The enactment of the 2018 Farm Bill and the legalization of hemp and hemp derivatives, including cannabidiol (“CBD”), has led to a massive CBD craze in the United States. The highly coveted cannabinoid is infused with everything: bath bombs, dog treats and even workout clothes (yes, workout clothes!). According to a recent study by Cowen, the […]

Nobody could have predicted the situation that the cannabis industry now finds itself in. Just a few months ago, it looked like there were challenging financial issues for many cannabis businesses across the country. Now, many states that have imposed coronavirus lockdowns have declared cannabis businesses to be essential so that they can stay open, […]

Last year, the European Union reclassified extracts of Cannabis sativa L. and derived products containing cannabinoids, including CBD, as a “Novel Food” under the EU Novel Food Catalogue. The reclassification was based on the lack of demonstrated history of human consumption of these extracts and of any product to which they might be added. Indeed, […]

Last week, Vince Sliwoski wrote a post titled “Cannabis and Coronavirus: What Your Business Should Do Right Now” offering some high-level thoughts on how to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on cannabis businesses. One of the topics included reviewing contracts, regarding which Vince said: Pull these out and dust them off, whether it’s a lease, loan […]

We were pushing hard for this. On March 21, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control sent the following email notifying cannabis licensees that they may continue operating despite the state’s lockdown order: On Thursday, March 19, 2020 Governor Gavin Newsom issued a stay at home order to protect the health and well-being of all Californians […]

COVID-19 has affected almost every aspect of American life, including the business and financial sectors. The cannabis industry is no exception. Many questions still loom for cannabis businesses and investors during this uncertain time. Examples include: regulatory compliance the ability to stay open (and what constitutes an “essential business”) contract enforceability employment issues local, state, […]

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) legalized hemp by removing the crop and its derivatives from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and by providing a detailed framework for the cultivation of hemp. The 2018 Farm Bill gives the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulatory authority over hemp […]

On March 5, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a report to Congress on how the agency intends to regulate hemp-derived CBD (Hemp CBD). The report was accompanied by a press release from the FDA. The report states that the FDA will continue to work on a regulatory framework for Hemp CBD but […]

At 5:30 p.m. yesterday, California Governor Gavin Newsom took a giant step forward in preventing the spread of COVID-19 by enacting a “Stay At Home” order (the “Order”) across the state, mandating that California state residents remain in their homes, except to fulfill “essential” needs. The Order is in place seemingly indefinitely as Newsom would […]

On behalf of everyone at Harris Bricken, our hearts go out to all those impacted by COVID-19 around the world — not only those diagnosed with the virus, but also their friends and family and those whose work, education, and way of life have been affected. Our top priority, as always, is the health and […]