Business briefing
This section includes all business and company-related news on the CBD industry. Updates include all news relating to companies in terms of revenue changes, partnerships and mergers, and lawsuits and closure, as well as various medical innovations, technological improvements and general product development. We offer full-length news briefings as well as weekly news-in-brief updates.
European report outlines CBD retail practices and urges clarity on the rules
Written by Freddie Dawson || 11th January 2021 || Business briefing |
A recently published report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) highlights the diverse retail make-up and unclear regulatory outlook of the European CBD sector ...
Canopy Growth in patent infringement lawsuit with GW Pharmaceuticals
Written by Freddie Dawson || 8th January 2021 || Business briefing |
Canopy Growth has sued GW Pharmaceuticals over patent infringement in a case that could have wider-spread consequences for the CBD industry ...
It could have been so much worse: 2020 was CBD’s year in the waiting-room
Written by Freddie Dawson || 1st January 2021 || Business briefing |
For many 2020 will always carry an asterisk. The CBD industry was – overall – more fortunate than many other sectors ...
Tactics to boost January sales and keep satisfied customers coming back
Written by CBD-Intel || 1st January 2021 || Business briefing |
Marketers recommend the use of gift cards, along with discounts on higher strength and quality blends to drive new consumer growth in January and to convert new customers into repeat customers ...
Delay and dispute over deal to get CBD into Brazil’s public health system
Written by CBD-Intel || 30th December 2020 || Business briefing |
Efforts to supply the first CBD product to Brazil’s public healthcare system will have to wait a while longer – and there is some dispute between the institute preparing to produce it and the sponsors of a Congress...
Tilray set on becoming the ‘weed giant of the world’ with Aphria merger
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 29th December 2020 || Business briefing |
Canadian cannabis firms Aphria and Tilray have announced a merger that will create “the world’s largest weed company”, operating under the Tilray name ...
Brexit: more clarity for international trade, but change ahead for vapes?
Written by David Palacios || 24th December 2020 || Business briefing |
While a post-Brexit regulatory review in the UK is likely to focus much more on nicotine vaping than on CBD, equally there are likely to be knock-on effects for providers of CBD products – whether or not intended...
I’m a celebrity – get me into quality cannabis, hemp and CBD brands…
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 23rd December 2020 || Business briefing |
Increasing numbers of celebrities are endorsing CBD products, with names as big as will.i.am, Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow among those investing or launching their own brands ...
US firms hit by FTC fines as Operation CBDeceit targets false health claims
Written by Freddie Dawson || 21st December 2020 || Business briefing |
The first ever fines – ranging up to $85,000 – have been issued to CBD companies by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for deceptive marketing practices ...
Polish company prepares to fight against move to ban CBD vending machines
Written by CBD-Intel || 16th December 2020 || Business briefing |
A proposed amendment to Polish law would ban the sale of CBD products through vending machines – but one company using that distribution method does not see any reason to stop just yet ...
Bio-synthesis fermentation of minor cannabinoids continues to grow
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 15th December 2020 || Business briefing |
Californian “cellular agriculture company” Cellibre has closed a round of funding that will enable it to accelerate the production of pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoids via fermentation ...
Trials and research into the healing potential of cannabinoids continue
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 11th December 2020 || Business briefing |
Pharmaceutical firms continue to invest in research into the healing potential of cannabinoids, launching clinical trials to investigate their ability to treat a range of conditions ...
Watchdog warns phony ‘research’ claims risk undermining consumer confidence
Written by CBD-Intel || 8th December 2020 || Business briefing |
While solid research explaining the science behind CBD remains lacking as the market continues to grow, some bad actors in the industry are making false scientific claims for their products ...
Kanavape ruling could kick-start French CBD industry – but not everyone’s happy
Written by CBD-Intel || 3rd December 2020 || Business briefing |
The decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the Kanavape cape that CBD cannot be treated as a narcotic has been welcomed in France – though not by the official regulatory bodies ...
CBD store ordered to drop ‘irresponsible and harmful’ anti-mask advertisements
Written by Freddie Dawson || 2nd December 2020 || Business briefing |
A CBD shop in the town of Glastonbury in southwest England has been called out for publishing anti-mask advertisements ...
Newer brands perform better in labelling accuracy for edibles, report finds
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 30th November 2020 || Business briefing |
More established brands performed worse than their new upstart rivals in the latest report on CBD labelling accuracy ...
