dylanramsey – Page 4

Study Finds Cannabis Compounds Prevent Infection By Covid-19 Virus

Posted on January 11, 2022January 26, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: Forbes .com | Author: A.J. Herrington | Jan 11, 2022

Compounds in cannabis can prevent infection from the virus that causes Covid-19 by blocking its entry into cells, according to a study published this week by researchers affiliated with Oregon State University. A report on the research, “Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Variants,” was published online on Monday by the Journal of Natural Products.

The researchers found that two cannabinoid acids commonly found in hemp varietals of cannabis, cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, also known as CBDA, can bind to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. By binding to the spike protein, the compounds can prevent the virus from entering cells and causing infection, potentially offering new avenues to prevent and treat the disease.

“Orally bioavailable and with a long history of safe human use, these cannabinoids, isolated or in hemp extracts, have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2,” the researchers wrote in an abstract of the study.

The study was led by Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center in the College of Pharmacy and Linus Pauling Institute, in collaboration with scientists at the Oregon Health & Science University. Van Breeman said that the cannabinoids studied are common and readily available.

“These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in many hemp extracts,” van Breemen said, as quoted by local media. “They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans.”

End of article.

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Hemp experts say 2023 Farm Bill could even playing field between US and rival countries

Posted on October 21, 2021January 26, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempIndustryDaily.com | Author: Kate Lavin | Oct 21, 2021

Closing the gaps between the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills could provide U.S. hemp companies with “a leg up on international trade,” according to Joy Beckerman, principal at New York-based Hemp Ace International.

Beckerman spoke Tuesday at the Hemp Industry Daily Forum, a daylong preconference event held in Las Vegas in connection with MJBizCon.

U.S. hemp companies looking to open new international markets may be eligible for government grants and programs to fund costs such as travel, said Larry Farnsworth, senior vice president of communications and marketing for the National Industrial Hemp Council.

Federal funds for such such business-development projects opened to hemp companies when the 2018 Farm Bill legalized the cultivation, processing and sale of hemp and hemp-derived products.

Trouble at home

Disparities between the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bill documents continue to create strife in the United States, however.

Regulators in some hemp markets adhere to rules from the 2014 Farm Bill, while others follow the 2018 document, making “some people think they are at a disadvantage to their neighboring states,” Farnsworth said.

Garrett Graff, partner at Moye White law firm in Denver, said he expects the 2023 Farm Bill to contain more harmonization of the two packages of federal legislation, along with further insight about testing rules required by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

He also expects environmental, social and corporate governance to play a larger role in the updated Farm Bill.

In the nearer term, NIHC’s Farnsworth predicted the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives would affirm the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s authority over hemp. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 1698, the Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act, stands to clarify that hemp-derived CBD can be included in dietary supplements and food.

Planning for 2023

For her part, Beckerman would like to see the federally legal plant treated as such going forward.

Additionally, she said the 2023 Farm Bill should make clear that naturally occurring cannabinoids are a part of federally legal hemp, meaning the sale and use of hemp-derived CBD and other cannabinoids in finished products should not be subject to criminal enforcement in the United States.

“We defined a plant in the Farm Bill. We didn’t define a finished product, but that is what we are dealing with,” she said.

Other key issues Beckerman would like clarified in the 2023 Farm Bill include a repeal of the drug felon ban, which precludes individuals convicted of certain drug crimes from growing hemp for 10 years, and the ability to repurpose hemp that tests above the 0.3% THC limit for construction materials, plastics and other purposes.

Hemp content at MJBizCon

The Hemp Industry Daily Forum was one of three preconference events held as part of MJBizCon at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

In addition to several dozen educational sessions, MJBizCon includes a trade show with more than 1,000 exhibitors for the cannabis industry. Register for MJBizCon at mjbizconference.com.

I’m pregnant. Can I take CBD?

Posted on October 1, 2021January 26, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempToday.net | Author: Jenny Dembiec | Oct 1, 2021

Q: I sell CBD in my store and a customer asked, “I’m pregnant. Can I take CBD?”

A: This is such a good question! The CBD industry is not doing a wonderful job of addressing this topic. In fact, the CBD industry rarely mentions when you should not be using CBD. Reputable CBD companies are answering this question on their websites or through customer education, but there are unfortunately only a few companies that do so.

