Tag: Hemp

  • California Governor Proposes Total Hemp THC Ban

    California Governor Proposes Total Hemp THC Ban

    Credit: Promesa art studio

    Gov. Gavin Newsom fired a direct attack Friday on the booming hemp industry, filing emergency rules that would completely ban THC — an intoxicating compound found in cannabis — from hemp products in the state.

    Hemp products are sold outside of regulated cannabis stores and can be purchased online or at retail locations like gas stations throughout the state. Newsom said in a statement Friday that the emergency rules were needed to protect children, media reports state.

    “We will not sit on our hands as drug peddlers target our children with dangerous and unregulated hemp products containing THC at our retail stores,” Newsom said. “We’re taking action to close loopholes and increase enforcement to prevent children from accessing these dangerous hemp and cannabis products.”

    The emergency rules would require that all hemp products in California have “no detectable amount of total THC ” and that customers be over 21 to purchase them. The rules still need the approval of the California Office of Administrative Law before they go into effect.

    Reg title: DPH-24-005E-Emergency Regulations for Serving Size, Age, and Intoxicating Cannabinoids for Industrial Hemp has been proposed. Click here to read the proposed regulations. Click here to read the “Finding of Emergency” on which they are based. 

    Most notably, under the proposed regulations the definition of “THC” is expanded to include “THC or comparable cannabinoids” and adds over 30 cannabinoids to the list of “THC”. Additionally, the amount of THC allowed in a serving is “no detectable amount.”

    Cannabis attorney Rod Kight said, “This is an “all hands on deck” moment for the entire cannabis industry to stop this nonsense. If you have business interests in California, stop what you’re doing and call the Governor’s office and your state representatives now.”

  • Research Grant to Study Biopesticides for Hemp

    Research Grant to Study Biopesticides for Hemp

    Credit: Mex Chriss

    The economic importance of hemp is increasing globally and in the United States. However, because federal laws restricted hemp growth and research until recently, commercial hemp production lacks best practices for cultivation, including effective and safe pest and disease management.

    The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research’s (FFAR) Hemp Research Consortium is providing Cornell University with a $210,000 grant to identify biologically derived crop protection products—biopesticides—to control hemp’s major pest and disease threats.

    BioWorks and the University of Kentucky (UK) are participating in the research, and BioWorks is providing matching funds for a total investment of $420,000.

    “Research on hemp production is still in its infancy, and pests and disease can be an overwhelming challenge for many growers,” said Kathy Munkvold, FFAR scientific program director. “This project is providing actionable knowledge that will help the hemp production industry thrive.”

    Companies developing crop protection products currently focus on fruit, vegetable, and commodity crops such as corn and soy, rather than newer crops like hemp. This project seeks to fill that gap through a partnership between academic institutions and industry, according to a press release.

    Researchers at Cornell, BioWorks and UK, led by Christine Smart, director of Cornell AgriTech, are determining the effectiveness of biopesticides against several hemp diseases and investigating the tolerance of hemp crops to these products.

    They are also studying the compatibility of biopesticides with other crop protection products used in hemp production. In addition, the team is examining how long the microbes in bioproducts remain on the plant, which is important for product application timing and post-harvest hemp microbial testing required for some hemp products.

    The research will broaden the understanding of how to effectively manage the pests and diseases that undermine hemp production and inform recommendations for controlling those threats. Ultimately, growers will save money through the proper use of inputs and higher crop yield, and consumers will gain more comprehensive access to safe, high-quality hemp products, according to a press release.

    “Hemp growers are looking for information on pest and disease control, and I am enthusiastic that this project will enable improved management strategies,” said Smart.

    To learn more about this grant, visit the Evaluating Biopesticides for the Treatment of Hemp page on FFAR’s website.

  • Industrial Sabotage

    Industrial Sabotage

    Credit: Stock Photo Pro

    The Mary Miller Amendment will kill the hemp industry, including its industrial sector.

    By Rod Kight, Jonathan Miller and Chris Fontes

    When the Mary Miller Amendment (MMA) passed the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, I wrote an article about how it is specifically designed to kill the hemp cannabinoid industry. Unfortunately, and even though this industry generated $28 billion in revenue last year, there are groups that want it dead, including a small cartel of marijuana corporate conglomerates who seek to destroy the hemp industry so they can control the entire cannabis supply chain to the exclusion of small hemp businesses.

