CCMA Political greenBrief
Thursday, February 28, 2019
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
Commissioner Scott Gottlieb Stated The FDA Is In The Process Of Creating Alternative Approaches To Regulating CBD
“I’ll say at the outset that we heard Congress loud and clear with respect to that legislation. I understand Congress wants there to be a pathway for CBD to be available.”FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb On CBD Regulation
“For the consumer, the benefits are high-quality, low-cost CBD and THC: you get exactly what you want from yeast. It is a safer, more environmentally friendly way to produce cannabinoids.”Jay Keasling, UC Berkeley Professor Of Chemical And Biomolecular Engineering, On The Creation Of Synthetic Cannabinoids
FDA Is Exploring ‘Alternative Approaches’ To CBD Regulation, Commissioner Says (USA – CBD Market)
Marijuana Moment (February 26, 2019) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating “possible alternative approaches” to regulating CBD products, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on Tuesday. But the commissioner also made a point of emphasizing that the FDA is open to exploring other options when it comes to regulating CBD.
FDA Head Reveals New Details About Agency’s CBD Regulation Plans (USA – CBD Market)
Marijuana Moment (February 27, 2019) Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb revealed new details about plans to pursue alternative pathways for CBD regulation and also acknowledged that federal prohibition drives research into medical marijuana overseas on Wednesday. The commissioner offered a theoretical regulatory model that the FDA could implement for CBD.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/fda-head-reveals-new-details-about-agencys-cbd-regulation-plans/
Yeast Produce Low-Cost, High-Quality Cannabinoids (USA – Synthetic Cannabis)
UC Berkeley News (February 27, 2019) UC Berkeley synthetic biologists have engineered brewer’s yeast to produce marijuana’s main ingredients—mind-altering THC and non-psychoactive CBD—as well as novel cannabinoids not found in the plant itself. Feeding only on sugar, the yeast are an easy and cheap way to produce pure cannabinoids that today are costly to extract from the buds of the marijuana plant, Cannabis sativa.
https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/02/27/yeast-produce-low-cost-high-quality-cannabinoids/
Scientists Just Made Marijuana Compounds In A Lab For The First Time, And It Could Open The Door To New Treatments For Devastating Diseases (USA – Cannabis Research)
Business Insider (February 27, 2019) In a move that’s expected to transform the marijuana and pharmaceutical industries, scientists at the University of California at Berkeley announced on Wednesday that they had for the first time created cannabis compounds in a lab, instead of by harvesting them from a plant. Lab-made marijuana could have multiple advantages over traditionally grown marijuana, like a lower cost and a smaller environmental footprint.
https://www.businessinsider.com/first-lab-made-marijuana-thc-cbd-startups-demetrix-2019-2
Everything You Need To Know About Deliveries In California (CA – Delivery Services)
Wikileaf (February 27, 2019) One of the most interesting policies of California’s new cannabis regulations is that marijuana delivery is legal everywhere in California, even in towns that have opted to ban cannabis-related businesses. This makes California the first (and only) state to legalize home delivery across all municipalities. These new rules guarantee legal protections to more than 100 state-licensed delivery companies and their customers.
https://www.wikileaf.com/thestash/marijuana-delivery-california/
The Trajectory Of Cannabis Delivery (CA – Delivery Services)
SF Examiner (February 27, 2019) Delivery services became niche, no longer being the only method for retail sales. This new market nearly abandoned delivery altogether, focusing on brick and mortar business models. Marijuana delivery is making a full circle from the only form of retail distribution, to a niche market, and soon back to the preferred solution for most buyers and sellers.
http://www.sfexaminer.com/trajectory-cannabis-delivery/
Judge Halts Licensing Process For 7 Commercial Cannabis Businesses In San Bernardino (CA – Cannabusiness)
The Sun (February 27, 2019) A week after San Bernardino city leaders approved 16 commercial cannabis businesses, a local judge halted the licensing process for seven of them. Another temporary restraining order hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 8, in San Bernardino Superior Court before Judge David Cohn.
El Monte Marijuana Fight Isn’t Scaring Away Cannabis Entrepreneurs (CA – Cannabusiness)
San Gabriel Valley Tribune (February 27, 2019) A growing effort to ban marijuana businesses in El Monte isn’t scaring away cannabis entrepreneurs — or city officials — who are moving full steam ahead with plans to build the city’s tax base and breathe new life into industrial areas.
Ban On Industrial Hemp Cultivation Extended In Yolo County (CA – Hemp Industry)
Daily Democrat (February 27, 2019) A 45-day prohibition on industrial hemp cultivation in the unincorporated areas of Yolo County that would have expired this week has been extended by the Board of Supervisors. About 10 people made comments both for and against the continuance. Many were local farmers, licensed cannabis growers and researchers.
https://www.dailydemocrat.com/2019/02/27/ban-on-industrial-hemp-cultivation-extended-in-yolo-county/
The Cannabis Industry Is Begging The FDA For Some CBD Regulations As Gottlieb Heads To The Hill (USA – CBD Market)
CNBC (February 27, 2019) Businesses selling food and beverages infused with CBD have a message for the Food and Drug Administration: Regulate us, please. Companies may receive some clarity Wednesday when FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb heads to Capitol Hill at 3 p.m. to testify before the House budget-writing committee. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said she plans to press him on the issue.
Pot Stocks Get High As Fed’s Powell Calls For Banks To Clear The Smoke (USA – Cannabis Investments)
Yahoo! Finance (February 27, 2019) Speaking in front of the US Congress today, US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said clarity is needed for US banks dealing with cannabis companies. Marijuana is illegal under Federal law but legal now in 10 US states creating conflict for financial institutions. A number of pot stocks are pushing higher today on this and other news.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pot-stocks-high-fed-powell-100558761.html
10 Technological Breakthroughs That Could Change How Cannabis Entrepreneurs Do Business (USA – Cannabis Technology)
Marijuana Business Daily (February 27, 2019) Technological advances are revolutionizing every sector of the marijuana industry, transforming a market that largely is seen as an agricultural industry. Indeed, the cannabis industry is drawing a growing number of Ph.D.-carrying professionals who have worked at places such as NASA and MIT and now are lending their expertise to an industry that, from scientific and technological standpoints, remains largely unexplored.
Cannabis Companies Beginning To Ante Up For Bets On Hemp (Canada – Hemp Industry)
Benzinga (February 27, 2019) As U.S. cannabis companies continue to struggle under federal prohibition, and as Canadian operators continue to look for ways to grow their brands, the hemp-CBD market presents attractive possibilities. Because of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp and its derivatives are now treated as agricultural products rather than controlled substances. Per agricultural products, there are far fewer financial and regulatory barriers for companies looking to corner the hemp market.