Kentucky’s General Assembly Administrative Regulations Review Subcommittee has approved an emergency rule to regulate Delta-8 THC and other intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid products in the state. The rule aims to regulate products that are for adult use only and separate the products from those
New York State Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis Reevaluates Enforcement and Social Equity Investment Fund Amid Slow Market Rollout. After hearing from state cannabis regulators, law enforcement leaders and adult-use licensees, members of the New York State Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis are now
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food safety workers are being encouraged to exercise caution and avoid cannabis products, including federally legal CBD, as the agency observes an “uptick” in positive THC tests amid “confusion” as more states enact legalization.
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) put out a notice last last month reminding employees that they’re “required to follow all Federal laws regarding the use of illegal drugs, including cannabis, also commonly known as marijuana.”
“Over the last decade, societal perspectives have undergone significant changes with respect to the use of certain drugs, especially for cannabis and cannabis products,” USDA said. “Many states have legalized cannabis use for medicinal purposes. Some states allow cannabis use recreationally, much like tobacco or alcohol products. There is also confusion around state-by-state legalization changes and the rapidly expanding availability of cannabis products.”
Despite being one of the departments most affected by the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp and its derivatives like CBD, USDA suggested that confusion extends to the non-intoxicating cannabinoid. CBD products “are not generally regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or other regulatory agencies to ensure the labels are truthful and accurate,” it warned workers.
“In other words, using Cannabidiol (CBD) oils and cannabis-derived products comes with a risk of a positive urine drug test, even when product labels state that they contain no THC,” it said. “In fact, there has been a noticeable uptick in cases of Federal employees failing drug tests throughout the United States. In some situations, these failed drug tests resulted in corrective actions, including suspensions or loss of employment for federal employees.”
The notice also pointed out that changes in “societal perspectives and state laws” might mean that FSIS employees could find themselves inadvertently exposed to cannabis products “in social situations” such as “celebrations.”
“It is important to know that cannabis use can negatively impact Federal employment,” it says.
USDA is one of numerous federal agencies that have issued notices to workers amid the evolving cannabis policy landscape, which continues to see states enact marijuana reform and lawmakers seek to create responsive employment protections.
For example, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has finalized a rule to amend its drug testing policy in a way that could have significant implications for truckers, commercial drivers, pilots and other federally regulated transit workers who use marijuana off the job.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has updated its employment policy to make it so applicants who’ve grown, manufactured or sold marijuana in compliance with state laws while serving in a “position of public responsibility” will no longer be automatically disqualified—whereas those who did so in violation of state cannabis policies won’t be considered.
Late last year, draft documents obtained by Marijuana Moment showed that the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was proposing to replace a series of job application forms for prospective workers in a way that would treat past cannabis use much more leniently than under current policy.
The Biden administration instituted a policy in 2021 authorizing waivers to be granted to certain workers who admit to prior marijuana use, but certain lawmakers have pushed for additional reform.
That means Washington has joined Nevada in prohibiting discrimination against job applicants for testing positive for marijuana. New York also provides broader employment protections for adults who legally use cannabis during off-hours and away from work.
Bethany Gomez, managing director of the Brightfield Group, spoke with NutraIngredients-USA about the difficulties the cannabidiol industry is experiencing when it comes to defining itself. “The CBD industry is always in motion. It's always changing, moving, fluctuating. Right now, it's really facing
During its third-quarter earnings call last week, Curaleaf Holdings Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) leadership dodged the fact that the business continues to burn through millions of dollars each quarter, with no apparent horizon of profitability anywhere in sight. Executives avoided discussing that year-to-date losses as of Sept. 30 topped $224 million, let alone that the company lost $377 million last year.
Instead, what Executive Chairman Boris Jordan and other members of the Curaleaf C-suite focused on during the call was persuading shareholders that layoffs, site closures, exits from various U.S. state markets, and adjustments to production levels will pay off in other markets, such as New York and Germany.
“Thinking globally and acting locally – this is the mantra we have embraced. And this is how we will win now in the long term domestically and internationally,” Jordan said during the call. “We’ve cut an enormous amount of costs. We’ve got rid of all of the businesses that were not contributing to the bottom line, and I think that we’re going to see fairly robust growth and given New York and Germany and other markets.”
Jordan emphasized the European potential, where he said reforms are poised to open up the Polish marijuana market and also expand business opportunities in the United Kingdom. He also said the company readjusted operations to better manage supply chain versus demand in its key domestic U.S. markets.
“I’m confident that our current 17-state exposure gives us the right domestic footprint and a presence in key markets that we expect will drive outsized growth over the next several years. We are now positioned to achieve our profit goals, and I do not proceed any further state exits,” Jordan said.
CEO Matt Darin also shared that by the end of this year, the company plans to enter the New York wholesale market yet this year and open its first recreational store in the state.
And Jordan also said the recent Ohio vote to legalize recreational cannabis puts wind in the sails of not just that state’s market – again, where Curaleaf already has a footprint – but also in the broader political momentum for federal reform.
“I continue to be a strong believer that we’re going to get rescheduling sooner rather than later. There’s all sorts of incentives and reasons why the Biden administration wants to do this,” Jordan said, referring to the yet-to-be-finalized move to reclassify marijuana to Schedule III from Schedule I on the list of federally controlled substances.
Jordan also predicted that Ohio Republicans wouldn’t try to stand in the way of a recreational cannabis market rollout, a move that is theoretically within their power. He said such a move would be political “suicide” for Republicans.
All the right-sizing of Curaleaf’s operations, its acquisitions, and its positioning for the opening of new markets adds up to one thing, Jordan asserted: The multistate operator is ready to “achieve our stated goal of establishing Curaleaf as the world’s leading cannabis company.”
