We get a ton of questions about whether it’s legal to import hemp into the U.S. It’s a complicated question without a clear answer. We do know that the Drug Enforcement Administration has confirmed that the importation of cannabis plant material that falls outside of the Controlled Substance Act’s definition of “marihuana” (e.g., the mature
Last week, the departing Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, released a statement in which he announced that the agency, in collaboration with the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), had issued warning letters to three CBD manufacturers: Advanced Spine and Pain LLC (d/b/a Relievus), Nutra Pure LLC and PotNetwork Holdings Inc.. The letters were sent “in response to
In the last few weeks, two major drugstores publicly announced that they will start carrying products containing hemp-derived cannabidiol (“Hemp-CBD“). Both CVS and Walgreens announced that CBD topicals would be available in their stores, in a select number of states. Notably, both drug store chains limited products to non-ingestible topicals. Dr. Scott Gottleib, the outgoing head
On April 2, 2019, the federal Food & Drug Administration (“FDA”) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb issued a press release on hemp and hemp-derived cannabidiol (“Hemp CBD”). This is Gottlieb’s first major official press release since the now infamous December 20, 2018 press release which came just hours after the 2018 Farm Bill passed. In that December 20 press
During a recent interview with the Brookings Institution, Scott Gottlieb, the departing head of the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), explained it would take several years for the agency to come up with rules that would legalize the use of hemp-derived cannabidiol (Hemp-CBD) in food products, unless Congress steps in. Gottlieb acknowledged the strong interest
Recently the United States Post Office (“USPS”) issued an advisory on “Acceptance Criteria for Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil and Products Containing CBD.” Those criteria are as follows: 1. A signed self certification statement, subject to the False Statements Act (18 U.S.C. § 1001). Statements must be printed on the mailer’s own letterhead, must be signed by
We advise some of the largest companies in the U.S. on hemp-derived cannabidiol (hemp-CBD) products. Those companies are filled with lawyers, and the lawyers have many specializations. Most of them, however, have little or no familiarity with hemp-CBD, and that is why they reach out and hire us. In the preliminary emails and phone calls,
Our California hemp lawyers have been getting pummeled with questions about the legality of industrial hemp derived cannabidiol (“Hemp CBD”) ever since the 2018 Farm Bill was signed in January. One of the most frequent questions we receive is whether CBD is a lawful additive in foods. The answer is often no depending on the
Our California hemp lawyers regularly get asked about the laws and regulations about growing hemp in California, manufacturing hemp products, and shipping those products around the country. I’ve written about the various hemp laws in California and how confusing they are previously (see here and here). Those posts, however, were more geared towards the manufacture
In the last few weeks, we have received a growing number of inquiries pertaining to the legality of smokable products infused with cannabidiol derived from industrial hemp (“CBD Smokables”), including vape pens and pre-rolled hemp flower joints. This post provides a brief overview of the current legal status of these products. As we have discussed