Back to your question! It is important to know what you are selling and be ready for questions. Of course, your customers should always consult with their physician. However, there are questions that arise, that as the retailer, you should be able to answer. The answer is: if you are pregnant or breast feeding you should not be using CBD.

Why, you might ask, can’t pregnant/breast feeding women take CBD? Truth be told, there is very limited data on pregnant women using CBD. There are animal studies that suggest some toxicity. So, it is advised not to use CBD during pregnancy. As for breast-feeding, there are no human clinical data on CBD in human milk, the effects on milk production, or the effects on the breastfed infant. However, animal studies do show changes in the lactating animal when given CBD. We know that CBD is highly protein bound and will probably pass into the milk. Therefore, to be cautious, breast-feeding women should not use CBD.

In conclusion, when you sell CBD in your store, don’t act like a doctor. Instead, be informed and be able to answer basic, important questions. Referring your customers to their physicians for medical advice and answers is always advised. Just make sure you know what you know and stay in your own lane!

Czech change on THC limit sets an example for other EU states

Posted on September 27, 2021January 26, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempToday.net | Author: Hemp Today | Sept 27, 2021

Amendments to Czech law that would raise the national THC limit for industrial hemp to 1.0% could spark other EU countries to revisit their current limits. But the change is not likely to affect farmers, who can’t qualify for subsidies if their hemp crops are over the EU limit of 0.2%, and food and cosmetics rules still must be changed to establish a legal pathway to market for those products.

Czech President Miloš Zeman is expected to sign the bill after the Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies sent it to his desk earlier this month.

Changing the amount of THC allowable in hemp plants to 1.0% would put the Czech limit well beyond that of the EU, even after the European Parliament voted last October to increase the authorized THC level for industrial hemp “on the field” from 0.2% to 0.3%.

Farm subsidies critical

In addition to direct cash offsets, many European farmers growing hemp have depended on direct subsidies or EU Rural Development Programme funds as security for agricultural loans and deferred payments. To be eligible for those funds, farmers’ crops may not go beyond the EU’s 0.2% THC limit despite local laws which may be different.

But the Czech law pushing the THC level beyond the EU limit could nonetheless serve as a beacon to other member states, stakeholders say.

“It’s definitely an interesting signal to other EU countries, and maybe it can eventually help to bring the European THC level to 1.0% in the long run,” said Boris Baňas, Chief Sales Officer at Czech-based CBDepot, who estimated that process could take “more than a year or two.”

While the EU-wide change to 0.3% THC is not expected to be in effect until 2023, member states are now in the process of adjusting their national laws to align with the updated limit after the change was included in the most recent round of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms.

Trend to 1.0% THC

Many nations around the world are establishing 1.0% THC as their national limits, breaking with the generally accepted global guidance of 0.3% that has been observed since hemp re-emerged in the 1990s.

“Many countries are at 1% already, including Switzerland and Australia,” said veteran American cannabis consultant Richard Rose, who has suggested that certification of hemp varieties should imply legal THC levels. “Not testing THC for approved varieties is what I’ve been advocating for years, since government certification should count for SOMEthing,” Rose said.

The higher limit is important especially for CBD producers; higher THC means higher levels of CBD, as the two compounds rise in proportion. For farmers, it means much less risk of their crops going “hot,” or over the allowable THC level.

“EIHA welcomes this modern approach to THC limits, which is in line with the global development of commercial hemp cultivation,” European Industrial Hemp Association President Daniel Kruse said of the new Czech law.

Decriminalizing extracts

Aside from resetting the THC limit for hemp “on the field,” the new law would mean possession of hemp extracts and tinctures with less than 1% THC won’t be considered a criminal act. “But it doesn’t mean you can infuse any food or cosmetics as such,” Baňas said. Those rules must still be changed to create a legal market.

In a report to Czech Senators outlining the new law, CzecHemp, a stakeholder cluster, said the package of amendments “opens the possibility to manufacture and market products up to a maximum of 1.0% of tetrahydrocannabinol,” but notes that provisions in the new law are “without prejudice to other regulations,” and that products “must be safe and non-misuse.”