    In addition to deploying millions of dollars into lobbying efforts to shut down the hemp industry, these conglomerates have launched a massive disinformation campaign about hemp products and child safety that is largely bereft of substantive factual support.

    But that’s not all. In addition to killing the hemp cannabinoid industry, the MMA will also kill the industrial hemp industry. Aside from the marijuana cartel, there are others who do not care about the hemp cannabinoid industry but who do care about industrial hemp. These groups are fine with the MMA because, to their understanding, it does not impact “industrial” hemp. This view is not only incorrect, but it is a direct result of the disinformation campaign referenced above. To be clear, the MMA will kill all hemp, including “industrial hemp.” This is because the MMA does the following:

    • It changes the definition of “hemp” so that total THC must not exceed 0.3 percent. Some people have argued that the MMA merely codifies current U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy in measuring THC in the field. That’s not true because the MMA goes well beyond measuring THC in the field to making a sweeping change to the current definition of “hemp” in the Farm Bill. Contrary to popular belief, THCa, the nonpsychoactive precursor to THC, is not mentioned in the Farm Bill’s definition of hemp. Importantly, it is not part of the legal “metric” for determining whether cannabis material is lawful “hemp.” In fact, the opposite is true. The current definition of hemp specifically includes its “acids.” (THCa is one of many acids the plant produces. The “a” in THCA stands for “acid.”) The only statutory reference to THCa in the Farm Bill is via an inference.

    The Farm Bill directs the USDA to use a “post-decarboxylation” method to test hemp in the field. This means that a hemp crop cannot be harvested unless it passes a total THC test, which accounts for the THCa concentration. In other words, even though THCa is never mentioned in the Farm Bill, it is implied by virtue of the required post-decarboxylation test that must take place before a hemp crop can be harvested. Once this test is passed, the hemp crop may be harvested. Thereafter, the concentration of THCa is irrelevant and, under the Farm Bill, the sole metric to distinguish between lawful hemp and unlawful marijuana is the concentration of delta-9 THC, not THCa. This is a critical point since most harvested hemp crops would fail if the THCa concentration was included as the compliance metric in defining harvested hemp, something that the MMA would require. Notably, grain crops require late flowering and will have no legal pathway if the MMA becomes law and “total THC,” rather than delta-9 THC, becomes the new legal compliance standard.

    • It excludes viable seeds from the definition of “hemp” when they come from a plant with total THC that exceeds 0.3 percent, even though cannabis seeds contain almost no THC, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration itself considers them to be lawful. Notably, all grains, including hemp seeds, are “viable” before they are rendered nonviable.
    Credit: 24K Productions

    As discussed above, the MMA’s requirement that all post-harvest material pass a post-decarboxylation test would deem all hemp seeds from such plants to be Schedule 1 controlled substances. Given that as much as 88 percent of harvested hemp plants fail a total THC test and are illegal marijuana under the MMA, the grain market will collapse if the MMA is enacted into law. I should note that this specific provision has nothing to do with health, safety or anything else along those lines. Rather, it is solely about consolidating power in the hands of a few corporate marijuana conglomerates who perceive all competition, even from hobbyist home growers, as a threat to their bottom lines.  

    • It excludes “quantifiable amounts” of THC, including THCa, from the definition of “hemp.” Hemp is cannabis. It is not some other species of plant. One of the most notable and fundamental characteristics of the cannabis plant is that it expresses THC. By eliminating all THC, the MMA would render all hemp, including industrial hemp, a Schedule 1 controlled substance since ALL hemp plants express THC in quantifiable amounts.

    The founder of one of the top cannabis laboratories in the country informed me that his lab can detect THC at levels down to picograms per milliliter (0.0001). This roughly equates to a drop of THC in an Olympic-sized pool. Moreover, even if an industrial hemp plant could be grown with no quantifiable amounts of THC, the fiber market is not currently viable enough on its own to support an industry. It does not produce sufficient revenue to support testing labs, regulators’ budgets or the bottom lines of most businesses. Given time, this will change, but only if the entire hemp industry is allowed to survive and thrive.

    Rod Kight

    The MMA pulls the rug out from underneath the multibillion-dollar hemp industry that Congress created in 2018. This includes the grain and fiber sectors. Even though the MMA is promoted as an effort to close the so-called hemp loophole, what it will really do is kill the entire legal hemp industry while giving away billions of dollars to the illegal marijuana industry. If Congress truly believed that hemp products constitute a public health crisis, then it would have enacted legislation requiring the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or another federal agency to oversee it many years ago. The fact that it hasn’t done this belies the shrill cries of concern of the marijuana cartel’s disinformation campaign that mask its true intent to destroy its hemp competitor.

