UK FSA picks up the pace with at least one novel food application validated

Written by Freddie Dawson || 5th March 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

United Kingdom

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is moving forward at pace with at least one CBD novel food application having been validated ...

‘Outdated’ Japanese import and growing restrictions may get even tougher

Written by CBD-Intel || 4th March 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

Japan

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Tough Japanese laws on the import of CBD products and the cultivation of industrial hemp are becoming more challenging for the industry – and even stricter regulations may be on the way ...

US state regulators’ association calls for joined-up federal thinking on cannabis

Written by Lorraine Mullaney || 24th February 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

US federal regulation

Regulatory briefing

A US association of cannabis regulators has written to Congress urging the modernisation of cannabis policy at federal level ...

Governor’s influence questioned after judge blocks cannabis legalisation

Written by Anthony Traurig || 23rd February 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

South Dakota

United States

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

The legalisation of recreational cannabis in South Dakota is in doubt, amidst accusations of political interference after a judge appointed by the state governor ruled the voter-approved amendment unconstitutional ...

Will change at the FTC mean a new US approach to enforcement on CBD?

Written by Freddie Dawson || 18th February 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

US federal regulation

Regulatory briefing

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) could take a more discerning approach to enforcement against CBD companies under the new administration in Washington ...

No Home Office change in CBD importation licensing requirements

Written by Freddie Dawson || 12th February 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

United Kingdom

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Reports that the UK Home Office now requires businesses importing CBD into the UK to have controlled drug licences are untrue, according to the Home Office ...

Is this the year? US cannabis and CBD law reform efforts worth watching in 2021

Written by Anthony Traurig || 11th February 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

US federal regulation

Regulatory briefing

The Democratic Party, which now controls Congress and the presidency, has signalled for some time that cannabis reform is one of its top priorities, and the US public supports that reform in unprecedented numbers ...

All the president’s men and women sound a positive note for cannabis

Written by CBD-Intel || 10th February 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Policy and Politics

US federal regulation

Regulatory briefing

US president Joe Biden’s appointees to a number of influential positions in the new administration give reason for optimism within the hemp and cannabis sector ...

US Small Business Administration claims credit for softening USDA final hemp rule

Written by Freddie Dawson || 1st February 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

US federal regulation

Regulatory briefing

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) has highlighted its role in securing changes to the Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s final rule for hemp production ...

German Left and Greens propose rise in THC limit, but without much optimism

Written by CBD-Intel || 28th January 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Germany

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Two German parliamentary groups have submitted a joint initiative to remove industrial hemp from the Narcotics Act and raise the THC limit from 0.2% to at least 0.6% ...

European Commission decides CBD from entire plant can be used in cosmetics

Written by Freddie Dawson || 27th January 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

EU

Europe

EU regulation

Regulatory briefing

CBD extracted from the whole Cannabis sativa plant will be allowed in cosmetic products in the EU, according to a preliminary conclusion by the European Commission conveyed to CBD-Intel ...

Proposal to legalise low-THC hemp in South Korea submitted to parliament

Written by Marija Obradovic || 22nd January 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

South Korea

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

A proposal to legalise low-THC hemp was submitted on 19th January in the Korean parliament, which proposes to exclude synthetic products as well as preparations with THC content up to 0.3% from cannabis ...

Uzbekistan publishes regulations for hemp farming and production

Written by CBD-Intel || 15th January 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

Uzbekistan

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Uzbekistan has published a regulatory framework to implement its legalisation of industrial hemp farming and production passed last year ...

A brighter year ahead on cannabis rules? Our 2021 predictions for US regulation

Written by Anthony Traurig || 13th January 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

US federal regulation

Regulatory briefing

CBD-Intel presents some predictions of what regulatory moves could take place around cannabis, hemp and CBD in the US in 2021 ...

Georgia run-off election: it looks like good news for cannabis reform

Written by Freddie Dawson || 6th January 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

Georgia

North America

United States

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

US federal regulation

Regulatory briefing

Reform of cannabis laws at federal level in the US looks to be a step closer following the likely victory of the Democratic party in run-off elections for both Senate seats in the state of Georgia ...

State officials on both sides as South Dakota goes to court over legalisation

Written by Anthony Traurig || 5th January 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

South Dakota

United States

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

South Dakota’s governor has put public cash behind a legal challenge to a move – backed by a majority of voters – to legalise recreational cannabis in the US state. But can the lawsuit overturn the vote? ...

New York State’s proposed regulations could set the hemp standard for others

Written by CBD-Intel || 4th January 2021 || Regulatory briefing |

New York

North America

United States

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Further CBD regulations in the US could be based on rules proposed in the state of New York, it has been suggested – especially crucial definitions for some key terms ...

