Yesterday, October 29, 2019, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a draft of the much-anticipated interim rule on the Domestic Hemp Production Program under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill). Since many folks don’t exactly consider 161 pages of federal agency jargon and legalese “light reading,” we’ve provided a Cliff’s Notes version of this dense regulation for you all, including the top six takeaways for hemp licensees. We’ve also provided some insight into what’s not in the draft interim rule.
On December 20, 2018, President Trump signed into law the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the “2018 Farm Bill”) to replace the expiring 2014 Farm Bill. The 2018 Bill, which passed with strong support in both the House and the Senate, removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act—but does that mean that hemp is legal?
While hemp is no longer a controlled substance and subject to enforcement under DEA regulations, hemp and hemp-derived products (such as CBD) are still heavily regulated. So, who regulates these products? Though the landscape is evolving quickly, each of the following agencies and groups play a vital role in determining whether you may grow, process, sell or market hemp in your state.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Proposed Legislation on Legalization of Cannabis
Under the leadership of New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (whose party also controls the State legislature), the Empire State appears poised to become one of the next states to legalize the cultivation, processing, distribution, sale, and adult use of cannabis for recreational purposes.
Indeed, on the heels of a series of public hearings and a report from the New York Department of Health, advocating for decriminalization of cannabis (not to mention similar legislation under consideration in New Jersey), Gov. Cuomo unveiled the proposed legislation, the Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act (CRTA), to do just that—while also expanding the state’s nascent medical marijuana program and differentiating between industrial hemp and hemp cannabis markets.
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Foster Garvey’s Cannabis practice group comprises a premier legal counsel team who provides a full range of legal services such as regulatory compliance, marijuana licensing, business finance, contracts, labor and employment, health care, real estate, intellectual property, litigation and dispute resolution, technology and tax. Our team possesses deep and diverse industry experience and has counseled clients across virtually all industry sectors. We understand the inherent challenges that licensed marijuana and ancillary businesses in Washington state, Oregon and Alaska are burdened with in this highly regulated industry as they deal with onerous state and local regulations as well as uncertainty resulting from federal law.
We are committed to helping our clients achieve their business goals while navigating the intricacies in this rapidly changing area of law. We prize innovation and entrepreneurship, and closely monitoring industry trends.
