February 2025 - HempWire

WednesdayFeb 26, 2025 10:00 am

Gov. DeWine Urges Ohio Lawmakers to Ban Intoxicating Hemp Products

During a recent interview, Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio urged legislators to prohibit the sale of delta 8 THC products. This comes as legislators consider amending the cannabis legalization initiative voters in the state approved two years ago. DeWine explained that these products were being sold in different businesses across the state and could be accessed by children as young as 12. This, he asserted, needed to be stopped. The proliferation of intoxicating hemp products has been an issue for different states in the country since hemp was legalized with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. The legalization measure…

MondayFeb 24, 2025 10:00 am

Almost 2 Dozen Hemp, Marijuana Bills Up for Consideration in Texas

Legislators in Texas have introduced over twenty measures related to marijuana since their legislative session began last month. These include bills that would legalize recreational cannabis, eliminate criminal penalties for marijuana possession, ban some products derived from hemp, and amend the state’s current medical cannabis laws. It is expected that more measures may be tabled for consideration prior to next month’s filing deadline. Texas’ legislature gathers once every 2 years, which means that bills that aren’t approved by the time the session ends in June will have to wait until 2027 to be considered again. Rep. John Bucy III sponsored…

WednesdayFeb 19, 2025 10:00 am

Study Finds Beneficial Effects of Adding CBD to Wound Care, Hair Care and Sunscreen Products

A new study has found that CBD’s antioxidant and anti-aging properties make it a good addition in some skin products. The study was conducted by three researchers from Thailand’s National Science and Technology Development Agency and Prince of Songkla University. Their objective was to explore the possible bioactivities and safety of CBD by studying wound healing and anti-aging activities at the cellular level. The researchers examined the effects of CBD on two cell types; keratinocytes and fibroblasts over a 24-hour period. They discovered that if the cannabinoid was administered in low concentrations, it considerably improved the growth of fibroblasts and…

TuesdayFeb 18, 2025 10:00 am

Indigenous-Owned Company in Alberta Uses Hemp to Make Superior Building Blocks

A start-up in Alberta is using hemp to make building blocks that are resistant to mold, fire and weather. The company, Asinikahtamwak, operates from a manufacturing plant located in the south region of Elk Point. 51% of the company is owned by Frog Lake First Nations. The remainder is owned by the Town of Elk Point and Natural Fiber Technologies at 10% and 39% respectively. Clifton Cross stated that he was proud and excited about the new business, revealing that it had already begun construction on a 1250 ft2 prototype show home located in the First Nation community. Cross, who’s…

WednesdayFeb 12, 2025 10:00 am

Missouri Lawmakers Pass Bills Restricting Hemp-Sourced Intoxicants

Last week, Missouri Senate and House committees passed measures that’d permit low-dose intoxicating hemp beverages to continue being sold in liquor and grocery stores. The House measure was sponsored by GOP State Rep. Chad Perkins while the Senate measure was sponsored by GOP State Rep. Nick Schroer. Both measures also ban intoxicating hemp vapes and edibles from being sold anywhere except cannabis dispensaries. Committee members argued that this clause made them tough measures to vote on as they were torn between regulating these products to keep children safe and the impact these changes would have on businesses in the state…

MondayFeb 10, 2025 10:00 am

Tennessee Hemp Operators Get Temporary Relief from Planned Product Ban

The hemp industry in Tennessee has grown significantly since the legislature first approved the possession, production and sale of this crop in 2019. Recent survey data shows that the state’s hemp industry rakes in between $280-$560 million in sales annually. Hemp is differentiated from marijuana by its concentration of delta-9 THC, a potent cannabinoid that triggers the release of dopamine in the brain, inducing a high. At the federal and state levels, marijuana with a concentration of less than 0.3% delta-9 THC is defined as legal hemp. Plants with higher THC concentrations are classified as marijuana, which is illegal to…

WednesdayFeb 05, 2025 10:00 am

South Carolina Senate Committee Considers Bill to Regulate Hemp Intoxicants

A committee under the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources in South Carolina is currently reviewing a measure that, if passed, would regulate the state’s hemp industry. The state re-legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp in 2017, in accordance with the federal 2014 Farm Bill. Senator Deon Tedder, who sponsored the regulation measure, introduced it in the Senate on January 14th this year. Tedder explained that businesses in the state wanted to follow the law as well as be protected and regulated while they operated legally in the state. This development comes after the Health and Environmental Control department introduced…

MondayFeb 03, 2025 10:00 am

NJ Hemp Firms Work to Resolve Dispute Over New Law

Last year, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey signed a controversial measure that would ban businesses in the state from selling hemp products without a marijuana license. This measure made it compulsory for all hemp businesses to apply for licenses through the Cannabis Regulatory Commission to distribute, manufacture, and sell hemp, a process that may take several months to complete. This is in addition to allowing holders of liquor licenses to sell hemp products if they acquired licenses from the commission. The commission has overseen the state’s medicinal and recreational marijuana markets since medical and recreational sales became legal in…