Regulatory briefing
Our regulatory briefings section delivers current and up-to-date legal and regulatory news relating to all aspects of the CBD industry. It covers individual regulation changes across the world, policy and governmental changes that impact the industry and technological and medical innovations that affect how the industry is regulated, to name a few.
Resistant legislators deny Kentucky and Tennessee access to medical cannabis
Written by CBD-Intel || 21st September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Kentucky and Tennessee are among a large number of Southeastern US states that have not yet passed legislation for medical cannabis programs. Here, CBD-Intel examines the issues behind the official reluctance ...
Cleared CBD restaurant owner: ‘I hope my case makes UK police think again’
Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 20th September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The long-running saga of one of the first UK police raids on a retail location selling hemp products has finally ended after a jury took just 30 minutes to reach a non-guilty verdict on drug charges ...
FDA warning flags up delta-8 THC as the likely next target for US enforcement
Written by Freddie Dawson || 16th September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Enforcement action against companies pushing the limits on marketing delta-8 THC products in the US is likely following a health advisory from the FDA and CDC ...
FDA and CDC warnings won’t signal the end of the delta-8 THC market in the US
Written by Freddie Dawson || 16th September 2021 || Blog , Regulatory briefing |
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have issued warnings about the rise of reported incidents in the US regarding the use of delta-8 THC ...
No Joy: USPTO confirms no trademarks are allowed for ‘illegal’ CBD products
Written by Freddie Dawson || 14th September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
CBD products are not eligible for trademark protection, US regulators have reaffirmed, because they are not legal under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) ...
Smokable hemp ban in Texas overturned but further court action is probable
Written by CBD-Intel || 7th September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A ban on the production and sale of smokable hemp products in Texas has been fully overturned after two court decisions – but the case will almost certainly head through two further levels of appeal ...
Lagging behind: why Wyoming and Idaho are still to legalise medical cannabis
Written by CBD-Intel || 3rd September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
There are now only 14 US states that have yet to implement a medical cannabis programme. Why they are behind the curve on the issue is something of a mystery ...
Approved by EU – so why was Finola hemp tested and banned in Poland?
Written by CBD-Intel || 2nd September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Crops of a hemp variety found by Polish authorities to be over the THC limit should never have been tested and regulators are refusing to say why they were, the creator of the variety alleges ...
Could Colombia’s reversal on allowing medical cannabis flower exports impact the global market?
Written by CBD-Intel || 1st September 2021 || Blog , Regulatory briefing |
There are always people claiming that new changes mean some such country will be "The next big X in cannabis or hemp". Recent examples include North Macedonia, Thailand, Brazil, Paraguay, Lesotho, Malawi, and of course, Colombia ...
Brazil’s bill to legalise hemp and medical cannabis runs into a further snag
Written by CBD-Intel || 24th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A bill to legalise the cultivation and processing of hemp and medical cannabis in Brazil has been dealt a blow with a call for it to be debated and voted on by the country’s full Chamber of Deputies...
Positive regulatory changes for CBD, hemp and cannabis in Uruguay
Written by CBD-Intel || 23rd August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Uruguay is expected to become one of the first countries to officially legalise the use of CBD in ingestible products ...
Legislators propose bringing Polish hemp laws in line with other EU states
Written by CBD-Intel || 20th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Lawmakers from Poland’s ruling party are among those who have submitted two bills to parliament hoping to change the country’s industrial hemp growing and medical cannabis legislation ...
What conclusions can be drawn from the FDA rejection of full hemp extracts as supplements?
Written by CBD-Intel || 18th August 2021 || Blog , Regulatory briefing |
The FDA recently rejected applications from both Charlotte's Web and Irwin Naturals to use a hemp extract as a dietary supplement ...
Medical use of psilocibyn in Canada could grow, but consumer sale unlikely
Written by CBD-Intel || 13th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A court case could force the Canadian government to process requests to use psilocybin for psychotherapeutic treatment more...
Testing the testers: UK and US CBD testing labs go under the microscope
Written by CBD-Intel || 13th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A recent ring trial assessment of the lab performances and methods for measuring CBD in commercial products has given some good news to the industry ...