While the new law won’t lead to immediate marketability of food and cosmetics, it would decriminalize hemp-based health aids or “cosmetics” often home-made by Czech seniors, according to CzecHemp.

Little effect on processing

While the THC limit change could lead to more latitude and less bureaucracy for extractors, Baňas is skeptical about that. “THC often goes over 1% in hemp processing,” he said. “That means those companies will still need to have authorization for handling that material.”

Under the updated medical cannabis provisions in the new law, multiple licensed private groups could be authorized to manufacture medical cannabis products. Proponents say the changes would expand the availability and diversity of products through competition certain to drive down prices to patients.

In other interpretations from CzecHemp, the new law also:

Introduces the term “technical hemp,” (industrial hemp) defined as a plant which comes from seeds listed in the European Catalog or from which hemp with a content of up to 1% THC can be produced.
Removes a requirement that processors of “technical cannabis” have authorization to handle addictive substances.
Establishes the term “hemp extract for medical use” defined as “intended for the preparation of an individually prepared medicinal product.” CzecHemp said the State Institute for Drug Control must still amend existing legislation to set conditions for “prescribing, preparation, distribution, dispensing and use of individually prepared medicinal products containing cannabis for therapeutic use.”

House Officially Passes Defense Bill With Marijuana Banking Protections, But Key Senators May Block Path Ahead

Posted on September 23, 2021January 26, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: Marijuana Moment.net | Author: Kyle Jaeger | Sept 23, 2021

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved a large-scale defense spending bill that includes an amendment to shield banks that works with state-legal marijuana businesses from being penalized by federal regulators. Now advocates and industry stakeholders are left wondering: what’s the fate of the reform in the Senate? And can it make it to the president’s desk?

New comments from Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)—who’s helping lead the charge to advance comprehensive marijuana legalization and who has been severely critical of efforts to enact banking reform first—signal that the path to pass the incremental policy change through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) could be in jeopardy in the Senate. Other key senators have also expressed skepticism about the reform’s prospects through this process.

For supporters, things may have been more simple if the Senate had moved to include cannabis banking reform in its own version, but the text of NDAA released by Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday does not contain that language. That means the matter will need to be settled in a bicameral conference committee after the full Senate formally passes its bill. At that point, negotiators from both chambers will work to resolve differences between their separate proposals.

Already, there’s pushback from key senators to including the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act in the NDAA that’s ultimately sent to President Joe Biden. That’s not especially surprising considering that leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), has insisted on passing comprehensive justice-focused marijuana legalization first rather than advance an incremental reform on banking. But recent statements do raise questions about the prospects of enacting the reform through the defense bill.

It’s not that the SAFE Banking Act is partisan or especially controversial on its face; it’s a matter of legislative priorities for certain senators and a question of germaneness in NDAA. As of Tuesday, when the reform amendment was officially attached to the House version of the bill, it has now passed five times in the chamber, usually along largely bipartisan lines.

Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), chief sponsor of the SAFE Banking Act, spoke with Marijuana Moment about the process moving forward in a phone interview on Wednesday. He was optimistic about the measure’s prospects with NDAA as the vehicle, though he conceded that he hadn’t spoken with Schumer or other key senators who are actively finalizing legalization legislation that they hope to see move first.

“I think the fifth time is the charm,” he said. “I mean, obviously, we still have to do some work to make sure that it remains part of the NDAA as the House and the Senate go to conference. So we still have work to do with the Senate to make sure that it remains part of it. But I think that it will.”

“I mean, the fact that it deals with cartels and national security, on top of the need for the public safety piece of this thing, I think that we’ll be able to convince the conference committee and the conferees generally to keep it in,” he said. “But we still have work to do.”

Brazilian scientists test CBD against COVID-19 long-haul symptoms

Posted on September 16, 2021January 26, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempIndustryDaily.com | Author: Hemp Industry Daily | Sept 16, 2021

Scientists in Brazil are in the third phase of research testing CBD for the treatment of Long Covid, the persistence of COVID-19 symptoms for more than 60 days.

The effects of Long Covid, capable of recurring for months after infection, can include fatigue, headaches, muscle weakness and insomnia.

Because consumers have been using CBD over the counter for relief from a number of issues, the researchers decided to test it against the coronavirus, according to The Rio Times.