    Moreover, there are better ways to address safety than by killing the hemp industry, including by promulgating regulations that prohibit access by minors, mandating quality control in production and standardizing labeling so adults can make educated decisions about what products they choose to purchase. These three regulatory zones, what I call the “Three Pillars,” have been addressed in hemp industry-sponsored bills in state legislatures throughout the country, many of which have been defeated due to intense lobbying against them by the marijuana industry.

    Finally, for proponents of “industrial” uses for hemp who also think that it is OK to give the illegal corporate marijuana cartel a giveaway while destroying thousands of legal small businesses, be aware that MMA will kill the entire hemp industry, including the industrial sector that they purport to support. 

    Rod Kight is an attorney who represents businesses in the hemp industry.Jonathan Miller is general counsel to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable. Chris Fontes is president of the U.S. Hemp Authority.

  • FDA Issues Warning Letters for Delta-8 THC Foods

    FDA Issues Warning Letters for Delta-8 THC Foods

    Credit: FDA

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warning letters to five companies for illegally selling copycat food products containing delta-8 THC and introducing them into the marketplace in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).

    The warning letters were issued to: Hippy Mood, Earthly Hemps, Shamrockshrooms.com, Mary Janes Bakery Co. LLC and Life Leaf Medical CBD Center. The FDA also issued a warning letter independently to the company GrowGod LLC for the same FD&C Act violations. 

    These warnings are part of the FDA and FTC’s ongoing joint effort to take action against companies selling illegal copycat food products containing delta-8 THC. In June 2023, the two agencies worked together to warn six other companies about selling edible food products containing delta-8 THC in packaging that could easily be confused for foods sold by popular national brands.

    All six of those companies no longer have such products in stock.

    “Inadequate or confusing labeling can result in children or unsuspecting adults consuming products with strong resemblance to popular snacks and candies that contain delta-8 THC without realizing it,” said FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Namandjé Bumpus. “As accidental ingestion and/or overconsumption of delta-8 THC containing products could pose considerable health risks, the companies who sell these illegal products are demonstrating complete neglect for consumer safety.

    “The FDA will continue to work to safeguard the health and safety of U.S. consumers by monitoring the marketplace and taking action when companies sell products that present a threat to public health.”

    In June 2022, the FDA warned consumers about children accidentally ingesting food products containing delta-8 THC. From Jan. 1, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2023, the FDA received over 300 adverse event reports involving children and adults who consumed delta-8 THC products.

    Nearly half of these reports involved hospitalization or emergency department visits, and approximately two-thirds of these adverse events followed ingestion of delta-8 THC-containing food products such as candy or brownies. Adverse events included, but were not limited to, hallucinations, vomiting, tremors, anxiety, dizziness, confusion, and loss of consciousness.

  • Italy Again Labels CBD as Narcotic, Defies EU Law

    Italy Again Labels CBD as Narcotic, Defies EU Law

    Credit: Cloudy Design

    The Italian government has placed CBD on the country’s list of narcotic drugs in defiance of a regional administrative court ruling and in contravention of European Union law.

    The Ministry of Health said the designation is in line with Italian Presidential Decree 309/1990, the cornerstone of drug legislation in Italy. However, that contradicts a ruling by a regional court last year, which was based on a legally binding ruling applicable across the European Union.

    The attack on CBD is only the latest move by the Italian government. The Ministry of Health first classified CBD as a narcotic and banned the compound from the market in October 2020 – only to rescind the order shortly thereafter, according to media reports.

    Later, in a separate attempt in early 2022, the State-Regions Conference – a platform for dialogue and cooperation between the central and regional governments – updated language in a 2018 decree to classify hemp as strictly a medicinal plant.

    In that case, four cannabis associations filed suit, and one year later, the decree was annulled by the Regional Administrative Tribunal of Lazio, which ruled it violated European law.

  • U.S. State Attorneys General Want Action on Hemp

    U.S. State Attorneys General Want Action on Hemp

    A bipartisan group of 20 state attorneys general are imploring Congress to take action to address a looming public health “crisis” due to the burgeoning multibillion-dollar market for intoxicating hemp products.