Switzerland opens a door by allowing non-EU catalogue varietals to be grown
Written by Freddie Dawson || 24th November 2020 || Business briefing |
Starting next year, Switzerland will allow the commercial growing of all hemp varieties with a THC content below 1% – even those that are not in the European Union catalogue ...
Thoughtful Brands pulls out of German psychedelics to focus on American CBD
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 24th November 2020 || Business briefing |
Canadian cannabis and psychedelic medicine firm Thoughtful Brands has dissolved its German subsidiary Verrian to focus on its core business following the acquisition of Kentucky-based American CBD Extraction ...
Celebrities speak out in anger as CBD companies take famous names in vain
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 23rd November 2020 || Business briefing |
Sir David Attenborough, Olivia Newton-John and Clint Eastwood are among the latest in a line of celebrities who have spoken out against their names and images being used without their permission to promote CBD oils ...
Aurora closes overnight offering in continued attempts to raise funds
Written by CBD-Intel || 20th November 2020 || Business briefing |
Aurora Cannabis continues to raise money and issue shares, despite facing allegations of misleading statements in a class-action lawsuit filed by investors ...
The cannabinoid drinks market is getting crowded – but it still takes a lot of bottle
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 19th November 2020 || Business briefing |
Current lack of success in Canada and unsupportive regulations in the US have not stopped cannabinoid companies from exploring the beverages sector ...
The good, the bad and the troublesome – could CBD and nicotine make a match?
Written by CBD-Intel || 17th November 2020 || Business briefing |
CBD, generally seen as a health or wellness product, and “bad guy” nicotine are almost opposites in terms of public perception – but could putting the two together make commercial sense? ...
Troubled Aurora facing class-action lawsuit by ‘misled’ shareholders
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 16th November 2020 || Business briefing |
A group of shareholders has filed a class-action lawsuit against Aurora Cannabis, alleging the company “made materially false and misleading statements” about its business, operational, and compliance policies ...
US federal regulation at last? It will come next year, predicts Charlotte’s Web
Written by Freddie Dawson || 16th November 2020 || Business briefing |
Expect US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations on CBD by the second half of 2021, according to leading brand Charlotte’s Web ...
Raided German firm expects to get its vending machines back, minus flowers
Written by CBD-Intel || 13th November 2020 || Business briefing |
The sale of CBD products through vending machines in the German state of Bavaria is likely to continue after operators remove hemp flower products ...
Questions in Poland as CBD vending machines attract police attention
Written by CBD-Intel || 12th November 2020 || Business briefing |
Concerns over youth access could curtail growing interest in CBD vending machines in Poland, with police and other authorities taking an interest in unsupervised sales ...
Cannabis sector consolidates as investors join second rush for ‘green gold’
Written by CBD-Intel || 11th November 2020 || Business briefing |
Investing activity in the cannabis space is on the rise, as investors take advantage of lower prices and companies seek opportunities to merge – bolstered by anticipated changes at US federal level ...
CBD suffering reputational damage from FDA probe and reports of bad labelling
Written by CBD-Intel || 10th November 2020 || Business briefing |
Well reported studies of labelling issues give unfair bad press to CBD – but it is an issue the industry urgently needs to address, according to speakers at the Food and Drug Law Institute’s annual conference ...
Will US FDA ever publish its guidance on CBD enforcement? Who knows when?
Written by CBD-Intel || 9th November 2020 || Business briefing |
It remains unclear when, or whether, US FDA guidance on CBD enforcement policy will be published, according to speakers at the recent Food and Drug Law Institute annual conference ...
Little fear of a glut in the UK market if EU decides to classify CBD as a narcotic
Written by CBD-Intel || 3rd November 2020 || Business briefing |
Companies do not feel much risk of a glut of CBD-containing food, drink and dietary supplement products or cannabinoid ingredients coming into the UK market if the EU classifies CBD as a narcotic ...
USPS cuts could impact CBD industry through increased shipping prices
Written by Freddie Dawson || 30th October 2020 || Business briefing |
Privatisation of the US Postal Service (USPS) could be one underreported aspect of a Trump re-election that significantly impacts on the CBD industry ...
US FDA issues warning letter over COVID-19 health claims
Written by Freddie Dawson || 30th October 2020 || Business briefing |
The US Food and Drink Administration (FDA) has issued a warning letter to the CBD company For Our Vets over COVID-19 health claims ...
