Newsletter
Newsletter – February 24, 2021
EcoGen Biosciences Expands on Colorado’s Western Slope, Shares Future Growth Plans
By Heather Collins
To say the past year was busy for hemp industry veteran Garrett Bain, President of Grand Junction-based EcoGen Biosciences, would be an understatement.
Last summer, Bain took the top job at EcoGen Biosciences, a leading hemp and CBD manufacturer, after joining California-based Kadenwood LLC and helping to complete the acquisition of EcoGen Labs in August of 2020. Additionally, he was instrumental in transitioning the company to EcoGen Bioscences and restructuring the business into a more efficient footprint on the western slope of Colorado.
U.S. Hemp Authority Updates Industry Standards
By Jean Lotus
The U.S. Hemp Authority announced this week it has released Certification Standard 3.0 for food and topical uses of CBD and hemp products, an update of an earlier standard released in 2019.
The standards apply to CBD/hemp edibles and topicals including food, dietary supplements, personal care products, pet supplements and products based on hemp fiber.
The certification process, derived from “lessons learned” and “significant public input,” is meant as an industry guideline to provide high standards, best practices and self-regulation, the Lexington, KY, based organization said.
In Memoriam: Hemp Industry Mourns Passing of Hemp Building Pioneer Dion Markgraaff
By Jean Lotus
The hemp industry is mourning the death of Dion Markgraaff, 51, a pioneer in the cannabis industry and hemp building.
On Tuesday afternoon, Andre Markgraaff reported on Facebook that Dion had passed away in his sleep on Sunday.
“I am stunned. His energy was undeniable and I will miss him,” posted Jacob Waddell, president of the U.S. Hemp Building Association.
Hemp News Spotlight
What Investors Need to Know About Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ $7.2-billion Acquisition of Epidiolex Maker GW Pharmaceutials
By The Motley Fool
Levi’s and Danish Fashion House GANNI Partner to Launch Hemp Denim Collection
By Teen Vogue
H&M Group-owned Fashion Brand Weekday Rolls Out Hemp Denim Collection Dyed with Natural Colors
By Sourcing Journal
Lucky Strike Cigarette Maker British American Tobacco Ventures into CBD Vape Products
By CNBC
NoCo Hemp Expo Plans Return to National Western Complex in March
By Westword
8 Out of 10 Farmers and Processors Support Industry Checkoff Program for Research, Promotion and Consumer Education
By Hemp Industries Association and National Industrial Hemp Council
Jacob Waddell Named President of U.S. Hemp Building Association
By HempToday
Frost Brown Todd Law Firm Consolidates Federal Public Policy and Regulatory Practices into New Washington D.C. Office
By Frost Brown Todd
Imperial County, CA, Approves Support Letter for Assembly Bill 45 to Remove Food, Beverage, or Cosmetic Restrictions on the Use of Hemp-derived CBD
By The Desert Review
Cannabis and Hemp-Derived Products Subject to New Proposition 65 Warning Requirements in California
By Hemp Grower
Humboldt County’s Decision to Ban Outdoor Cultivation of Low-THC Hemp a Bold Move
By High Times
Hemp Author Doug Fine and other New Mexico Producers Seek to Table State Bill HB 88, Claiming It Would Hurt Hemp Farmers
By The Leaf Online
“Hempreneur” John Roulac: Connecting the Dots Between Regenerative Agriculture and Healthy Waterways
By Common Dreams
Black-owned CBD Subscription Box Business Supports Last Prisoner Project
By Zenger News
PanXchange Launches Crowdfunding Campaign to Protect Itself from Competitor “Trademark Abuse”
By PanXchange
Minnesota Researchers: High-CBD Hemp Plants Have a Mostly Marijuana Genome
By University of Minnesota News and Events
Tribes Revive Traditional Hemp Economies; Set a Post-Petroleum Plan
By Yes Magazine
Hemp-derived CBD Oversupply Has Farmers Reevaluating 2021 Strategy
By Natural Products Insider
Canadian Hemp, Cannabis Company Ovation Sciences Lists Its Stock on OTCQB
By Benzinga
Italy Organizes Consortium for Pharmaceutical-grade CBD Production
By HempToday
EVENTS
NoCo Hemp Expo – March 25-27, 2021, National Western Complex, Denver, CO
Southern Hemp Expo, Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh, NC, September 2-4, 2021
Natural Products Expo East, Philadelphia, PA, Sept. 22-25, 2021
Add your event to Hemp Events, a free listing service for legitimate hemp industry events. Visit www.HempEvents.org.
