Hemp extracts

Industry group clarifies hemp definition in wake of Delta-8 THC confusion

10-Mar-2021 By Hank Schultz

Recent news reports about the marketing of products featuring Delta-8 THC as a prominent constituent have muddied the waters enough that the US Hemp Roundtable felt it necessary to clarify again what should—and shouldn’t—be called a hemp product.

NPA urges FDA to stem tide of counterfeit products, move forward on CBD

07-Jan-2021 By Hank Schultz

Federal regulators could do more to protect consumers by using existing import authorities as well as moving forward on hemp/CBD regulation, the National Products Association has said.

NutraVideo: Hemp Synergistics and SDC Nutrition announce collaboration

08-Dec-2020 By Danielle Masterson

Hemp Synergistics, a biotech company dedicated to making intelligent hemp products, recently announced that its broad-spectrum hemp oil will be used by global supplement manufacturer SDC Nutrition.

CBD news: New extraction facility; products planned for Latin American markets

01-Oct-2020 By Hank Schultz

A new extraction facility is about to come online in Florida, while at the same time a California company is planning a launch of CBD products in Brazil and Uruguay.

GNC meets with White House office to advocate for CBD in supplements

30-Sep-2020 By Hank Schultz

GW Pharmaceuticals and supplement retailer GNC have reportedly been among the companies meeting recently with a White House division to discuss aspects of CBD regulation.

Recent upheavals put renewed emphasis on minority representation in cannabis/hemp sphere

14-Sep-2020 By Hank Schultz

The recent upheavals in the United States around race relations has the nation questioning the insidious role prejudice has played in many walks of life. One group is seeking to use that rekindled awareness as added leverage to ensure equal opportunity...

Lazarus Naturals surfs growing wave of CBG products

31-Aug-2020 By Hank Schultz

Hemp plants contain dozens of bioactive cannabinoid molecules and one of them, CBG, is starting to edge onto the main stage with its better known peer, CBD.

Despite raw material oversupply issues, hemp/CBD market forecast to grow strongly

28-Aug-2020 By Hank Schultz

Robust growth for the hemp/CBD sector was forecast during an online event hosted yesterday by the American Herbal Products Association.

CBD industry headed toward big overcapacity, expert asserts

24-Aug-2020 By Hank Schultz

The hemp/CBD industry may have gotten the cart before the horse in terms of extraction capacity and raw material supply, said an investment analyst familiar with the sector.

Hemp groups dial up pressure for federal CBD regulation

21-Aug-2020 By Hank Schultz

Hemp industry groups have been submitting plans to the federal government for regulation of the space, something they say is urgently needed.

Upcoming event aims to help fill regulatory holes in hemp/CBD industry

20-Aug-2020 By Hank Schultz

Nascent hemp/CBD firms are often woefully unprepared for the regulatory compliance side of operating a dietary supplement firm, something an upcoming industry event aims to help fix.

Folium Biosciences joins growing list of Colorado hemp heavyweights

17-Aug-2020 By Hank Schultz

The announcement by Colorado company Folium Biosciences of a large new extraction facility bolsters the state's position as a world leader in installed CBD extraction capacity.

New player stands to benefit from need for THC testing in Texas’ first hemp crop

10-Aug-2020 By Hank Schultz

With the first full season of hemp agriculture in Texas underway, Santé Labs, an Austin-based analytical lab and contract manufacturing development firm, said it is ready to help hemp farmers with reliable THC level testing.

Advocates hopeful bill will pass this month to open California to CBD in supplements and foods

04-Aug-2020 By Hank Schultz

A bill before the California State legislature would open the country’s largest market to dietary supplements and foods containing CBD, but advocates say time is running out while the machinery of state government is preoccupied with pandemic concerns.

New high capacity Colorado CBD extractor enters market

31-Jul-2020 By Hank Schultz

Vantage Hemp, a new hemp/CBD processor, is entering the market with a high capacity facility nearing completion in Colorado.

Amendment to military funding bill would allow soldiers to openly use CBD products

24-Jul-2020 By Hank Schultz

An amendment to a military funding bill would make it possible for military personnel to openly use hemp/CBD products for the first time. While advocates welcome the development, there is little prospect that CBD products will become part of standard...

CBD and female sexual wellness: An emerging category

08-Jul-2020 By Danielle Masterson

It’s been promoted for relaxation, muscle spasms, depression, gastrointestinal issues, and more. Now, a number of products claim cannabidiol can help in the bedroom.