Black Friday novelty diminishes to make way for longer sales period
Written by CBD-Intel || 27th October 2020 || Business briefing |
Holiday sales overall mean more to US companies than their UK counterparts, but the novelty of Black Friday means some are embracing a discount period as a means to create new sales, according to a number of companies...
Nestlé enters European CBD market with soft gel capsules
Written by CBD-Intel || 23rd October 2020 || Business briefing |
Nestlé has taken a baby step into the European cannabidiol market just a year after creating its own CBD line in the US and will now distribute soft gel CBD capsules in the UK through the Pure Encapsulations...
Behind the mask: ads regulator refers claims to US Federal Trade Commission
Written by Freddie Dawson || 20th October 2020 || Business briefing |
The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the US Better Business Bureau has referred advertising claims made by a CBD company to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ...
Web giant Amazon quietly changes policy to run CBD sales pilot on its UK site
Written by Freddie Dawson || 14th October 2020 || Business briefing |
In an unheralded change of Amazon policy, the world’s biggest online marketplace has started allowing the sale of CBD products on its UK site ...
CBD ads spring up at Serie A football grounds as Italy takes to home delivery
Written by CBD-Intel || 13th October 2020 || Business briefing |
Matches in Serie A, the top football league in Italy, are for the first time featuring advertisements for a CBD company as the home delivery market continues to grow rapidly in the country ...
Canada or the US: which makes the better home for your CBD or cannabis business?
Written by CBD-Intel || 8th October 2020 || Business briefing |
Should CBD or cannabis companies invest in the US or Canada? There are pros and cons to each, and the same answer may not apply to everyone – or remain the same forever ...
‘Fraud’ action against Canopy Growth halted as plaintiff files for bankruptcy
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 8th October 2020 || Business briefing |
A legal action against Canopy Growth has been halted now that Canadian cannabis cultivator PharmHouse has filed for bankruptcy protection from the Ontario Court while it restructures its business ...
German city’s ban on foods containing natural CBD extracts faces legal test
Written by CBD-Intel || 7th October 2020 || Business briefing |
A decision by the German city of Düsseldorf to prohibit the sale of all foods containing CBD, including in natural extract form, faces a legal challenge from local hemp wholesaler Hempro International ...
Psychedelic substances for therapy? It’s an idea whose time may be coming
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 7th October 2020 || Business briefing |
Although still illegal in the US and Canada, psychedelic substances such as fungus-derived psilocybin are becoming increasingly acceptable, research suggests ...
Mushrooms may be good for you – and firms hope that can be good for them too
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 6th October 2020 || Business briefing |
Commercial interest in mushrooms as active ingredients is on the rise – despite legal issues that severely curtail commercial opportunities ...
Ambitious firms defy the times by expanding operations into new markets
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 5th October 2020 || Business briefing |
Turbulent times and the ongoing challenges caused by COVID-19 are not stopping some CBD businesses from doing deals and making major investments as they seek expansion into new markets ...
Wellness trend pushes multiple launches in CBD space
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 2nd October 2020 || Business briefing |
Increasing numbers of CBD businesses are marketing products that chime with the wellness trend and now even Playboy is launching a line of CBD products in the US that promise physical and mental benefits ...
Folium branches out with stalks to break into Japanese and Korean markets
Written by CBD-Intel || 29th September 2020 || Business briefing |
US-based CBD producer Folium Biosciences is looking to tap Asian markets by creating a dedicated stalk extraction line which it believes will meet the strict regulatory requirements of Japan and South Korea ...
Ale and hearty – a new CBD food and drinks trade springs up in Hong Kong
Written by CBD-Intel || 23rd September 2020 || Business briefing |
2020 seems an unlikely year for the emergence of any new industry, yet this is exactly what has happened in Hong Kong, where there are now locally produced CBD food and drink products ...
cbdMD campaign steps carefully to find the right route to TV ad acceptance
Written by CBD-Intel || 18th September 2020 || Business briefing |
A TV advertising campaign for US company cbdMD demonstrates how attitudes towards CBD products are slowly changing in advertising circles – but also how much work remains to be done ...
British spirit-makers looking to make CBD the gin genie in the bottle
Written by CBD-Intel || 16th September 2020 || Business briefing |
Britain’s newfound enthusiasm for CBD products has joined with the passion for alcohol, with some companies are aiming to capitalise on the trend for “drinking less but drinking better” by launching CBD spirits, especially gin ...
