LATEST ALERTS
6th August 2024
Hemp
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Daily regulatory updates of legal changes in the cannabis sector, including monthly compilations
9th September 2024
- Germany: The response from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) to a parliamentary question from the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) /Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) parliamentary group shows the amount of land under industrial hemp cultivation from 2000 to 2023. The German government predicts a significant increase in the cultivation area for 2024 and confirms that the BMEL is drafting a bill to repeal the so-called intoxication clause in the Cannabis Act to remove the associated legal uncertainty for commercial hemp growers and traders, and to allow the indoor cultivation of commercial hemp for the first time.
9th September 2024
- South Africa: As part of the Cannabis Master Plan, which aims to provide a framework for the establishment, growth and development of the cannabis and hemp industry, the government announced that a total of 1,110 permits have been issued for hemp cultivation since the declaration of hemp as an agricultural crop in 2021. The minister of planning, monitoring and evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, added that the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has initiated the process of drafting regulations for the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act, which will further regulate the law.
9th September 2024
- US - California: Governor Gavin Newsom announced he has issued proposed emergency regulations that would outlaw hemp products with any “detectable amount of total THC”. The new regulations require that industrial hemp food, beverage and dietary products intended for human consumption have no detectable THC or other intoxicating cannabinoids per serving; set a minimum age of 21 for purchasing hemp products; and limit the number of servings of hemp products to five per package. According to the state, the emergency regulations “will take effect immediately upon approval by the Office of Administrative Law. Sellers must begin to implement purchase restrictions and remove consumable hemp products containing any levels of detectable THC from shelves”.
6th September 2024
- Pakistan: The Senate has referred the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, to the relevant standing committee for further deliberation. The bill was sent to the committee after senator Zamir Ghumro requested more in-depth discussion. While presenting the bill, law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the cultivation of hemp would be exclusively for medicinal purposes.
6th September 2024
- Lithuania: The State Plant Service has reduced the number of inspections for suppliers of fibre hemp products and propagating material to ease the administrative burden, media reports.
5th September 2024
- US - California: The Office of Administrative Law has approved the amendment to Section 4890 in Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations pertaining to the definition of “harvest”. According to the amendment, “harvest” means the collection of any portion of industrial hemp plant at the termination of the cultivation process for the purpose of processing, distribution, storage or sale. The definition of “harvest” does not include material removed from the plant for sampling that is notified to the commissioner for nutrition, diseases or pests; maintenance of stock; male culling; thinning; or disposal.
22nd August 2024
- Pakistan: The government of Pakistan has announced plans to allow commercial hemp cultivation starting in January 2025, aiming to tap into the global market valued at billions of dollars, according to officials from the Pakistan Council of Science & Industrial Research Institute. The Senate’s standing committee was informed that Pakistan could generate between $5bn and $7bn in foreign exchange through hemp product exports. Despite currently having hemp cultivation valued at $5bn, the potential is still underutilised. To regulate the industry, the establishment of the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority has been approved.
12th August 2024
- Lithuania: The Department of Drug, Tobacco, and Alcohol Control (NTAKD) has announced that the company Viada has been fined €2,198 for selling fibrous hemp flowers labelled as tea that contain THC when they must contain zero THC, media reports. The NTAKD’s decision can be appealed at court within one month.
9th August 2024
- US - Iowa: Plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging a recently enacted law that limits the amount of hemp-derived THC beverages can contain have dismissed their lawsuit against state authorities, press reports. The court had twice denied preliminary injunctions to prevent enforcement of House File (HF) 2605, which came into effect on 1st July. Guidelines issued by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services since the lawsuit was filed have clarified what is considered a “serving” for purposes of the new law, which varies depending on product format.
8th August 2024
- US - Georgia: The Georgia Department of Agriculture has published a proposed rule on consumable hemp products, which will be under a public comment period until 6th September. The proposed rule would establish THC caps for products by format, require registration for operators, and impose labelling and packaging requirements. The THC limits would be set at 10 mg of delta-9 THC per serving and 150 mg per package for edibles, and 5 mg per serving with a maximum of one serving in a 12-ounce container for beverages.
7th August 2024
- Lithuania: The government is proposing to tighten the conditions for cultivating fibre hemp in closed ground starting from November 2025, media reports. The proposal suggests allowing the cultivation of fibre hemp only in open ground, with cultivation in closed ground limited to scientific research or experimental development with special permits. The proposal also aims to regulate the THC content in fibre hemp products supplied to the Lithuanian market.
6th August 2024
- Lithuania: The State Consumer Rights Protection Service (VVTAT) has fined the company Pas Bobutę €500 for selling CBD products (CBD face serum, CBD body oil, CBD hemp oil and CBD body balm) without the required certificates and test protocols. The VVTAT decision may be appealed in court within 30 calendar days.
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