Web giant Amazon quietly changes policy to run CBD sales pilot on its UK site

Written by Freddie Dawson || 14th October 2020 || Business briefing |

Europe

United Kingdom

Companies

Marketing and Retailing

Retail

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 |

Europe

Italy

Companies

COVID-19

Retail

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 |

Canada

North America

United States

US federal regulation

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 |

Canada

North America

Companies

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 |

EU

Europe

Germany

EU regulation

Food

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 |

Canada

Europe

North America

United Kingdom

United States

Technology and Innovation

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 |

Canada

North America

United States

Companies

Health

Regulation and Legislation

Technology and Innovation

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 |

Belgium

Europe

Luxemburg

North America

Spain

Switzerland

United States

Companies

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 |

North America

United States

Health

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 |

Asia

Japan

North America

South Korea

United States

Companies

Technology and Innovation

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 |

Asia

Hong Kong

Companies

Food

Marketing and Retailing

Technology and Innovation

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 |

North America

United States

Companies

Marketing and Retailing

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 |

Europe

United Kingdom

Companies

Marketing and Retailing

Technology and Innovation

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 ...

Researchers suggest CBD could work with terpenes in COVID-19 treatment

Written by CBD-Intel || 14th September 2020 || Business briefing |

Asia

Canada

Israel

North America

COVID-19

Health

Science

Technology and Innovation

Business briefing

Studies looking at the potential for CBD to treat or alleviate COVID-19 symptoms continue to progress – with one study hinting at promising results combining CBD with other terpene products ...

Industry associations lay out arguments against classifying CBD as a narcotic

Written by Freddie Dawson || 10th September 2020 || Business briefing |

Business briefing

A group of industry associations say considering cannabinoid extracts such as CBD derived from hemp to be narcotics goes against the spirit of the UN Conventions on drugs ...

Deals and new products launch CBD further into the wellness field

Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 7th September 2020 || Business briefing |

North America

United Kingdom

United States

Companies

Marketing and Retailing

Business briefing

CBD firms are expanding their reach into the wellness market via company acquisitions, distribution deals and new product launches ...

CBD industry steps up with funding for ValidCare’s vital liver function study

Written by CBD-Intel || 7th September 2020 || Business briefing |

North America

United States

Companies

Regulation and Legislation

Science

US federal regulation

Business briefing

More than a dozen CBD businesses have given their backing to an investigation of the impact of CBD on liver toxicity levels in order to provide regulatory authorities in the US with reliable new data ...

Pharma gets bigger with approval for new cannabinoid-based treatments

Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 3rd September 2020 || Business briefing |

Canada

North America

United States

Companies

COVID-19

Health

Regulation and Legislation

Science

US federal regulation

Business briefing

The pharmaceutical side of the cannabinoid industry continues to grow, with several major announcements expanding treatments and blurring boundaries ...

Closures, bankruptcy and rescues – cannabinoid firms battle for survival

Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 2nd September 2020 || Business briefing |

Canada

North America

United States

Companies

COVID-19

Health

Science

Business briefing

The bankruptcy stories continue for cannabinoid firms in the US and Canada as businesses struggle to survive in turbulent times ...

Molson venture launches but ingestibles may be seeing less success

Written by Freddie Dawson || 28th August 2020 || Business briefing |

Canada

North America

Companies

Food

Business briefing

Molson Coors has made its long awaited entry into the cannabis market through the launch of its Truss brand of cannabis drinks made in partnership with cannabis company Hexo...

Love Hemp and Mile High see silver lining in COVID-19 pandemic for UK CBD sales

Written by Freddie Dawson || 25th August 2020 || Business briefing |

Europe

United Kingdom

Companies

COVID-19

Health

Marketing and Retailing

Retail

Business briefing

Expansion plans by two major players suggest confidence in the future of the CBD market in the UK, with one anticipating a continuing rise in sales driven by reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic ...

German firm waits to hear whether new CBD oil will be deemed ‘novel food’

Written by CBD-Intel || 24th August 2020 || Business briefing |

EU

Europe

Germany

Companies

EU regulation

Food

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

Business briefing

A German company is still waiting to hear from the authorities two months after launching new CBD products that could be considered food supplements ...

Study identifies possible dangers of taking cannabinoids with other drugs

Written by Freddie Dawson || 24th August 2020 || Business briefing |

North America

Pennsylvania

United States

Health

Science

Business briefing

A comprehensive list of possible cannabinoid/drug interactions has been published for the first time by researchers at Penn State University in the US ...

