Cannabis Reg. Update: FDA To Review CBD Again, DEA Wins In Hemp Extract Case & More

FDA To Review CBD Once Again

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Science Board is expected to review the idea of incorporating cannabinoids into dietary supplements on Tuesday at the public advisory committee meeting.

However, broad market sentiment is not that optimistic that the virtual daylong discussion will yield a solution when it comes to treating CBD like other dietary supplements, reported Marijuana Business Daily.

The panel, which meets intermittently will “focus on challenges in evaluating the safety of dietary supplement and food ingredients with predicted pharmacological activity, utilizing cannabinoids as a case study.”

However, the hearing notice doesn’t make references to CBD.

Dr. Robert M. Califf an American cardiologist who currently serves as the commissioner of the FDA said recently at a congressional panel that the FDA has made little progress on the regulatory framework around CBD products over the years since Trump signed the Farm Bill in late 2018.

“We just know more because we’ve done more research,” Califf said, further noting “the amazing plethora derivatives of the cannabis plant [are] surely quite profound and astounding and already in widespread use for a variety of means.”

DEA Wins In Hemp Extract Case, Do Common Methods Of CBD Production Violate Federal Law?

The D.C. Court of Appeals dropped a pair of lawsuits challenging a final rule issued by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The petitioners - the Hemp Industries Association and South Carolina CBD producer RE Botanicals – held a stance that the DEA was disregarding the intent of the 2018 Farm Bill, which removed hemp and its derivatives from the Controlled Substances Act and opened the door for interstate hemp transportation.

The ruling from the appeals court implies that common methods of CBD products are in violation of federal law, given that during the process of extraction, the produced material temporarily contains over 0.3% THC.

While those products usually fall below 0.3% THC before ending up on shelves, U.S. Circuit Judge Laurence Silberman ruled in the favor of the DEA.

Malaysia Abolishes Mandatory Death Penalty For Nonviolent Drug Crimes As Positive Sentiment Around Medical Cannabis Grows

Malaysia is intending to abolish the mandatory death penalty. Growing nationwide interest in medical cannabis might be driving the push.

Malaysian law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said in a statement that the nation’s mandatory death sentences for serious crimes would be switched to "alternative punishments," and courts are left to decide on it, reported CNN.

"This shows the government's emphasis on ensuring that the rights of all parties are protected and guaranteed, reflecting the transparency of the country's leadership in improving the criminal justice system," he said.

A total of 1,341 people were sentenced to death as of February according to the data provided by the government of Malaysia.

Interestingly, the country’s Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said last month in a statement that “more than 40 countries have legalized consumption of cannabis for medicinal purposes. The caucus believes that Malaysia has the space and a huge opportunity in this industry for medicinal and research purposes which could deliver a lot of benefits for the country," as reported by The Straits Times.

Illinois To Issue More Conditional Rec Dispensary Licenses

The 185 Conditional Adult-Use Cannabis Dispensing Organization Licenses were selected in three lotteries in 2021.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said that the licenses will be awarded this summer in “three waves.”

In addition, “the pace of licensing will be determined by how quickly applicants' compliance checks can be verified,” the agency said.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said on Friday that the move “means countless more opportunities for communities that have suffered from historic disinvestment to join this growing industry and ensure its makeup reflects the diversity of our state.”

Pritzker recently signed HB 4392 under which courts are forbidden to deny petitioners’ requests to have their criminal records expunged solely based on a marijuana drug test failure.

Maine Legal Rec Market Slashes Illicit Sales, New Report Reveals

According to the report released on Monday by the Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) that surveyed roughly 2,000 Maine residents, providing adults with recreational marijuana has driven down illicit sales in the Pine Tree State.

More than 60% of those surveyed said that they bought marijuana from licensed retailers, the survey conducted by Advocates for Human Potential for the state showed.

The “current illicit market has diminished more than expected,” OCP said.

“We found an estimated overall upshift in the regulated market between January of 2021 and November/December of 2021 of approximately 12 percent,” the report says. “Interestingly, we found that those who prioritize their source of cannabis highly and those who are younger are more likely to use adult-use stores for their cannabis and to have shifted to adult-use stores from other sources since January of 2021.”

West Virginia Cannabis Advocates Push For Cannabis Decriminalization Ballot Measure

Cannabis advocates in West Virginia are pushing for decriminalization of cannabis, writes High Times.

A cannabis advocacy group dubbed Charleston Can't-Wait is seeking to place a decriminalization measure on the ballot this November in Fairmount and Charleston.

The organization related to West Virginia Can't-Wait is collecting signatures for the cause, and it is poised to reach the goal of the required 2,000.

Once and if the measure becomes the law, those caught possessing cannabis would be charged a small fine.

“So, that’s what the goal is, and essentially, the ordinance that we have would do,” said West Virginia Can't-Wait Director Sarah Hutson. “It’s commonly referred to as, ‘No fines, no time and no court costs.’”