Sportscaster Jim McKay famously said that “our greatest hopes and worst fears are seldom realized.” When the federal government enacted a law that, on its face, would essentially eradicate the consumable hemp industry in America, my first reaction was great sadness for those I had gotten to know in the industry and those millions of
Shock. Grief. Dismay. Desperation. Just a few of the emotions I have encountered during countless phone calls and meetings with stakeholders in the hemp industry since the federal government enacted a law that would essentially ban all of the consumable hemp industry.
I have heard for years that Congress needed to “close the loophole” created
The Traveling Wilburys – perhaps the musical supergroup most aligned with the mood and spirit of the Budding Trends blog – tell us that it’s all right to live the life you please. The state of Alabama, however, has determined that the End of the Line for unregulated consumable hemp is January 1, 2026.
As
You’re awake. This is real. Yes, the federal government just passed a law that, if it goes into effect in its current form in a year, will essentially destroy the non-industrial hemp industry as it exists today. So now what?
I suspect it will take some longer than others to process the shock. While anti-hemp
Touting Medicare’s coverage of cannabidiol (CBD) for seniors as “the most important senior health initiative of the century,” President Trump provided a huge boost for the hemp industry as Congress debates the language of the next Farm Bill.
While CBD is simply one of the cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, it is an important part
This past summer, a collection of hemp companies in Charm City Hemp, LLC asked a Maryland federal court for a preliminary injunction halting aspects of Maryland’s cannabis licensing scheme (the term cannabis encompassing both recreational marijuana and hemp). Specifically, plaintiffs alleged that Maryland is wrongly requiring hemp producers to acquire a “recreational cannabis license.” That
For the past eight months, cannabis operators and consumers in Texas — and nationwide — have closely watched the state’s hemp debate. As the second most populous state, Texas’ approach to consumable hemp is seen as a bellwether: How it regulates testing, labeling, and youth access could shape not only neighboring states’ policies but
You want a safe workplace and have adopted a Drug Free Workplace policy. You may even have government contracts that require you to drug test your employees. How does the brave new world of legalized marijuana, medical marijuana, and CBD products fit in? The answer, like many legal questions, depends. However, in Flannery v. Peco
As Congress considers the future of the American hemp industry in debates over the next Farm Bill, I’m reminded of these wise words that apply to almost any circumstance where you find yourself vulnerable and similarly situated to a similarly vulnerable person: “You don’t have to run faster than the bear to get away. You
During the course of the most recent session when the Alabama Legislature gutted Alabama’s consumable hemp program, I had the opportunity to hear from certain individuals with thoughtful, nuanced views on the pros and cons of the availability of consumable hemp in Alabama. I think there are reasonable positions on both sides of the issue