sale of hemp-derived CBD products in California — which if you’ve been in the state lately, are pretty much already everywhere. CDPH-FDB has determined that CBD sourced
It is no secret that cannabidiol (CBD) is having a moment right now. Unlike its cousin tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is another cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant, CBD is not psychoactive. It has been growing in popularity for years for medical and other applications, but has really taken off lately. Though CBD has become increasingly
In Cannabis Edibles and the FDA, I discussed the basics of FDA regulation of cannabis edibles. On November 1, 2017, the FDA provided further specific examples of prohibited health claims made for cannabis products, in this case, cannabidiol (CBD): The FDA has grown increasingly concerned at the proliferation of products claiming to treat or cure serious
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has only the jurisdiction Congress gave it in the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Under this act, the FDA has broad regulatory powers over legal drugs, with more limited powers over food. Under the FDCA, the FDA categorizes a substance as either a food or a drug depending on how
Tom Price, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), resigned his post last week amid public health and personal travel debacles. Mr. Price’s resignation drew very little coverage from cannabis reporters, however, which was sort of strange because the HHS Secretary wields more influence over cannabis law and policy than any other public official besides Attorney General