Spain’s PSOE has a change of heart over legalising medical cannabis
Written by CBD-Intel || 11th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Members of Spain’s ruling party are warming to the idea of legalising medicinal cannabis just months after claiming scientific evidence was insufficient to support such an initiative ...
New regulations spell positive steps for Thailand’s cannabis and hemp industry
Written by CBD-Intel || 9th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A series of changes in Thai law governing both medical cannabis and hemp has made the country one of the most cannabinoid-friendly countries in Asia ...
Could e-cig ‘shake and vape’ be a model for sales of ingestible CBD products?
Written by CBD-Intel || 5th August 2021 || Blog , Regulatory briefing |
There remains no certainty over the future regulation of ingestible CBD products in many jurisdictions ...
Three states lay out a possible roadmap for US regulation of delta-8 products
Written by Freddie Dawson || 2nd August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Three US states where recreational cannabis states is legal have now moved to regulate hemp-derived delta-8 THC products by placing them under their state cannabis programmes ...
US Postal Service ponders the post-PACT legality of continuing to ship CBD vapes
Written by CBD-Intel || 29th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Postal Service (USPS) is still shipping CBD vape products for now – but the latest version of the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act leaves a lot of uncertainty over the exact legal position...
New chair abstains as US Federal Trade Commission confirms Kushly penalty
Written by Freddie Dawson || 28th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A CBD company’s punishment by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for making false or misleading health claims has been confirmed ...
What can be concluded from the appointment of Lina Khan as new chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?
Written by CBD-Intel || 22nd July 2021 || Blog , Regulatory briefing |
Lina Khan's appointment to chair the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – confirmed last month – was a bit of a surprise ...
Javid appointment as UK health minister raises slight hope for medical cannabis
Written by CBD-Intel || 19th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Medical cannabis advocates are keen to see if Sajid Javid’s appointment as UK health secretary means he will continue his work from 2018, when he helped change the law on medicinal cannabis prescriptions ...
From tax to social equity: three US states’ recreational cannabis rules compared
Written by CBD-Intel || 15th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Three more states have been added to the growing list of US jurisdictions allowing adult use of recreational cannabis. And they have learned lessons on how to frame regulation from those that came before ...
Euro cross-party group to push for EU harmony on medicinal cannabis rules
Written by CBD-Intel || 12th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A new cross-party European parliamentary group wants to help patients across the European Union get better access to medical cannabis and advance the EU’s cannabis resolution of 2019 ...
UN drugs division calls for a worldwide ban on all types of cannabis advertising
Written by CBD-Intel || 7th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The United Nations (UN) drugs division is calling for a “comprehensive ban” on cannabis advertising to address the growing belief among young people that cannabis is not harmful ...
EU ‘non-paper’ lays out the current state of European cannabinoid regulation
Written by Freddie Dawson || 6th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The Council of the European Union (CEU) has published a “non-paper” clarifying its thinking on the legal position of cannabis, hemp and cannabinoids within the EU and giving an overview of the current regulatory position ...
Mexican court rules recreational cannabis ban unconstitutional
Written by CBD-Intel || 2nd July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The ban on recreational cannabis consumption in Mexico was ruled unconstitutional by the Mexican Supreme Court on 28th June ...
Good news for Lithuanian hemp sector as use of the whole plant is approved
Written by CBD-Intel || 30th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Lithuanian hemp cultivators and processors will now be able to use the whole hemp plant, including the flower, in their products after the country’s legislature, the Seimas, adopted amendments to the existing law ...
Irish novel food enforcement coming – but not on cold-pressed extracts
Written by Freddie Dawson || 30th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Enforcement action will take place in the coming months against CBD products on Irish retailers’ shelves that violate EU novel food regulations. However, cold-pressed hemp extracts will not be included ...
50 years on, Connecticut makes amends to those punished by the ‘war on drugs’
Written by CBD-Intel || 28th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Lawmakers in the US state of Connecticut have legalised recreational cannabis in a measure that includes provisions aimed at social equity in a vote on the 50th anniversary of the so-called “war on drugs” ...