Hemp extract manufacturer says organic certification will provide powerful differentiator

18-Jun-2020 By Hank Schultz

Hemp extract manufacturer Socati Corp. says its new USDA Organic certification will prove to be an important differentiator in a crowded field.

CBD firms team up with CRO to conduct large scale safety study

10-Jun-2020 By Hank Schultz

A group of hemp/CBD purveyors have teamed up with a clinical research firm to conduct a large scale study to provide the safety data that the US Food and Drug Administration says it lacks.

Warning letter cites CBD’s regulatory status as leading issue

03-Jun-2020 By Hank Schultz

A recent warning letter to a Colorado dietary supplement formulator has put front and center FDA’s determination that CBD should not be a constituent of dietary supplements.

Post-market surveillance supports safety and tolerability of PlusCBD products

27-May-2020 By Stephen Daniells

Data collected over two years of post-market surveillance offers strong support for the safety and tolerability of PlusCBD products from CV Sciences, with fewer than 0.03% of products producing any kind of adverse event.

‘No CBD isolate’ and ‘zero THC’ claims indicative on ongoing regulatory uncertainty

21-May-2020 By Hank Schultz

New claims creeping into the hemp/CBD space are indicative of the some of the unsolved regulatory issues that continue to distort the market. These include claims of ‘zero THC’ and ‘no CBD isolate.’

Texas proposes rules for consumable hemp products

11-May-2020 By Hank Schultz

The state of Texas has proposed rules for consumable hemp products that specify processing, testing, labeling and registration requirements. While the rules are characterized as reasonable and well thought out, they represent another patch in a state-by-state...

New Virginia law recognizes hemp extracts as food

22-Apr-2020 By Hank Schultz

The State of Virginia has passed a law defining hemp extracts as an approved food. The law also allows a more liberal amount of THC in these products during the growth phase than does the federal description of industrial hemp.

Large Colorado CBD producer announces program to keep hemp farmers in market

16-Apr-2020 By Hank Schultz

Colorado based CBD producer EcoGen Laboratories has announced a program to support hemp farmers during a tumultuous time in the market.

From the editor's desk

Girl who inspired CBD movement has passed, but passion driving it has not

10-Apr-2020 By Hank Schultz

The sad news came this week of the death of a young girl who started a movement, one which has exposed again the built-in strains of how the dietary supplement market is regulated in the United States.

Curaleaf buoyed by increase in hemp oil demand during crisis

30-Mar-2020 By Hank Schultz

Consumers seem to be turning to hemp and cannabis products during the current crisis, which has buoyed the near term outlook for Curaleaf, one of the largest companies in the sector, which posted strong revenue growth in its recent annual report.

CBD pioneer Charlotte’s Web exits startup phase with $95 million in revenue, acquisition

24-Mar-2020 By Hank Schultz

CBD firm Charlotte’s Web reported $94.6 million in revenue in its annual report and announced an acquisition that expands its distribution into topical products.

FDA report on CBD seen as ‘disappointing’ recap of status quo

06-Mar-2020 By Hank Schultz, Elaine Watson and Elizabeth Crawford

A report on CBD delivered by FDA Commissioner Dr Stephen Hahn, MD, was seen by food and dietary supplement industry stakeholders as offering little hope of a timely regulatory solution for the ingredient.

Test finds poor quality in Greek CBD products; experts divided on what is means for US

02-Mar-2020 By Hank Schultz

A recent release of test results by an Israeli company claimed to find big discrepancies between label claim and actual product content for CBD products on the market in Greece. Stakeholders here had a range of views as to how relevant the findings are...

FDA chief Hahn says it would be ‘fool’s game’ to try to shut down CBD markets

28-Feb-2020 By Hank Schultz

FDA Commissioner Dr Stephen Hahn, MD, in a speech on Wednesday, said that despite its continued concern about insufficient safety data, the FDA has no plans to try to shut down the CBD markets. Hahn said that would amount to a “fool’s game.”

FDA asks for $5 million for CBD initiatives; industry groups cautiously in favor

12-Feb-2020 By Hank Schultz

A $5 million FDA budget request earmarked for CBD initiatives has garnered the cautious support of dietary supplement stakeholders.

Infinite Product Co: ‘A lawsuit based on CBD product labeling and marketing is particularly ill-suited for nationwide class treatment’

22-Jan-2020 By Elaine Watson

Emboldened by a recent court ruling in Florida that stayed a CBD-related class action on primary jurisdiction grounds (ie. putting the case on ice until the FDA weighs in), multiple brands hit with similar lawsuits are now pushing for stays and referencing...