    Congress legalized hemp under the 2018 farm bill, touting it as a boon for struggling farmers. However, the market has become increasingly dominated by what some call “intoxicating products” that are largely unregulated and often sold at gas stations and convenience stores.

    “The reality is that this law has unleashed on our states a flood of products that are nothing less than a more potent form of cannabis, often in candy form that is made attractive to youth and children — with staggering levels of potency, no regulation, no oversight, and a limited capability for our offices to rein them in,” reads the letter, shared exclusively with POLITICO, which was sent to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate agriculture committees.

    Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, both Republicans, led the letter. But it also includes many notable Democrats, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser.

    The attorneys general are calling on federal lawmakers to address the issue in the next farm bill, which has been repeatedly pushed back potentially to 2025. They want Congress to alter the definition of hemp under federal law—currently cannabis with no more than 0.3 percent Delta-9 THC—although they don’t provide any specific recommendations for how it should be changed. In addition, they want federal lawmakers to clarify that states have the authority to regulate and restrict hemp and other cannabinoids.

  • Legal Insight

    Legal Insight

    Credit: Federico Magonio

    By Jean Gonnell, Christina Sava and Nicholas Ramos (Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders Tobacco and Cannabis Team)

    Across the United States hemp products seem to be everywhere. From corner stores to spas, one can find a hemp- or CBD-infused version of almost anything. Hemp and its derivatives are found in foods, cosmetics, hand-rolled cigarettes and vape pens. A new category of “intoxicating hemp products,” such as delta-8 THC products, have taken the hemp industry by storm. Although the market is vast, the regulatory landscape contains many pitfalls. Potential market entrants must carefully research the applicable laws, and take into account any federal-level risks, before deciding to invest in a hemp or hemp-derived products venture. This article reviews the legal status of hemp-derived products, including smokable hemp products, at the state and federal levels.

    Marijuana and Hemp

    Marijuana and hemp come from the same plant: Cannabis sativa L., or “cannabis” for short. Cannabis has a long history of industrial and medicinal uses, and only a short history of prohibition, which we now see unraveling. “Hemp” is the common term for cannabis with a concentration of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) of .3% and under, while “marijuana” is used to mean cannabis with a delta-9 THC concentration over .3%.  Marijuana remains a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). Hemp production, on the other hand, was legalized by the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, or 2018 Farm Bill. At that time, Congress removed “hemp” and “tetrahydrocannabinols in hemp” from the CSA’s definition of “marijuana.” Specifically, the 2018 Farm Bill defined “hemp” as “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis.” 7 U.S.C. § 1639o.

    So, although they are technically the same plant, hemp and marijuana fall under completely different regulatory regimes, with a single cannabinoid – delta-9 THC – determining whether a cannabis plant or product is hemp or marijuana.

    THC, CBD, and Other Cannabinoids

    There are over 100 cannabinoids found in cannabis. Perhaps the most well-known of these are cannabidiol, or CBD, and delta-9 THC. CBD is considered non-psychoactive and generally prized for its therapeutic potential. Delta-9 THC has long been recognized as the cannabinoid that causes users to feel “high.” Since the 2018 Farm Bill, however, other psychoactive THCs, such as delta-8 and delta-10 THC, have been identified in cannabis. The “high” produced by delta-8 THC has been described as partway between THC and CBD, with relaxing body effects and a less-potent “head-high,” while delta-10 has been described as producing a more cerebral high akin to sativa strains of marijuana.

    So why the boom in delta-8 and delta-10 THC products now? They can be derived from hemp. Although found in much lower quantities in hemp than other cannabinoids, manufacturers have found ways to chemically convert hemp-derived CBD into delta-8 and delta-10 THC. Even delta-9 THC is being converted from CBD, and manufacturers are adjusting product ratios to remain within the .3% limit. The Cannabis Regulators Association has called this the “0.3% loophole” and stated: “While the threshold of 0.3% delta-9 THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) by weight is a small amount of THC in a hemp plant, when applied to hemp-derived products (e.g., chocolate bars, beverages, etc.) which can weigh significantly more, 0.3% by weight can amount to hundreds of milligrams of THC. For example, a 50-gram chocolate bar at 0.3% THC would have around 150 mg of THC (30 times the standard 5 mg THC dose established by the National Institute on Drug Abuse).”[1]

    The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) more or less gave the hemp-derived delta-8 industry a green light in a September 2021 letter to the Alabama Board of Pharmacy. The Board of Pharmacy inquired as to the control status of delta-8 THC under the CSA. DEA concluded that “cannabinoids extracted from the cannabis plant that have a [delta-9]-THC concentration of not more than 0.3 percent meet the definition of ‘hemp’ and thus are not controlled under the CSA.” Thus, so long as delta-8, delta-10, and other extracts are derived from a cannabis plant with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC, they constitute “hemp,” which is federally legal.