Italian inter-ministerial decree ditched due to hemp association protests
Written by CBD-Intel || 25th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A new inter-ministerial decree that aimed to prohibit the use of cannabis leaves and flowers in extraction was withdrawn after protests from hemp associations ...
Canada reveals plans to restrict flavours in inhalable cannabis products
Written by CBD-Intel || 25th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The Canadian government has served notice of plans to restrict flavours in cannabis vaping products and inhaled cannabis extracts across the country, arguing that it will make those products less appealing to youth ...
UK report says cannabinoids should be under health, not law-and-order rules
Written by Freddie Dawson || 24th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The British government must take oversight of CBD and medical cannabis out of Home Office hands and place it with the Department of Health and Social Care, according to a new report on post-Brexit regulation ...
UK debate reveals broad agreement on need to reform outdated drugs law
Written by CBD-Intel || 24th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum in the UK believe the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act is in urgent need of reform, after 50 years of “wasting lives” and holding back vital research ...
Brazil moves closer to legalising medical cannabis, despite president’s veto threat
Written by CBD-Intel || 21st June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A bill that would allow the cultivation and processing of hemp and cannabis in Brazil has passed an important committee vote in the country’s lower legislative chamber – but serious obstacles remain ...
Official report favours legalisation, but France is unlikely to budge on cannabis
Written by CBD-Intel || 17th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Members of the French National Assembly appear unlikely to follow the recommendations made in a recent report on recreational cannabis, despite its scathing criticism of the current harsh regime ...
France to clarify regulation of CBD hemp extracts with upcoming decree
Written by CBD-Intel || 11th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A draft ministerial decree to clarify the regulation of CBD in France is under consideration, but many in the industry are unhappy with the proposed measures ...
The battle for medical cannabis goes on in Mississippi after ballot is annulled
Written by CBD-Intel || 8th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Mississippi supporters of medical cannabis are fighting to have their voices heard after a vote for legalisation was thrown out by the US state’s Supreme Court ...
It’s complicated: German court ruling adds further confusion to hemp law
Written by CBD-Intel || 3rd June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The legality of selling hemp flowers as well as hemp leaf tea in Germany is no clearer despite the recent ruling by the country’s highest court that low-THC industrial hemp flowers could – in principle – be sold...
Another one bites the dust as Hawaii tries and fails again to legalise cannabis
Written by CBD-Intel || 25th May 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Despite the island state's generally liberal outlook, and long association with cannabis culture, legalisation of recreational use remains a frustrated dream for many in Hawaii ...
EU Commission considers bringing CBD vapes under tobacco regulation
Written by CBD-Intel || 20th May 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
European tobacco control rules could be extended to specifically cover the vaping of CBD, a new report from the European Commission suggests ...
Another CBD company that ‘should know better’ fined by US FTC over health claims
Written by Freddie Dawson || 18th May 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A CBD company has been fined more than $30,000 by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the first such punishment since a crackdown on false or misleading health claims was announced in December ...
Cannabis lobbying steps up in the US with major players joining the discussion
Written by CBD-Intel || 10th May 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Significant cannabis reform is inevitably coming to congress, no matter whether the Biden administration considers it a priority, and giants in experienced lobbying industries are preparing their agents ...
Legalisation of cannabis looks like being a hot topic in Germany’s federal elections
Written by CBD-Intel || 3rd May 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
With federal elections due in September, Germany’s Free Democratic Party (FDP) has called on the government to draft a law permitting the controlled distribution of cannabis for adult use ...
South Africa’s new national cannabis plan could spark regional change
Written by CBD-Intel || 30th April 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
South Africa releases the National Cannabis Master Plan, which will not only boost and uplift the southern Africa cannabis industry, but will set a regional precedent for the growth of a legal cannabis market in the area ...
Opposition parties put forward proposals for legalisation of cannabis in Poland
Written by CBD-Intel || 29th April 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Poland’s Parliamentary Team for the Legalisation of Marijuana has submitted a package of three draft bills to the speaker of parliament’s lower chamber, following a public consultation on the proposals ...
UK FSA releases initial validated novel food application list
Written by Freddie Dawson || 23rd April 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The long-anticipated UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) initial list of products supported by a validated CBD novel food application has been released ...