Italian tobacconists lobby for a monopoly on the sale of CBD flowers

Written by CBD-Intel || 20th August 2020 || Business briefing |

Europe

Italy

Marketing and Retailing

Regulation and Legislation

Retail

Business briefing

A group of tobacco retailers have written to the Italian Tobacconists Federation (FIT) asking it to push for a state monopoly on the sale of CBD flowers ...

Canopy Growth takes stride into sports nutrition with NFL superstar tie-up

Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 19th August 2020 || Business briefing |

Canada

North America

United States

Food

Health

US federal regulation

Business briefing

Canadian cannabinoid firm Canopy Growth has signed a multi-year deal with NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes as part of its advance into the sports nutrition market ...

Irish trade body criticises the government’s approach to hemp and CBD

Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 14th August 2020 || Business briefing |

Europe

Ireland

Companies

Policy and Politics

Business briefing

The trade body for hemp and CBD in Ireland has accused the Irish government of working in silos and said its lack of intra-governmental communication as well as consultation with stakeholders could lead to the end of the...

Nanotechnology could improve the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids

Written by CBD-Intel || 13th August 2020 || Business briefing |

Science

Technology and Innovation

Business briefing

Nanotechnology – referring to any kind of technology dealing in very small scales such as atomic, molecular or supramolecular – could improve some of the disadvantages of cannabinoids, such as solubility ...

The entourage effect – absence of evidence, but no evidence of absence

Written by CBD-Intel || 11th August 2020 || Business briefing |

Asia

Australasia

Australia

Israel

New Zealand

Science

Business briefing

Some recent research has cast doubt on the idea that cannabis compounds may be more effective when taken together ...

Studies suggest interesting potential for lesser known cannabinoids

Written by CBD-Intel || 7th August 2020 || Business briefing |

Health

Science

Business briefing

New research into the therapeutic potential of lesser known cannabinoids is progressing with recent discoveries about a host of new compounds ...

Vaping may be best method of consumption for CBD bioavailability

Written by CBD-Intel || 6th August 2020 || Business briefing |

Science

Technology and Innovation

Business briefing

Scientists are increasingly starting to study how differing methods of consumption can affect CBD bioavailability – the ability to enter your bloodstream and induce effects ...

IPO success for two companies, one being first psychedelics company to list

Written by Freddie Dawson || 4th August 2020 || Business briefing |

North America

United States

Companies

Business briefing

A new special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) operating in the hemp space is expected to start making moves in the near future after raising $150m earlier this year ...

Bluebird Botanicals sees success with unconventional advertising campaign

Written by CBD-Intel || 3rd August 2020 || Business briefing |

North America

United States

Companies

Marketing and Retailing

Business briefing

A US CBD company has taken an unusual approach to advertising to set itself apart from the pack. It is using a spare forceful campaign that actively discourages some people from using its products ...

HempFusion completes NDC registration for CBD topical products

Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 31st July 2020 || Business briefing |

North America

United States

Companies

Health

Business briefing

Registration in the US FDA National Drug Code (NDC) Directory conveys significant benefits even if the FDA does not specifically approve these items as over-the-counter products, according to a CBD company ...

Ignite lost $50m in one year; auditors say survival now endangered

Written by CBD-Intel || 29th July 2020 || Business briefing |

Canada

North America

Companies

Business briefing

Canadian CBD firm Ignite lost $67m CAD last year and it could go under if it doesn’t get funding soon, auditors warned in an annual report ...

Firms restructure and recapitalise as revenues continue to decline

Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 27th July 2020 || Business briefing |

Canada

North America

United States

Companies

Business briefing

As tough market conditions continue for cannabinoid firms in the US and Canada, struggling companies are continuing to pursue a range of survival strategies ...

Zygel could still prove beneficial for Fragile X Syndrome sufferers

Written by CBD-Intel || 24th July 2020 || Business briefing |

North America

United States

Health

Science

Business briefing

A proposed new path forward and extra information presented by Zynerba Pharmaceuticals has thus far not impacted the company's stock price ...

Distribution deals show faith in future of European CBD retail

Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 22nd July 2020 || Business briefing |

Asia

Bulgaria

Colombia

Europe

Germany

Israel

Portugal

South America

Spain

Companies

Marketing and Retailing

Business briefing

Firms from Israel and South America are showing faith in the European CBD market, and its bricks-and-mortar retail, with distribution deals to place their products in a growing number of outlets ...