Views differ sharply on whether CBD legislation is best way to break logjam

17-Jan-2020 By Hank Schultz

Dietary supplement industry stakeholders are divided over whether proposed legislation to alter the regulatory definitions of dietary ingredients to specifically include CBD is the best way to break the logjam on the substance.

Warning letter analysis shows FDA has target on CBD, not hemp

16-Jan-2020 By Hank Schultz

An analysis of recent warning letters underscores the notion that FDA is focused its enforcement efforts on CBD, and is not targeting hemp extracts per se.

Stakeholders: FDA vacancies will hurt, but agency will weather storm

15-Jan-2020 By Hank Schultz

Industry stakeholders say that while critical vacancies at the US Food and Drug Administration come at an awkward time they believe the agency will fulfill its responsibilities.

Bill introduced to add CBD to DSHEA’s supplement definitions

14-Jan-2020 By Hank Schultz

Building on a regulatory foundation already laid for hemp ingredients, Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) has proposed a bill that would include CBD under the definition of dietary supplements found in DSHEA.

Guest article

CBD, climate crisis, sustainability: ABC takes a look at 2019 and beyond

20-Dec-2019 By Stefan Gafner and Mark Blumenthal, American Botanical Council

The news about CBD and hemp extracts dominated 2019, says the American Botanical Council. But issues surrounding the ongoing climate crisis, questions of sustainability, and the ongoing questions of adulteration were important topics as well.

Guest article

CBD, regulatory creep, and continued growth top AHPA's 2019 high points

18-Dec-2019 By Michael McGuffin, president, American Herbal Products Association

Questions surrounding the hemp/CBD trade, a recognition of the continued popularity of herbal supplements, and a casting a wary eye toward regulatory creep topped the list of 2019 concerns for the American Herbal Products Association.

Federal funding measure falls short on hemp/CBD, stakeholders say

17-Dec-2019 By Hank Schultz

An interim federal government funding measure does not include language creating a legal pathway for hemp/CBD products, despite advocacy on the part of stakeholders including lawmakers and trade organizations.

New York law sets stage for strictly regulated market for cannabinoids

11-Dec-2019 By Hank Schultz

New York State recently put into place regulations that govern hemp cultivation within its borders. In addition, the new law creates a regulatory framework specific to the trade in cannabinoid extracts and finished goods.

Relevium launches organic hemp products in US

05-Dec-2019 By Hank Schultz

Canadian hemp producer Relevium Technologies has launched a line of organic products in the US market under the LeefyLyfe brand name.

Colorado firm Straight Hemp joins growing list of certified companies

05-Dec-2019 By Hank Schultz

Colorado hemp company Straight Hemp is the latest to join the growing cadre of companies certified by the US Hemp Authority.

Appeals court decision, recent warning letters open door for more CBD suits

04-Dec-2019 By Hank Schultz

A recent appellate court decision coupled with a spate of warning letters sets the stage for more class action lawsuits like the proposed ones filed against CBD companies this week, experts say.

Results from largest publicly held cannabis company underpin meteoric growth projections for CBD sector

03-Dec-2019 By Hank Schultz

Publicly held CBD companies have now been in business long enough to report comparative financial results which back up the common perception that sales in the sector continue to boom.

Charlotte's Web, second firm hit with class action suits over CBD's uncertain regulatory status

03-Dec-2019 By Hank Schultz

Hemp-derived CBD brands Charlotte’s Web and Infinite Product Co. have both been hit with proposed class action lawsuits filed in California that allege they misled consumers by marketing their products as dietary supplements when FDA has specifically...

Growing concerns prompt senators to urge USDA to adopt new hemp rules

27-Nov-2019 By Danielle Masterson

Sparked by proposed US Department of Agriculture regulations that would drastically alter the certification process for industrial hemp, two lawmakers from Oregon want the agency to make several changes before it finalizes rules for the US Domestic Hemp...

Defendants hit back in CBD content lawsuits: ‘Naturally occurring nutrients have an 80% safe harbor’

25-Nov-2019 By Elaine Watson

Defendants in a recent spate of lawsuits alleging discrepancies between the amount of CBD advertised on pack and the amount contained in the products, have hit back in motions to dismiss, with one arguing that such cases should be stayed until the FDA...

Trade group, state legislature turn up CBD pressure on FDA

22-Nov-2019 By Hank Schultz

Pressure continues to build to find a resolution to the CBD impasse. A trade organization and a state government have filed notices with FDA on the issue.