A world of change – but don’t expect 2021 to deliver very much new regulation

Written by CBD-Intel || 31st December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

EU regulation

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

US federal regulation

Regulatory briefing

Multiple jurisdictions are planning significant legislation on both CBD and hemp-related matters, but it seems regulation in 2021 could be defined as much by what doesn’t happen as by the progress made ...

Continuing failure to pass US federal hemp regulation leaves CBD in a tangle

Written by CBD-Intel || 29th December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

US federal regulation

Regulatory briefing

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is still working on a plan to standardise a baseline level of regulation for CBD in dietary supplements, food and drinks – but many in the industry and at state level...

The long wait goes on for a successful European novel food application

Written by Anthony Traurig || 28th December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

EU

Europe

EU regulation

Food

Regulatory briefing

Officials from the European Commission (EC) met with CBD-Intel to discuss the status of novel food applications in light of the ruling in the Kanavape case ...

Unfounded claims on cancer and COVID attract warning letters from US FDA

Written by Barnaby Page || 23rd December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Companies

COVID-19

Marketing and Retailing

US federal regulation

Regulatory briefing

Claims that CBD could help shrink tumours were among those censured by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in its latest round of warning letters to the industry ...

Isle of Man to invite applications to grow hemp, but won’t license extraction – yet

Written by Freddie Dawson || 22nd December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

United Kingdom

Farming

Policy and Politics

Regulatory briefing

The Isle of Man is set to begin assessing hemp production applications as early as February in order to allow initial crops to be grown in 2021 – though no cannabinoids will be extracted yet ...

Cannabis plant considered ‘a national security threat’ in Russia

Written by CBD-Intel || 18th December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Russia

World

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Cannabis legalisation is so far away in Russia that the plant is now considered a national security threat, according to provisions of the new state strategy for Anti-Drug...

Finance minister sets Zimbabwe an ambitious target for cannabis income

Written by CBD-Intel || 17th December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Africa

Zimbabwe

Farming

Policy and Politics

Regulatory briefing

Zimbabwe’s minister of finance and economic development, Mthuli Ncube, has proposed wide-ranging and hugely ambitious cannabis levies in the country, starting next year ...

Italian Customs Agency proposes taking hemp flower sales into its monopoly

Written by CBD-Intel || 17th December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Italy

Regulation and Legislation

Retail

Vapour/Smokable

Regulatory briefing

The Italian Customs Agency is trying to widen its jurisdiction by proposing including the sale of CBD hemp flowers within the state monopoly. Others have similar ideas ...

Avazo has its collar felt by the FDA/FTC over ‘unsubstantiated COVID-19 claims’

Written by Freddie Dawson || 14th December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Companies

COVID-19

Health

US federal regulation

Regulatory briefing

Another company has been warned by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to stop claiming CBD can cure or mitigate the symptoms of COVID-19 ...

EU Parliament votes to change industrial hemp THC limit from 0.2% to 0.3%

Written by CBD-Intel || 11th December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

EU

Europe

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

The European Parliament will have a united position on hemp-related issues during the ongoing tripartite negotiations, which must be concluded by the end of March ...

Montana’s ballot initiative to legalise cannabis faces court challenge

Written by Anthony Traurig || 9th December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Montana

North America

United States

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

A move to legalise cannabis in the US state of Montana, backed by a substantial majority in last month’s ballot, is under threat from a legal bid to block it ...

EC to review novel food applications following change of heart on CBD

Written by Freddie Dawson || 4th December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

EU

Europe

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

The European Commission (EC) will start to review novel food applications after reversing its opinion on the narcotic status of CBD, the EC has confirmed to CBD-Intel ...

Mixed feelings over results of UN vote on cannabis-related proposals

Written by CBD-Intel || 4th December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

World

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

The United Nations (UN) vote on various cannabis related proposals has largely been seen as a historic moment symbolically but one that can only be considered a tiny first step in practical terms ...

UN commission votes to deschedule cannabis but CBD measure fails

Written by Freddie Dawson || 2nd December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

One of four proposed changes to the international scheduling of cannabis as well as CBD has been passed by the 53 voting members of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) ...

Canadian public and industry back plan to free CBD from cannabis regulation

Written by Freddie Dawson || 1st December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Canada

North America

Health

Regulatory briefing

The results of Canada’s public consultation on health products containing cannabis have been released, showing strong support for allowing the sale of CBD outside the current cannabis restrictions ...

The British isle heading for its own rules on cannabinoid extraction for export

Written by Freddie Dawson || 1st December 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

United Kingdom

Health

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

The Isle of Man looks likely to become the second jurisdiction operating under UK regulations to allow the use of hemp flowers in extraction ...

