Posts by Josh LeBaron

Congress’ legalization of hemp products, including most CBD, in December is forcing the FDA to consider writing new rules — and casting a cloud of uncertainty over the emerging industry. The absence of clear regulations has cities and states, even ones that have legalized forms of marijuana, pulling products off shelves and levying fines against establishments that sell CBD-infused food and beverages.

Link to story: https://cnb.cx/2TcKDUD

Conflicting federal and state marijuana laws put financial institutions and regulators in “a very difficult position,” the U.S.’s top central banking official said on Tuesday.

Link to story: http://bit.ly/2HD3YMC

How is it possible for California’s cannabis industry to be struggling so badly? The most likely answer appears to be the state’s marijuana taxes.

Link to story: http://bit.ly/2Y5uaF9

With so many new products flooding the cannabis market these past few years, it’s more important than ever before to make sure your own brand stands out amongst the crowd. It’s imperative that your product establishes a brand identity as soon as possible to attract loyal customers, break into the business, and survive in the competitive legal cannabis industry.

Link to story: http://bit.ly/2Y33SDB

Hemp’s been legalized and CBD products are trending. States are pulling in hundreds of millions in tax revenues from legal cannabis sales. At the same time, Federal restrictions still keep business operators in legal limbo and bans on medical cannabis research means US companies are lagging companies in countries like Israel where those studies are legal.

Here, senior cannabis executives weigh in on what keeps them up at night and what they hope for in the coming year.

Link to story: http://bit.ly/2Jx92EX

Most Americans live in states where marijuana is legally available in some form. But there’s a problem when it comes to banks: Most don’t want anything to do with money from the cannabis industry for fear it could expose them to legal trouble from the federal government, which still considers marijuana illegal.

In a sign of progress, bank officials and others urged Congress on Wednesday to fully open the doors of the U.S. banking system to the legal marijuana industry, a change that supporters say would reduce crime risks and resolve a litany of challenges for cannabis companies, from paying taxes to getting a loan.

Link to story: https://fxn.ws/2Na7hLP

State lawmakers in both chambers filed legislation last week that would end cannabis prohibition in Maryland.

SB0771, sponsored by Sen. William C. Smith, Jr., and HB0656, sponsored by Del. Eric Luedtke, would make cannabis legal for adults 21 and older and establish a system in which cannabis is regulated and taxed for adult use. Past convictions for cannabis possession and cultivation would be automatically expunged.

Link to story: http://bit.ly/2T0SkRy

An international standards organization has added two new specifications to assist in the processing and handling of marijuana.
Because the cannabis industry is in its early stages, it lacks many established, commonly accepted standards, leaving businesses without clear guidelines or ground rules found in other industries.

Link to story: http://bit.ly/2Efm9G3

The driver of a truck for Big Sky Scientific, a CBD company based in Colorado, was recently stopped and arrested in Idaho with 6,701 pounds of hemp the company purchased in Oregon. There is still a lot of confusion out there on the difference between hemp and marijuana, federal and sate laws, and percentages of THC allowed by law in certain states. Keeping an eye on this story to see how things get sorted out.

Link to story: https://cnn.it/2BJ84yR

With a new Democratic majority in the U.S. House, the movement of cannabis bills in committee is expected to be smoother. The first sign of a more receptive Congress in 2019 will come when the House Financial Services Committee takes up a draft of the SAFE Banking Act, expected Feb. 13.

Link to story: http://bit.ly/2MRP8SX