    Notably, “synthetic tetrahydrocannabinols” remain a schedule I substance under the CSA. Some argue that because delta-8 and delta-10 are produced through a form of synthesis, they are Schedule I “synthetic tetrahydrocannabinols.” Regardless of this argument’s merit, this is not the position DEA has taken thus far, and we do not see any indication that they will suddenly take this position in the near future.

    FDA Enforcement and the Future of CBD Regulation

    Nonetheless, hemp-derived CBD and THC products are still not legal to be sold as a drug, dietary supplement, or food, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To the extent a manufacturer markets its delta-8 (or CBD) products as intended to affect the structure or any function of a consumer’s body, FDA’s position is that the product is an unapproved drug. In addition, “food” (almost anything edible that is not an approved drug or lawful dietary supplement) may not contain unapproved additives. Any form of CBD and THC are not approved food additives.

    FDA has also concluded that THC and CBD products cannot be marketed as dietary supplements, because the definition of “dietary supplement” excludes active ingredients that have been approved as drugs or have been authorized for investigation as a new drug. THC and CBD are both active ingredients in at least one FDA-approved drug. Other parts of the hemp plant that do not contain THC or CBD might be available for use as dietary supplements, so long as manufacturers abide by related requirements, including notifying FDA.

    And, FDA is watching the marketplace closely and taking enforcement action where it sees fit. FDA has issued numerous warning letters to companies selling hemp-derived CBD and THC products with impermissible health or therapeutic claims; for misbranding, such as lacking adequate directions for use; and for using these cannabinoids as an unapproved additive in foods, such as gummies, chocolate, caramels, chewing gum, and peanut brittle. The agency has also published a general health warning for delta-8 products.

    Industry and regulators alike have been anticipating some kind of regulatory action by FDA, but it appears this is yet far off. In January of this year, FDA determined that it does not have the appropriate regulatory pathway to regulate CBD products and called on Congress to pass legislation creating a new pathway separate from the food, drug, or dietary supplement pathway. Despite this regulatory uncertainty, sales of CBD products in the U.S. continue and could reach as high as $20 billion by 2025.

    States and Hemp-Derived Products

    Given the lack of federal standards and delta-8 and delta-10 (and likely other THCs’) psychoactive effects, state lawmakers are taking action to regulate products containing these extracts. At least 22 states have restricted or banned the sale of delta-8 THC products, while others are in the process of reviewing the cannabinoid’s status. One common way states are doing this is by limiting the total concentration of THC a product can have, rather than mirroring federal law and limiting only delta-9 THC concentrations. In Colorado, lawmakers have passed SB23-271, which goes further and actually classifies nonintoxicating cannabinoids, potentially intoxicating cannabinoids, and intoxicating cannabinoids. Products will be regulated according to which category of cannabinoids they contain.

     In many states, a “ban” actually means that these products will only be available in licensed cannabis dispensaries where regulators can more easily track their production and sale, ensure that the products pass required contaminant testing, and prevent the products from being sold to minors. Retailers and manufacturers of hemp derived products, especially those wanting to sell nation-wide, must be diligent in tracking state by state restrictions on hemp-derived products.

    Smokable Hemp

    Smokable hemp, although it receives less attention than other forms of hemp products, is a major driver of hemp product sales. Smokable hemp is hemp flowers after they have been manicured and dried. Smokable hemp can be sold as “buds” or in pre-rolled hemp cigarettes. This hemp looks and smells a lot like traditional marijuana but is not psychoactive. While some users may feel a mild mellowing effect, most do not feel “high” after smoking hemp. This may be why smokable hemp is the only hemp product category that has experienced wholesale price increases over time.

    The legal status of smokable hemp, however, also varies from state to state. Smokable hemp is illegal for sale in a handful of states, including Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky and Massachusetts. Other states do not place any restriction on its sales.

    New York has banned hemp flower products that are “clearly labeled or advertised for the purpose of smoking or in the form of a cigarette, cigar or pre-roll.” California does not currently permit the sale of any “inhalable hemp” products, however labeled, having passed a law that prohibits the sale of such products until a tax on the products has been enacted. No such tax is yet in effect.