TAKE ACTION
Urge Colorado Governor Jared Polis to Support Hemp-friendly Regulations
Former Congressman Jared Polis was for hemp before hemp was cool. Now that Polis is the Governor of Colorado, he has another opportunity to boost the hemp industry. In January 2021, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) issued proposed industrial hemp regulations intended to improve the regulatory framework for hemp products such as CBD. We applaud the agency’s efforts to promote a strong regulatory regime, however, several aspects of the proposed regulations could add burdens to hemp farmers and companies, without providing added value protection to consumers. Click here to learn more and take action.
Support H.R. 841, The Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act
In September 2020, U.S. Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA) introduced the Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act – a bill which would provide a clear legal pathway for the sale of hemp extracts like CBD, while ensuring that products must comply with the rigorous regulatory framework existing for dietary supplements. The bill garnered broad bi-partisan support for hemp farmers and businesses. On Feb. 7, 2021, Reps. Schrader and Griffith and 17 of their colleagues reintroduced the bill as H.R. 841. Support the passage of this bill by lending your voice here.
Urge Your Members of Congress to Support Our Troops’ Access to CBD
On July 20, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to allow service members to use products containing hemp, including CBD. Unfortunately, the amendment was not included in the Senate’s version of the NDAA, which passed on July 23, and was not included in the final bill. However, as a new Congress meets this year, they are hoping for another hearing. Learn more.
The 2018 Farm Bill authorized hemp production but used an outdated definition of hemp that does not work for farmers or the hemp industry. The current definition limiting hemp to 0.3% THC has proven unworkable, forcing many farmers to destroy their crops. Congress must change the definition of hemp to allow up to 1% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) so that farmers can grow hemp without fearing that they will later have to destroy them. Add your name to the Vote Hemp petition urging Congress to redefine hemp as up to 1% THC.
Fix, Marry or Kill? Hemp Needs Your Help in HI, MA, MN and MO
The U.S. Hemp Roundtable has identified bills that need the hemp industry’s attention in key states including Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Missouri. Click here to learn more and take action.
Subscribe to the Let’s Talk Hemp YouTube Channel
#LetsTalkHemp is the ultimate platform that focuses on “Changing the Cannabis Conversation”. We provide news, education, and information about Hemp and Cannabis to our viewers so that they can learn more about the industry and get tips and tricks on the latest technologies. Subscribe to our channel and learn about everything from legal updates, farming, production, and new products entering the Hemp & Cannabis space.
Let’s Talk Hemp Podcast – Season 4, Episode 3
Available on February 18, 2021
From the elation of 2018, when hemp was first legalized in the U.S. after 80 years of prohibition, to an uncertain market in 2020, compounded by the coronavirus pandemic, the hemp industry’s road to success has been rocky. However, with recent legislative and regulatory developments in Congress, USDA and FDA, along with groundbreaking rulings in the EU and the United Nations, 2021 holds promise for those who continue to dedicate themselves to all things hemp. In this episode of Volume Up, host Morris Beegle and co-host Josh Hendrix of Driftless Extracts interview Patrick Atagi of the National Industrial Hemp Council and Jonathan Miller of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable for a 2021 Hemp Regulation and Legislative Forecast to help you chart a course for the road ahead.
Available on February 4, 2021, on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartMedia and LetsTalkHemp.com.
About Let’s Talk Hemp
Let’s Talk Hemp is a publication of Colorado Hemp Company (a division of We Are For Better Alternatives) focused specifically on the subject of industrial hemp and cannabis. We present features and curate news from across the globe to share the benefits of cannabis on health, energy, manufacturing and planet (H.E.M.P.). Colorado Hemp Company also is the Producer of NoCo Hemp Expo and Southern Hemp Expo, the nation’s leading hemp conferences and expositions.
Publisher: Morris Beegle, Elizabeth Knight
Editor: Steven Hoffman
Web Developer: Debby West
Design: Ben Wright
Circulation: Evan Tompros
Contributor: Heather Collins
Financial Officer: Lori Buderus
Let’s Talk Hemp Podcast: Morris Beegle
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