💡 Travis Lee Howard

Can hemp save the cannabis industry? Is hemp the best and fastest path to full cannabis legalization? I discuss these issues and more on the Cole Memo podcast with Cole Preston. Click below to watch. #cannabis #hemp #cannabisindustry #hempindustry #THC #CBD #D8 #D9 #D10 #thca #law #legal #podcast #innovations

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What are the best states for hemp cannabinoids? In this final of five "mini bites", I discuss state hemp legislation and the current "golden age" of cannabis with Sean Hocking of the Karma Koala podcast. #hemp #hempindustry #cannabis #cannabisindustry #hemplaw #cannabislaw #legal #law #legislation #THC #CBD #THCA #D9 #D8 #innovations #podcast

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The Cannabis Crossroads: How Schedule III and The Farm Bill Could Intersect "To put it simply, it is not a given that any state-licensed marijuana sector business will qualify to become approved under the applicable medical supply chain standards, or that the federal government would even entertain such an approval" "Hemp D9 products are in fact a lifeline if and/or when they fail to comply with the rigorous standards that are generally applicable to a Schedule III". My latetest Forbes column. The intersection of the Farm Bill and Schedule III. What it means. The future of OTC THC consumption is likely low-dose THC products. Hemp could be the future of adult use. https://lnkd.in/dD4d6dsh The Cannabis Chamber of Commerce Benzinga Cannabis Clark Hill Law

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Here's a great thread highlighting the recent changes surrounding the hemp industry here in GA. With the signing of SB 494, the future of the hemp industry in GA is unsure. Below is a link to SB 494, if you have not already read through it. At 32 pages, it's not a difficult read. Many other hemp industry peers have already expressed a desire to fight the state's decision. If that is you as well, this is a great place to get with like-minded people to form a plan to move forward! #hemp #Georgiahemp #cbd #thca #hempindustry #GeorgiaWarriors #HempWarriors #cbdflower #hempconcentrates #vape #cbdvape #industrialhemp #hempfarm

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Proposed #CannabisRescheduling ultimately will allow for nationwide #MedicalLegalization, and an oversight program, to be established, to include expanded testing, research... But, most importantly for taxes, for #CannabisBusinessOwners, #rescheduling does not require operators to fall under #IRC #280e restrictions, allowing for a significant reduction in federal, and possibly state, #taxes, depending on which state you operate in. #RecreationalLegalization is going to remain a #10thAmendment matter, and thus adult, recreational use will remain under the authority and legislation of #statemandated and #stateregulated #AdultUse programs. This will also take from several months to several years to implement, so, everyone please #SettleDown. However long it takes, being an #ElectionCycle on multiple levels from #President on down, I think we can expect rules, decisions to be made on the shorter end of the above loosely-defined threshold. #CannabisIndustry owners and operators: Let the machine work and its gears turn, and operate as you were, until we get some final word from the Federal authorities about the final text of this rule language. To err on the side of caution, as the expression goes... Topics to watch and keep current on as legislation and riders are finalized: 1. Will a #FederalExciseTax be levied? 2. Will any other Federal taxes, such as an #AdValorem (#VAT), be levied? 3. Which track-and-trace system, assuming its one of the several currently serving our state-regulated markets, such as #METRC or #BioTrack, will be selected by the Federal authorities to use on the regulatory-body side of this system? 4. Will the #InterstateCommerceClause remain in effect for #RecreationalCannabis? That, and more, to ponder... #DEARescheduling #CannabisTaxation #GotTax ?