The third phase of the trial will recruit 1,000 volunteers.

CA lawmakers approve hemp regulatory bill that divided marijuana sector

Posted on September 12, 2021February 21, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempIndustryDaily.com | Author: John Schroyer | Sept 9, 2021

A long-debated bill to establish new hemp rules in California – but which drew the ire of business owners in both the hemp and marijuana sectors – has gained final approval from state lawmakers.

The measure easily passed both the state Senate and Assembly this week and is now on its way to the governor for his signature.

Among other things, the bill would:

Allow hemp extracts – including CBD – to be added to foods, beverages, cosmetics and pet products.
Establish new rules for hemp farmers and businesses, akin to the regulatory framework for marijuana companies, such as lab testing standards.
Hold out-of-state hemp products imported into California to the new state standards.
Ban the sale of intoxicating THC isomers such as delta-8 THC outside regulated cannabis sales channels.
Permit the sale of smokable hemp, but only once lawmakers agree on a new tax for “inhalable products.” The timing for such a tax is uncertain. Producers could make smokable-hemp products for out-of-state sale right away.

The passage of the bill was the result of years of effort to update industry rules for California’s hemp companies.

Up until its passage, the measure remained a divisive issue among marijuana and hemp industry stakeholders.

The marijuana industry stands to benefit because low-THC hemp products now will be subject to the same regulations, testing and taxing that MJ businesses are subject to. Thus, companies selling low-THC products will have a harder time undercutting marijuana businesses.

According to a state legislative analysis issued Wednesday, supporters of the measure included the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, California Cannabis Industry Association, California Hemp Council, Cannabis Beverage Association and a few marijuana companies such as Canadian producer Canopy Growth.

“These critical changes to California law will drive economic opportunity and boost job growth by providing certainty to farmers, manufacturers, and retailers through a clear roadmap for expansion by providing consumers with a regulated CBD marketplace,” David Culver, Canopy’s vice president of global government relations, said in a news release.

There were vocal opponents, though, including the California Hemp Association, Cannabis Distribution Association and a number of regional MJ cultivation trade groups such as the Origins Council.

Some changed their formal stance to neutral after several last-minute amendments, according to the Los Angeles-based United Cannabis Business Association.

The final version of the bill “finally moves toward establishing a legitimate foundation upon which we can build responsible policies for all cannabinoid products of all origins,” the UCBA said in a release.

California had 479 hemp growers on 17,184 acres in 2020.

Nevada first state to allow veterinary CBD treatment

Posted on September 9, 2021January 26, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempIndustryDaily.com | Author: Hemp Industry Daily | Sept 9, 2021

Nevada veterinarians are the first in the nation to win permission to treat animals with cannabinoids, including CBD.

A new law taking effect Oct. 1 clears vets to recommend and administer hemp and cannabidiol products below 0.3% THC without fear of sanction from the state licensing board, the American Veterinary Medical Association reported Thursday in its journal.

CBD is commonly sold through veterinary channels in all states. But veterinarians could be sanctioned for administering it because the products haven’t been approved for animal use by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration.

The ban remains in place despite promising research on CBD to treat epilepsy in dogs. The FDA allows doctors to prescribe CBD to treat human epilepsy, but the cannabinoid remains off-limits for veterinarians.

The sponsor of the Nevada measure, Assemblyman Steve Yeager, told the AVMA that he hopes more states clear paths for veterinary cannabinoid use.

“I certainly hope that other states follow Nevada’s lead and provide reassurances to licensed veterinarians that they can administer CBD or talk about it with patients without fear of facing disciplinary proceedings,” he said.

Market analytics giant NielsenIQ, which tracks sales of hemp-derived CBD, predicts that pet CBD sales will be roughly $300 million this year and about $500 million by 2025.

Florida ag commissioner backs marijuana legalization to clear way for hemp

Posted on September 9, 2021February 21, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempToday.net | Author: Hemp Today | Sept 2, 2021

A lack of clarity in federal cannabis laws is suppressing growth of the legal hemp industry, according to Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who this week wrote a letter to U.S. Senate leaders backing cannabis reform legislation that would end the prohibition on marijuana.

