News analysis for professionals in the cannabis industry

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

Written by Freddie Dawson | 1st December 2020

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

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

Newer brands perform better in labelling accuracy for edibles, report finds

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 30th November 2020

More established brands performed worse than their new upstart rivals in the latest report on CBD labelling accuracy ...

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

Written by CannIntelligence | 27th November 2020

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 CannIntelligence | 25th November 2020

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 ...

Switzerland opens a door by allowing non-EU catalogue varietals to be grown

Written by Freddie Dawson | 24th November 2020

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

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

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...

Opponents unlikely to derail Arizona recreational cannabis legalisation

Written by Anthony Traurig | 20th November 2020

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...

Aurora closes overnight offering in continued attempts to raise funds

Written by CannIntelligence | 20th November 2020

Aurora Cannabis continues to raise money and issue shares, despite facing allegations of misleading statements in a class-action lawsuit filed by investors ...

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

Written by Freddie Dawson | 19th November 2020

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 ...

The cannabinoid drinks market is getting crowded – but it still takes a lot of bottle

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 19th November 2020

Current lack of success in Canada and unsupportive regulations in the US have not stopped cannabinoid companies from exploring the beverages sector ...

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

Written by CannIntelligence | 18th November 2020

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

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...

The good, the bad and the troublesome – could CBD and nicotine make a match?

Written by CannIntelligence | 17th November 2020

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

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

Expect US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations on CBD by the second half of 2021, according to leading brand Charlotte’s Web ...

Ukraine moves towards potential medical cannabis legalisation

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th November 2020

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...

Raided German firm expects to get its vending machines back, minus flowers

Written by CannIntelligence | 13th November 2020

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 CannIntelligence | 12th November 2020

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 CannIntelligence | 11th November 2020

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 CannIntelligence | 10th November 2020

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...

Will US FDA ever publish its guidance on CBD enforcement? Who knows when?

Written by CannIntelligence | 9th November 2020

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 ...

Italian health ministry suspends its decree defining oral CBD as medication

Written by CannIntelligence | 6th November 2020

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

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 CannIntelligence | 5th November 2020

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 ...

Little fear of a glut in the UK market if EU decides to classify CBD as a narcotic

Written by CannIntelligence | 3rd November 2020

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 ...

No to legalisation, suggests New Zealand referendum preliminary counts

Written by Freddie Dawson | 30th October 2020

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

USPS cuts could impact CBD industry through increased shipping prices

Written by Freddie Dawson | 30th October 2020

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

The US Food and Drink Administration (FDA) has issued a warning letter to the CBD company For Our Vets over COVID-19 health claims ...

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

Written by CannIntelligence | 29th October 2020

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 CannIntelligence | 29th October 2020

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 ...

Black Friday novelty diminishes to make way for longer sales period

Written by CannIntelligence | 27th October 2020

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...

Italian vape stores prohibited from selling CBD products

Written by CannIntelligence | 26th October 2020

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 CannIntelligence | 23rd October 2020

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 CannIntelligence | 23rd October 2020

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 and hemp regulation: the US FDA and its authority

Written by CannIntelligence | 23rd October 2020

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...

CBD and hemp regulation: the USDA and its authority

Written by CannIntelligence | 23rd October 2020

Among the most important obligations delegated to it in the Farm Bill, the USDA is responsible for rule making regarding production and testing of hemp and approving state and tribal plans for hemp production ...

Nestlé enters European CBD market with soft gel capsules

Written by CannIntelligence | 23rd October 2020

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...

Ministerial decree causes further confusion for the Italian market

Written by CannIntelligence | 22nd October 2020

A ministerial decree listing oral administration of CBD as a medicine under Italy’s Narcotics Law is meant to clear the way for the introduction of Epidyolex into the market, not to prevent consumer wellness...

EU 'tax' on plastic packaging waste could mean another tangle of red tape

Written by Pablo Cano Trilla | 20th October 2020

EU member states will have to decide how to implement a planned European levy on non-recycled plastic packaging waste – to fund it from national budgets or make industry pay for the waste it produces...

Behind the mask: ads regulator refers claims to US Federal Trade Commission

Written by Freddie Dawson | 20th October 2020

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) ...

Lobbyists hard at work for regulatory change as US elections approach

Written by CannIntelligence | 19th October 2020

With US elections on 3rd November fast approaching, lobbyists for CBD, cannabis and hemp are eager to get their message across to candidates on both sides of the political divide ...

Red yeast rice and stem cells could point the way ahead for FDA regulation of CBD

Written by CannIntelligence | 16th October 2020

The apparently unrelated fields of red yeast rice and stem cell research could provide clues as to how the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) might deal with market regulation of CBD ...

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

Written by Freddie Dawson | 14th October 2020

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 CannIntelligence | 13th October 2020

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 ...

Costa Rica looks set to legalise hemp and medical cannabis production

Written by CannIntelligence | 9th October 2020

A Costa Rican bill legalising the production of hemp and medical cannabis looks likely to pass due to broad support from the ruling coalition and president ...

Canada or the US: which makes the better home for your CBD or cannabis business?

Written by CannIntelligence | 8th October 2020

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

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 CannIntelligence | 7th October 2020

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 ...

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