International interest as Malawi prepares for its first growing season

Written by CBD-Intel || 21st July 2020 || Business briefing |

Africa

Malawi

Companies

Farming

Regulation and Legislation

Business briefing

Global agricultural giant Pyxus International is among a number of international companies that have expressed interest in venturing into hemp cultivation in Malawi ...

CBD drinks company reaps the benefits of TV advertising campaign

Written by Freddie Dawson || 20th July 2020 || Business briefing |

Europe

United Kingdom

Companies

Food

Retail

Business briefing

A TV advertising campaign has significantly boosted sales for a CBD drinks company and it hopes a new listing in a high-end chain of UK supermarkets will consolidate those gains ...

Hong Kong faces serious rivals in its bid to become the Asian hub for CBD

Written by CBD-Intel || 14th July 2020 || Business briefing |

Asia

China

Hong Kong

Japan

Singapore

Thailand

Companies

Regulation and Legislation

Business briefing

It remains unclear where the hemp and CBD investment centre for Asia will develop. History and existing infrastructure would point to Hong Kong, but development there has stalled – and there are other contenders ...

New Treasury guidelines should ease firms’ access to US financial services

Written by Freddie Dawson || 13th July 2020 || Business briefing |

North America

United States

Regulation and Legislation

US federal regulation

Business briefing

Hemp companies, politicians and legal experts have welcomed guidance from US monetary regulators that should drive up the number of financial institutions servicing the sector ...

Cuts, restructuring and bankruptcies as firms navigate troubled waters

Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 8th July 2020 || Business briefing |

Canada

North America

United States

Companies

COVID-19

Business briefing

Hard-hit cannabinoid firms in the US and Canada are reassessing their market strategies, restructuring, and downsizing – in some cases with significant job cuts – as the market remains volatile ...

Corruption threat to hopes of a hemp export boom in Southern Africa

Written by CBD-Intel || 1st July 2020 || Business briefing |

Africa

Malawi

Zambia

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

Business briefing

Law enforcement and financial crimes experts in Malawi and Zambia have urged lawmakers to find ways to counter corruption before they start issuing licences to cultivate cannabis ...

Survey reveals hemp flower usage blossoming in Italy under lockdown

Written by CBD-Intel || 30th June 2020 || Business briefing |

Europe

Italy

COVID-19

Regulation and Legislation

Business briefing

Consumption of hemp flowers in Italy went up during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, despite their sale being illegal in the country, a survey has revealed ...

Strong online presence vital during COVID-19 crisis, CBD firm says

Written by Freddie Dawson || 29th June 2020 || Business briefing |

EU

Europe

United Kingdom

Companies

COVID-19

Marketing and Retailing

Business briefing

A strong online presence has been essential to resiliency through the COVID-19 pandemic, but many larger offline retail chains that have also focused on selling through these channels may still see a recovery ...

Sale of white label goods affected less than anticipated during COVID crisis

Written by Freddie Dawson || 29th June 2020 || Business briefing |

Europe

North America

United Kingdom

United States

Companies

COVID-19

Retail

Business briefing

The loss of conferences and expos due to COVID-19 prevention measures has not affected the sale of white label goods as much as may have been anticipated, according to companies ...

Legal row over TV advertising shows trouble CBD has in getting airtime

Written by CBD-Intel || 25th June 2020 || Business briefing |

North America

United States

Companies

Marketing and Retailing

Business briefing

In a case that illustrates difficulties a number of CBD businesses have encountered in reaching their target market, a CBD company in the US is suing a TV advertising firm, alleging deceptive trade practices and breach of contract...

Ocean Spray’s move into CBD drinks may make a path for others to follow

Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 23rd June 2020 || Business briefing |

Colorado

North America

United States

Companies

Food

Regulation and Legislation

Technology and Innovation

US federal regulation

Business briefing

A new line of sparkling CBD drinks is to be launched in the Colorado market in what may be an indication of how high-profile companies approach the CBD market during its continued period of uncertainty ...

Italians turning to CBD in place of prescription drugs, research suggests

Written by CBD-Intel || 22nd June 2020 || Business briefing |

Europe

Italy

Health

Science

Business briefing

The use of CBD-based products has reduced the consumption of prescription drugs in Italy, according to a discussion paper from an international economics think-tank ...

Access enters UK market as lowest price CBD oil

Written by Freddie Dawson || 19th June 2020 || Business briefing |

Europe

United Kingdom

Companies

Retail

Business briefing

A new CBD brand from British Cannabis is hitting the UK market at a significantly lower price point than any previously seen ...