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A lot of folks who stand to benefit financially from stopping #FLAmendment3 #recreationalcannabis are spreading a lot of false information. Here are the facts: 1. Florida law requires ballot initiatives to be single subject only. If the ballot initiative would have included home grow or prisoner release, it would not have been approved to appear on the ballot. Because of the way our state law works here, progress has to be achieved via incremental measures- MMJ needed to be passed before we could get rec. Rec needs to be passed before we get home grown or prisoner release. It's a process, but we will get there. 2. #3 does not create or protect any cannabis "monopolies" as it does not restrict licenses to existing cannabis operators. The ballot language clearly states that the law allows the FL legislature to "provide by state law for the licensure of entities other than existing Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers to cultivate and sell marijuana products." Also, the Florida leg is due to release 20 more MMTC licenses licenses any day now, as existing state law requires more licenses to be issued as registered patient numbers grow. #3 does not change any of that. 3. There is no "monopoly" to protect here in Florida. Trulieve does have the most brick and mortar stores, however they are selling about as many mgs per month, per store as their competition. That's not a monopoly, but a real estate play, and it might wind up hurting Trulieve in the end. According to the OMMU reports, some newer dispensaries who deliver statewide out of just a handful of stores are outselling Trulieve on per store basis, while also saving themselves brick & mortar overhead Trulieve has for all that real estate. Additionally, Truleive isn't a monopoly on the national level either. Their market cap is only #4 on the list of top cannabis companies. 4th place isn't a monopoly. Yes, Trulieve has been the driving force behind Amendment 3 - and I’m glad for it. Before starting Trulieve, CEO Kim Rivers was an excellent state lobbyist who understands the laws & intricacies of getting the momentous work of cannabis legalization done. 4. Florida has already had deaths from fentanyl laced cannabis, that's why it is mentioned in the #VoteYeson3 commercial. This is not a myth. 9 people died and 15 more were seriously injured in Gadsen County from unknowingly smoked weed their plug had laced with fentanyl to make it seem as strong as dispensary weed. July 2022. Google it. 5. #3 has nothing to do with hemp, intoxicating or otherwise. 6. The FL governor cannot "veto" a ballot initiative. 7. #Intoxicatinghemp #D8 labs, & a handful of #MMJ card sellers are trying to get people to vote "no" on 3 because they stand to lose a lot of money when Florida adults have open access to this amazing healing plant. The ballot language is below. Please read it, and share it so people know the facts. #CannabisIndustry #CannabisCommunity #HempIndustry https://lnkd.in/gRVhusra)

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Tragically, the #MCBA just submitted a recommendation to the #DEA to "reschedule" cannabis to a #ScheduleIII drug. This is not only ludicrous, starting with the fact that the global (and American) designation of cannabis is already a Schedule III, but dangerous. Namely, what they appear to be arguing for is a pharmaceutical only industry that actually excludes every small business operating in the US today, and will only be a boon for big pharma companies. This article also offers a few alternatives. I am tired, for one, of reading about all of the failed businesses in the United States, including those belonging to those who suffered the worst excesses of the War of Drugs. There are other alternatives. #cannabisreform #unitedstates #germany #cannabisindustry #federalreform #internationalreform #unitednations #drugtreaties #trump #harris #uspresidentialelection

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The rescheduling hearing for cannabis has been delayed until early 2025 due to issues with the DEA’s witness list. Although a December session will go forward, no testimony will be presented until January or February. As agencies like HHS and FDA question cannabis’s Schedule I status, this delay highlights the complexities of the process—and the stakes remain high for cannabis policy reform. #CannabisIndustry #PolicyReform #CannabisRescheduling Marijuana Moment Read full article here : https://lnkd.in/eiUy6yJs

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Helping us grow since the start. We are honored to welcome back BioTrack as a conference sponsor. Special mention to long time friend and CLAB educator Moe Afaneh. Their mission is to propel the cannabis industry forward through reliable technology solutions that promote transparency and accountability, and that empower governments, businesses, and consumers to make informed data-driven decisions. Established in 2010, BioTrack aims to bring cannabis out of prohibition through transparency, accountability, and scalable growth. As pioneers of seed-to-sale tracking for both business management and government oversight software, the BioTrack team has the professional experience necessary to navigate regulations and enforce compliance across any regulated landscape. BioTrack is a leading seed-to-sale inventory management and dispensary point-of-sale (POS) software designed specifically for the cannabis industry. We offer a comprehensive suite of business tools that give you everything you need to run and control your Cannabis business operation. BioTrack was the first ever cannabis point-of-sale system to integrate every vertical of the cannabis business model into one, universal traceability tool; becoming the first true seed-to-sale cannabis POS software ever made available to the industry. Track your product from growers, to processors, to dispensaries, right into your customer’s hands; all the way from seed-to-sale. BioTrack currently holds 12 government traceability contracts and is actively operating in 38 states, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Canada, Colombia, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands and South Africa. https://biotrack.com Help us Legalize Florida! Updated Agenda, Speakers, Sponsors and Room Rates. 7th Annual Conference - Shaping the Future of Cannabis: October 14-15, Hollywood, Florida Let us know if we can tell you more or if there is someone else who should be getting involved www.clabconference.com

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Interesting about the home grow change, thanks Greg May for this update.