Proposal put forward in yet another attempt to regulate the Italian CBD sector

Written by CBD-Intel || 27th November 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Italy

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Italian legislators have put forward another proposal that has yet to be presented as an amendment to regulate the CBD sector and, in particular, the sale of flowers, finished products and extracts ...

Malawi accused of setting licence fees to exclude local farmers’ ownership

Written by CBD-Intel || 25th November 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Africa

Malawi

Farming

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Officials in Malawi have been accused of deliberately setting high licence fees for hemp and cannabis cultivation and trade in order to attract international investment and exclude local ownership ...

Opponents unlikely to derail Arizona recreational cannabis legalisation

Written by Anthony Traurig || 20th November 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Arizona

North America

United States

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Voters in the US states of Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota passed ballot initiatives to legalise adult-use and/or medical cannabis in their states. However, the path from ballot initiative to law is not always clear...

EU court rules at last in Kanavape case: CBD cannot be deemed a narcotic

Written by Freddie Dawson || 19th November 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

EU

Europe

France

EU regulation

Regulatory briefing

CBD must not be regarded a narcotic drug, even under UN Convention definitions, whether or not it is extracted from hemp flowers, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled ...

Biden’s election should be good news for cannabis legalisation – eventually

Written by CBD-Intel || 18th November 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Policy and Politics

US federal regulation

Regulatory briefing

With Joe Biden poised to become the 46th US president, lobbyists in Washington are scrambling to position themselves to influence cannabis policy ...

Can state governor overturn voters’ ‘wrong choice’ to legalise cannabis?

Written by Anthony Traurig || 18th November 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

South Dakota

United States

Policy and Politics

Regulatory briefing

Electors in South Dakota – not a traditionally cannabis-friendly state – voted overwhelmingly to legalise both medical and recreational cannabis. The governor doesn't like it – but is there anything she can do to stop it? ...

Ukraine moves towards potential medical cannabis legalisation

Written by CBD-Intel || 13th November 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Ukraine

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Ukraine has undergone a quick shift in opinion on medical cannabis – proceeding from a point where liberalisation of current laws was viewed as unlikely to setting up parliamentary working groups to draft a bill on legalisation ...

Italian health ministry suspends its decree defining oral CBD as medication

Written by CBD-Intel || 6th November 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Italy

Food

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

The Italian Ministry of Health has suspended the recently published decree listing oral administration of CBD as a medicine under Italy’s Narcotics Law ...

UK novel foods committee provides food for thought on white-label ingredients

Written by Freddie Dawson || 6th November 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

United Kingdom

Food

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Concerns over traceability, limiting final use and demonstrating safety of final products could make it difficult to grant UK novel food approval to CBD ingredients producers and white label manufacturers ...

US voters in another five states give thumbs up to legalising cannabis

Written by CBD-Intel || 5th November 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Policy and Politics

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

One in three US citizens will soon be living in states where recreational cannabis is legal, while around 70% will have access to some form of medical cannabis programme after voters had their say ...

No to legalisation, suggests New Zealand referendum preliminary counts

Written by Freddie Dawson || 30th October 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Australasia

New Zealand

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

A push to legalise cannabis has not been successful in New Zealand, according to reports of preliminary counts ...

No plans to ease restrictions on flowers, says UK Home Office

Written by CBD-Intel || 29th October 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

United Kingdom

EU regulation

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

The UK Home Office has stated it has no plans to ease restrictions on using flowers for extraction before the EU exit transition period ends on 1st January 2021 ...

Funding and support promised for hemp sector development in Yunnan

Written by CBD-Intel || 29th October 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

China

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

A CNY5bn ($745m) fund and three years of CNY100m ($14.9m) funding have been promised as part of a hemp sector development plan for Kunming City, the capital of Yunnan Province ...

Italian vape stores prohibited from selling CBD products

Written by CBD-Intel || 26th October 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Italy

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Italian vape stores will not be able to sell CBD products following the publication of a circular ...

CBD and hemp regulation: confusion in the US

Written by CBD-Intel || 23rd October 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

Regulation of CBD at the federal level remains confusingly divided between multiple agencies. Three main bodies have overall control of most aspects of hemp and CBD consumer product regulation ...

CBD and hemp regulation: the US DEA and its authority

Written by CBD-Intel || 23rd October 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp and compounds derived from hemp (including CBD) from the CSA. Therefore, the DEA should have very little involvement in enforcing laws and regulations on hemp and CBD ...

CBD and hemp regulation: the US FDA and its authority

Written by CBD-Intel || 23rd October 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Regulation and Legislation

Regulatory briefing

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a critical agency in the regulatory scheme of CBD products. The 2018 Farm Bill, which legalised hemp and CBD derived from it, granted the FDA the authority to regulate hemp...