Hemp and vape companies in Kentucky last week filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a recently passed bill intended to curb youth vaping, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. The law permits retailers in the state to only sell vape products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or those with a “safe harbor certification.”  Filed by the Kentucky Vaping Retailers’ Association and the Kentucky Hemp Association, the lawsuit alleges that the law violates the equal protection and due process clauses of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and sections of the K ..read more

Electric motorcycle manufacturer LiveWire is using hemp in the design of its S2 Mulholland. The motorcycle’s front and rear fenders are made using CAP Hemp bio-composite.  The company is using other sustainable materials in the production of the Mulholland, including HYLON OCEAN materials in the motorcycle’s radiator shrouds and wiring caddies. The HYLON OCEAN materials are created from discarded ocean fishing nets. The motorcycle seat is constructed from petroleum-free, recyclable silicone rather than leather or vinyl.   The company notes that it is the first time it has used sustai ..read more

The Cannabis Business Association of Illinois (CBAI) is calling for lawmakers to ban the sale of products containing hemp-derived delta-8 THC, according to a Capitol News Illinois report. Cannabis businesses argue that the unregulated delta-8 market is in direct competition with the state’s heavily regulated cannabis industry, putting the state-licensed stores in jeopardy. “It is deeply disheartening and, frankly, a betrayal by the state to allow these shops to pop up and call themselves dispensaries.” — Ron Miller, co-owner of Navada Labs and BLYSS Dispensary, in the report CBAI Executive D ..read more

A California man on Friday pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in a hemp business fraud case that cost investors more than $18 million, the Los Angeles Times reports. Mark Roy Anderson, 69, was indicted last year in the scheme by a federal grand jury.  In the federal complaint, prosecutors said Anderson used the money collected from investors for Harvest Farm Group to buy a $1.3 million property in Ojai and another $2.3 million on personal expenses, including more than $650,000 for vintage and luxury automobiles, $13,000 for chartered private jet flights, and $142,000 for other hig ..read more

The Iowa Senate on Tuesday approved a bill to impose an age threshold of 21 for consumable hemp products containing THC, We Are Iowa reports. The measure also includes 4 milligram THC serving limit caps, with limits of 10 milligrams per container. State Sen. Dan Dawson (R) argued during the bill debate that the limits are necessary because products available in the state under the Iowa Hemp Act need “to be at a milligram usage less than our medical cannabidiol program, otherwise the lines are blurred.” The legislation passed the House last month and moves next to Republican Gov. Kim Reyno ..read more

A report published last week by CBD Oracle found hemp products sold via Amazon were deceptively labeled, with 30% containing undeclared CBD, 36% containing no hemp at all – not even hempseed oil – three of the 56 products containing large doses of delta-8 THC, and about half making an unapproved medical claim.    To conduct the study, CBD Oracle purchased 56 products from Amazon in December 2023 and January 2024. The products were chosen based on a search for “cbd gummies,” “hemp” and similar terms used by brands, such as “delta gummies.” In all, the review included 45 gummies ..read more

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) this week signed two bills aimed at the medical cannabis and intoxicating hemp industries in the state. Noem on Monday signed a bill that removes the prohibition on the ability of law enforcement and other government agencies to “search, seize, prosecute, or impose disciplinary action” on the state’s medical cannabis businesses. The bill passed the Senate 26-7 in January and 59-10 last month. The provisions included in the law protecting dispensaries, cultivators, manufacturers, and testing laboratories were included in the voter-backed law in 2022.   ..read more

Minnesota cannabis regulators have unveiled new regulations on the sale of hemp flower products, MinnPost reports. The rules were set on Thursday by the Office of Cannabis Management. The agency’s interim director Charlene Briner described the effort as an an “interagency agreement” that will include contracting a private testing lab. The new rules come after products purchased from a Twin Cities hemp retailer tested at 29.99% total THC, including 1.1% delta-9 THC, which is more than three times the legal delta-9 THC limit, the report said. “We are starting to contact retailers as we speak to ..read more

Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center announced on Monday it received a $10 million grant to work with 13 Native American tribes for hemp economic development. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and seeks to develop sustainable supply chains based on the needs identified by an intertribal business consortium in an effort to link regional hemp production, processing, and manufacturing to create hemp products.    In a statement, Jeffrey Steiner, director of the Global Hemp Innovat ..read more

Florida lawmakers have passed a bill to ban delta-8 and THC products and establish other restrictions on the state’s hemp industry, sending the bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for his signature, the Tampa Bay Times reports. The bill, which unanimously passed the Senate in February, would also ban delta-10 THC and hemp-infused gummies, tinctures, and vaporizer products. Under the proposal, any retail hemp products would have their THC content capped at 5 milligrams per serving or 50 milligrams per package. Product packaging perceived as appealing to children would also be banned under the proposa ..read more