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The Hemp Market Needs Oversight—Or We Risk Losing It Entirely California’s recent crackdown on hemp-derived intoxicating products has sparked a lot of debate, but the bigger question is how we let things get to this point. The hemp industry, in its rush to capitalize on legal gray areas, failed to establish internal controls. By allowing THCa flower and other products to be marketed as hemp, we’ve opened the door for black market cannabis to masquerade as something legal. But let’s be honest: it’s all Cannabis sativa—legal only because we claim it meets a threshold that’s easy to manipulate. How much of this so-called hemp is coming from the illicit cannabis market, completely unregulated, with no oversight on pesticide use or contamination? This isn’t a victimless issue—consumers are being put at risk, and the integrity of the entire industry is being compromised. California may have overcorrected by nearly eliminating the legal hemp market, but their actions were driven by the industry’s own refusal to self-regulate. The loopholes we’ve allowed to flourish have forced states to act, and if we’re not careful, more states will follow suit. We need real oversight to ensure that hemp products are safe and compliant without overburdening legitimate operators. If we don’t act soon, we’ll be left with a market that’s both over-regulated and under-trusted. Let’s fix this before it’s too late.

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Interesting to see how a new department in the FDA (the Center for Cannabinoid Products) would be created to establish rules and enforcement mechanisms under the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act ("CSRA"). The FDA would consider the following rules for cannabinoid products: 1. A national age restriction of 21 to purchase hemp-derived cannabinoid products. 2. Testing and labeling requirements, including restrictions on advertising and product claims. 3. A ban on “artificially or synthetically derived cannabinoids of any kind,” defined as a cannabinoid “produced using chemical synthesis, chemical modification, or chemical conversion.” 4. A ban on hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing “more than one serving, dose, or equivalent.” Many states have taken regulatory or legislative action to prohibit or regulate hemp-derived cannabinoid products; this bill respects states’ rights to do so. The CSRA provides a federal floor to ensure there is significant and consistent regulation for these products nationwide, and this legislation clarifies that states are permitted to further regulate and tax hemp-derived cannabinoid products. The CSRA would also i.) create a new $125 million underage cannabis use prevention grant program through HHS to prevent young people from using cannabis and cannabinoid products; ii.) establish a new $200 million state cannabis-impaired driving prevention grant program and a nationwide anti-drugged driving campaign; iii.) funds research to develop a cannabis impairment standard and a drugged driving standard to create a “cannabis breathalyzer;” iv.) prohibits added flavors and any packaging or labeling that could appeal to children, like cartoons, anthropomorphic figures, and candy or snack forms, along with several other mandates. https://lnkd.in/gu3xUSkB

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Are you operating in the growing #hempderived sector? If so, you should pay close attention to what's happening with the #FarmBill. Recent amendments could go to a vote as soon as today. 📰 The latest changes could profoundly impact the $28 billion hemp industry, specifically targeting hemp-derived cannabinoids like delta-8 THC. This controversial move has sparked widespread concern among industry leaders and consumers alike. In our podcast Making Waves for Good, we will dive deep into: - The proposed redefinition of "hemp" and its implications. - The battle to balance regulation with industry growth. - Perspectives from lawmakers, parents, and industry stakeholders. 📢 **Call to Action:** Your voice matters! Let’s rally for balanced legislation that ensures safety without stifling innovation. Read the article and sound off. 🗣️ #HempIndustry #FarmBill2023 #RegulationReform #Advocacy

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"What does the marijuana industry have against the hemp industry and why can't we all just get along?" I respond to this question in under 5 minutes on the Karma Koala podcast "mini bite" #3 of 5 with Sean Hocking. #hemp #hempindustry #cannabis #cannabisindustry #CBD #THC #hemplaw #cannabislaw #D8 #D9 #THCa #innovations #law #legal #podcast

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