    ***

    Given the above, it is not safe to assume that your hemp product is legal for sale because hemp is federally legally. It is important for retailers and manufacturers to be aware of the laws that apply to the types of hemp products they are selling. Although the DEA has been hands-off since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, FDA oversees all foods, drugs, and dietary supplements in the U.S. and maintains that THC and CBD, even though hemp derived, may not be added to foods and dietary supplements, or marketed as drugs. FDA does not oversee inhalable substances generally, and thus has not released statements related to the legality of smokable hemp. Smokable hemp may be a good market entry point, especially for manufacturers and retailers already familiar with highly-regulated inhalable products.  

    Troutman Pepper’s Cannabis Practice provides advice on issues related to applicable state law. Cannabis remains an illegal controlled substance under federal law. Its attorneys are available to provide more information about these opportunities.

    [1] See https://www.cann-ra.org/news-events/sx2s63c2fudq9n0zmk4ekviku9747f.

  • Sunsoil CEO Sets Sights on Price Cuts for Cannabis

    Sunsoil CEO Sets Sights on Price Cuts for Cannabis

    Credit: Sunsoil

    Sunsoil, the largest CBD and hemp company in Vermont and the fifth largest in the United States, is the only U.S. CBD company to do everything on-site — from farming to production, to manufacturing and distribution.

    The company is also the only FDA-certified organic hemp company to do everything by hand. Sunsoil’s new CEO, Bharat Ayyar, said he believes doing the process this way lends itself to better products and cheaper prices.

    Ayyar has only been CEO for a few weeks, and in his new role, he has continued to prioritize the same intentions that got the company to where it is now, according to MYNBC5.

    “If you’re using it [CBD] every day and buying from other brands, it could cost you over $100 a month, which is wild,” Ayyar said. “A lot of people can’t afford that, and so our goal is really to cut the price of CBD.”

    He continued on to share that the company has taken on a goal to cut down its prices by 80 percent over the next five years. Ayyar said the company is “well on our way to doing that” and has already cut down their prices by 40 percent since January.

    Ayyar also wants to clear up any misconceptions people might have about CBD and raise awareness about the wide range of people it can help. He said it’s something he had already witnessed in his own life, after converting his parents to using Sunsoil’s products.

  • Former BAT Group Head to Lead Charlotte’s Web Board

    Former BAT Group Head to Lead Charlotte’s Web Board

    Credit: Opolja

    Charlotte’s Web Holdings, a supplier of cannabidiol (CBD) hemp extract wellness products, has appointed Jonathan P. Atwood to the company’s board of directors, according to PR Newswire. Atwood is currently the group head of business communications for BAT and is responsible for BAT’s external, internal and corporate brand communications. Atwood was designated as a board nominee by BAT in connection with its November purchase of convertible debenture in Charlotte’s Web.

    Atwood held senior management positions at Unilever, most recently leading global supply chain communications. Prior to that, he led sustainability and corporate communications for Unilever North America. Atwood is an advocate of sustainability and has worked closely with B Corps companies.

    Charlotte’s Web is the only publicly traded CBD B Corp-certified company.

    “We welcome Jonathan as a valuable addition to the board where he can support our international and sustainability ambitions. We look forward to working closely together on our mutually shared interests,” said John Held, chairman of the board of Charlotte’s Web.

    Atwood’s appointment brings the total number of directors on the Charlotte’s Web board to six.

    Last year, Charlotte’s Web Holdings Inc. became the first company to score a CBD sponsorship with Major League Baseball.

  • Hong Kong Makes First CBD Arrest Since Start of Ban

    Hong Kong Makes First CBD Arrest Since Start of Ban

    Credit: Proxima Studio

    Customs officers have made Hong Kong’s first arrest over cannabidiol (CBD) products after taking a clubhouse worker into custody when he showed up to collect a parcel from Denmark containing two bottles of the recently banned oil.

    Officers found two more used bottles of the same CBD skin oil and four grams of cannabis buds from the man’s locker at the clubhouse of a residence in Yau Ma Tei on Wednesday, according to SCMP.

    Combined with the banned CBD product, the haul was worth about HK$5,000 ($637).

    The case was the first such arrest and seizure since CBD was added to the Dangerous Drug Ordinance, according to Isaac Tsang Yau-chuen, a senior investigator from the customs airport investigation division.