TG Branfalt

Despite the 2018 federal legalization of industrial hemp, banks are still hesitant to work with hemp-derived CBD companies, many of whom have lost their credit card processing capabilities in recent months.

Cannabis possession convictions have been overturned for five prisoners by a California Court of Appeals. The ruling effectively legalizes cannabis possession for inmates, though consumption while incarcerated remains a felony.

Oregon lawmakers have advanced legislation that would let cannabis operators in the state export their extra product to neighboring states with cannabis programs. The proposal, however, will require federal government approval before cross-state sales can begin.

Australian researchers are seeking 300 participants for a years-long trial investigating the effectiveness of CBD as a treatment for veterans suffering from PTSD.

Harborside Inc. officially started trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange on Monday, marking the company’s successful transition into a public equity firm.

UC Riverside researchers have received a $744,000 grant to research the long-term impact of cannabis use on metabolic disorders like Type 2 diabetes.

The New York Farm Bureau has announced its support for pending legislation to legalize adult-use cannabis. The legislation would give farmers priority consideration for cannabis cultivation licenses.

Grocery store chain Kroger has begun selling CBD topicals at its stores in 17 states, joining a growing trend of traditional corporate retailers who are embracing CBD products since hemp was federally legalized last year.

Recent polling data suggests that a strong 55 percent majority of New Yorkers support cannabis legalization, including an overwhelming 75 percent of young voters.

The Oregon House of Representatives has approved a measure easing the expungement process for low-level cannabis crimes, removing fees associated with the process and lowering ID requirements.

New Mexico has added six new conditions to the qualifying conditions list for the state’s medical cannabis program. The added conditions include opioid addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and three neurological disorders.

A Minnesota hemp farmer is suing the state to protect his business and current hemp crop after police say they found hemp products from his farm containing THC that exceeded the 0.3 percent industrial hemp threshold.

A cannabis legalization bill has advanced from the Delaware House Revenue and Finance Committee into the full chamber for consideration. A similar bill failed last year by just four votes — Gov. John Carney, however, has already voiced his opposition to legalizing.

A recent U.S. survey found that if cannabis were made federally legal, the vast majority of consumers (85 percent) would use it as a treatment option for specific ailments, not necessarily just for recreation.

Lawmakers in Louisiana have approved a bill that allows the “inhalation” of cannabis via an inhaler-like apparatus; smoking, however, would remain illegal under the state medical cannabis program.

The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe in South Dakota is suing the USDA for having failed to approve its proposed plan to regulate hemp production on tribal lands within the 60 days required under last year’s Farm Bill.

New hemp program rules in Tennessee have relaxed some of the regulations faced by farmers and hemp processors: processors no longer need to register with the Department of Agriculture, for example, while farmers can now apply to grow the crop year-round.

Minnesota’s two medical cannabis companies lost a combined $2.4 million last year; the losses, however, are thanks largely to both companies having invested in expanded operations to meet the program’s growing demand.

Five new qualifying conditions were approved for the state medical cannabis program by Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection; the conditions must still be accepted by the legislature’s Regulations Review Committee before they are officially added.

The FDA’s first-ever CBD hearing took place last Friday. The agency heard from a host of speakers including nutritional supplement experts, private citizens, medical cannabis patients, hemp businesses, and more.

A recent report suggests that the addition of infused cannabis products to Canada’s legal marketplace could be worth about $2.7 billion per year, with edibles alone expected to generate $1.6 billion in sales.

New Jersey’s governor wants to add another 100 dispensaries to the state’s medical cannabis program, which currently has only six operational retailers. This expansion would accompany a host of other changes meant to benefit patients.

Idaho law enforcement says it will continue arresting long-haul truck drivers who ferry industrial hemp through the state and confiscating their cargo, despite hemp’s federal legalization and a USDA memo that clarifies interstate hemp transport is legal.

The two operating dispensaries in Arkansas have distributed more than 100 pounds of cannabis since legal sales launched on May 10.