Cannabis News Update - September 1, 2020
We have Hemp Seeds being held hostage in Colorado, a report about rolling papers you’ll want to listen to, and great news for cannabis that would remove it from the Controlled Substances Act.
The Morning Buzz presented by TRICHOMES brings you late-breaking news that tells you what's happening within the cannabis industry.
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First up today, Hemp Seeds are Being Held ‘Hostage’ Sparking a Cross-State Lawsuit
According to Hemp Industry Daily, A Colorado hemp seed producer is accused of “holding hostage” some 4 million seeds that belong to Exotic Canopy Solutions, a California hemp company.
A lawsuit filed this week against Colorado Hemp Operations LLC and Curnativ Farms LLC says the breeders were hired in January to produce seeds of a CBD-rich cultivar for Exotic Canopy.
But the deal soured after the seeds came in late because of what Exotic Canopy calls “incompetence” by the Colorado producers. The seeds also failed testing for viability and purity, according to the lawsuit.
Still, the California buyer is suing to get the seeds.
Exotic Canopy says the hemp seed breeders are now “holding hostage nearly 4 million seeds that rightfully belong to (Exotic Canopy), threatening to sell those seeds unless (Exotic Canopy) pays a price beyond the parties’ bargain.”
Exotic Canopy seeks $3.4 million in damages. The Colorado companies have not yet responded to the claim. A court date has not been set.
** Next A study found Heavy Metals in 90% of Rolling Papers
Ganjapreneur reports an analysis by California’s SC Laboratories Inc. of 101 rolling papers found at least one heavy metal in 90 percent of the papers tested with 8 percent containing at least one heavy metal in “concentrations above the allowable limits” in the state for inhalable cannabis products.
Lead was the most commonly detected heavy metal in the products “by a considerable margin,” the report says.
Pesticides were detected in 16 percent of the samples with 5 percent containing levels over the allowable limits. In all, 11 percent of the 118 total rolling papers included in the study “would fail above the action limits for inhalable products” in the state.
The study included 70 rolling papers, 25 pre-rolled cones, 20 wraps, and three cellulose-based papers. Of the rolling papers and cones, just one each exceeded California action limits for heavy metals, while eight of the wraps – 40 percent of those tested – exceeded state limits. All three of the cellulose papers tested exceeded action limits.
The researchers conclude that “it is not surprising to find a prevalence of heavy metals detected in the rolling paper products and should not be considered alarming on its own;” the study, however, demonstrated “there is a wide range of concentrations of metals contamination in these products from a relatively low level to grossly contaminated.”
The products used for the study were purchased from Amazon and various retailers in Santa Cruz.
** And last up today, but certainly not least, The Full US House is Expected to Vote on Cannabis Descheduling this month
The full US House is expected to vote this month on a sweeping reform bill that would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, in what would be a historic development for the industry.
House Democratic leadership is preparing for a vote on the social justice-focused Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019, according to media reports Friday.
The measure, if enacted into law, would open up enormous business opportunities for legal marijuana nationwide, similar to the federal legalization of hemp.
The US House Judiciary Committee approved the measure last November.
But even if the measure passes the Democratic-controlled House, the Republican-controlled Senate is seen as too high of a barrier before the elections.
MORE could come into play in the Senate next year, if it flips to Democrats.
The platform at the recent Democratic National Convention was much less ambitious, supporting only rescheduling and medical cannabis legalization.
The current version of the MORE Act also would:
-Allow states to continue to choose how to regulate a commercial marijuana industry.
-Put in place a 5% federal retail sales tax on marijuana products.
-Target revenues to empower individuals and communities most impacted by the war on drugs.
