cannabis banking

Cannabis Banking Today

We are helping build out another cannabis banking program here in Oregon. My law firm has done a series of these for credit unions (“CU”s) and other financial institutions (“FIs”) going back to 2014. We have also handled a good bit of hemp banking work– mostly in 2019 and 2020 before that industry cratered. In

intoxicating hemp

Intoxicating Hemp Product Laws are More Complicated Than They Seem

When Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill, did it intend to legalize intoxicating hemp products? If it did, why didn’t it just legalize marijuana? And why didn’t it address the manufacture or sale of intoxicating hemp products? I think the answer to all of these questions is clearly “no.” Congress did not intend to open

cannabis product

Why Cannabis Product Review is So Important

Over the last five years, I’ve done countless compliance reviews for cannabis product and CBD product labels, packaging materials, and products themselves. In all cases – not most, all – cannabis product labels needed at least one change. Product type, shape, and ingredients often needed work. And even packaging material has had plenty of issues.

cbd

Congress Wants to Hear from You on CBD by August 18th

Today’s public service announcement is that Congress wants to hear from you on a regulatory fix for cannabidiol (CBD) and other hemp-derived cannabinoid products. The request came down via the Energy and Commerce Committee on July 27, when it published a Request for Information (RFI) to “interested parties” on the topic. The deadline for RFI

kratom

Cannabinoid Folks, Pay Attention to Kratom

It seems as if there is a new cannabinoid product coming out every five minutes. Scratch that – it seems like there is a new cannabinoid coming out every five minutes. After CBD, it was CBG and CBN, then the deltas, and then, well, it’s hard to keep track. Today, every time I research these new

hemp

What Happened to Hemp?

Last week, a LinkedIn post by cannabis economist Beau Whitney caught my eye, because Beau said something pretty amazing. He said: “licensed acres in hemp are at pre-farm bill levels.” Could that be true? Before the 2018 Farm Bill, only a few states ran limited “research” pilot programs for hemp. I did my best to

cannabis advertising

Be Very Skeptical of Cannabis Advertising

The level of straight-up false information in cannabis advertising online is staggering. It’s almost too hard to describe. As a cannabis attorney, I’m often stunned that companies push cannabis advertisements the way they do. Over the years, I’ve spoken to dozens (maybe hundreds) of cannabis business owners who thought X was completely legal because of

washington thc

Washington Releases Rules Guidance on SB 5367 (Products Containing THC)

The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) released a rules guide on July 14, “outlining regulations of products containing THC”. The guide is titled “Discontinued Sales of Products Containing THC by Businesses that Do Not Hold a Cannabis License” and it relates to recently enacted SB 5367, which we’ve been following closely. As we

delta 8

FDA and FTC Target Delta-8 Products

On July 5, 2023, the FDA and FTC jointly announced six cease and desist letters to alleged delta-8 product makers. You can access the letters here. Unlike prior rounds of warning letters, these letters have a new focus: harm to children. For nearly five years, the FDA and FTC have taken the position that CBD

cannabis investment

Cannabis Investment and the NBA

In case you missed it, professional players on teams in the National Basketball Association are getting a free and clear opportunity to take advantage of the cannabis industry through cannabis investments. As a former D-1 college athlete, I’m glad to see the NBA not only remove cannabis from its list of banned substances but also