“The USDA has incorrectly, in my view, sought to impose this DEA certification program on hemp testing labs,” Mondry said “I think ending that requirement would help end the bottleneck at this testing level and allow the hemp CBD industry to scale up. That’s just one way to do that.”

Arguably, the FDA has no jurisdiction over smokable hemp at all, says Harris Sliwoski Attorney Jesse Mondry in Hemp Grower’s January issue.

“The last year has seen a significant uptick in hemp-related litigation in nearly all phases of the industry,” from contract disputes to federal action against cannabidiol (CBD) health claims, Jesse Mondry, an attorney with international law firm Harris Sliwoski, tells Hemp Grower. Lawsuits involving hemp businesses have surfaced throughout the U.S. with hundreds of thousands to an excess of $1 billion at stake.