In the letter, addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY), Senator Ron Wyden (OR), and Senator Cory Booker (NJ), the bill’s sponsors, Fried also emphasized the need for the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to classify hemp as a food ingredient.

Fried said the current arbitrary line defining when a product is deemed hemp and legal versus marijuana and illegal often means hemp farmers have problems with access to capital, federal research funding, insurance protections, disaster relief, federal trade promotion programs, and employment protections.

Conflicts

“While the burgeoning growth of the hemp industry is promising, it has also revealed the need for federal action to resolve the conflicts arising from the federal prohibition of marijuana,” Fried wrote in the letter, dated Aug. 31.

Fried’s recommendations address the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, legislation proposed by the three senators which would end the federal marijuana ban while allowing states to determine their own cannabis laws.

“If left unresolved, these unnecessary hurdles could suppress the growth of the hemp industry that is projected to increase at 32 percent annually through 2027 as our nation moves toward more environmental and health-conscious products,” the commissioner wrote.

Federal inaction also means state-legal marijuana industries are stifled, Fried warned.

Focus on food

FDA classification of hemp as a food ingredient would also qualify its derivatives for inclusion in supplements, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS). If hemp, on the other hand, is first recognized as a supplement, it may not then cross over and be used as a food ingredient (despite the fact that supplement manufacturing standards are more stringent than those for making food).

Florida’s current legal and regulatory structures are “built on the understanding that hemp is a food additive,” FDACS noted in analysis Fried included with her letter to the senators.

Progress, challenges

Florida has approved more than 800 hemp cultivation permits for farmers in 65 of the state’s 67 counties since FDACS began accepting applications to grow industrial hemp early in 2020. Roughly 22,000 of 30,000 acres approved for planting were farmed last year, according to FDACS figures, representing at least a theoretical economic impact of roughly $300 million, with $136 million in revenue and more than 8,000 jobs created.

But researchers studying hemp’s potential in Florida say they haven’t yet found many hemp varieties viable in the state’s tropical and subtropical climates – a challenge faced by agronomy experts from Latin America to Africa to Southeast Asia, where countries are rushing to roll out hemp initiatives. Regions at tropical latitudes have struggled to find varieties that will flourish and still meet rules governing maximum amounts of THC.

Costs of prohibition

Florida’s hemp plan has been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but the state opted to remain under rules in the 2014 Farm Bill hemp pilot program for one more year after the USDA offered that option at the end of 2020. Hemp states without federally approved plans got the one-year extension to give regulators more time to harmonize local and federal laws.

Fried said marijuana legalization would also help resolve conflicts between federal and state laws governing medical and adult-use cannabis. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would expunge federal non-violent marijuana crimes, and reinvest federal cannabis tax revenue into communities historically afflicted by the “War on Drugs.”

“Continued marijuana criminalization demands billions in social, economic, and criminal justice costs, while forgoing billions in potential tax revenue,” Fried wrote in her letter to the Senators.

NFL will fund $1 million in research grants on pain management and cannabinoids

Posted on June 23, 2021February 21, 2022 by dylanramsey

Source: HempIndustrialDaily.com | Author: Hemp Industrial Daily | Jun 9, 2021

The National Football League’s pain management committee and the NFL Players Association announced Tuesday that they will provide $1 million to fund up to five research grants on pain management and cannabinoids.

The grants are expected to be awarded in November.

Interest in the use of cannabinoids, including medical marijuana, outpaces available evidence, according to Dr. Kevin Hill, co-chair of the NFL’s pain management committee and director of addiction psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital in Boston.

Hill, who wrote “Marijuana: The Unbiased Truth about the World’s Most Popular Weed,” said the committee has heard mixed results about using cannabis to treat pain, and that medical marijuana and CBD may be risky, citing research on liver toxicity.

He said the league needs “better information, better science” to ensure the use of CBD to treat pain in elite athletes is safe and efficacious.

The league’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said that through its funded research, the NFL hopes to understand how using CBD and medical marijuana to treat pain will affect elite athletes’ performance.

The announcement of the NFL-funded grants comes four months after the league requested industry research on CBD and other cannabinoids for pain management but said it would not pay for the information.

The NFL updated its policy last fall to discourage athletes from endorsing products that contain CBD or other cannabinoids.