Cannabis and Hemp Producers are Warned Not to “Extrapolate” Early Covid-19 Research Results
Over the last few weeks, research for treating Covid-19 with CBD or cannabis products is getting quite a bit of attention. Several studies have shown that synthetic cannabinoids, CBD, or cannabinoid acids can potentially treat – or even prevent – infections from Covid-19.
However, both leaders in the cannabis industry and researchers are warning consumers and producers of cannabis and CBD products not to jump to conclusions just yet. While the early results are promising, there is still a great deal of exploration to be done. There are compliance and legal issues that deal with marketing any product as a “cure” for a disease or ailment, and while Covid numbers continue to climb, cannabis companies are advised not to profiteer off this new information. Many in the industry are preparing for an onslaught of interest in CBD and cannabis products, however, and prices for these goods are on the rise.
The USDA and Cornell University Join Forces to Create Hemp Education Webinar Series
Cornell University and The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have partnered to produce a webinar series that centers on hemp education. The first webinar was held Wednesday of last week and focused on outdoor hemp cultivation. The series is expected to continue for the next few months and cover topics such as the economics of hemp production, indoor cultivation, processing, extraction and genetics. The webinars will feature experts in hemp research, production, private industry, and academia. The next webinar is scheduled for February 9th and will focus on indoor cultivation.
No Black-owned Businesses Were Awarded Cannabis Licenses in NJ
A total of 56 retail licenses were awarded to cannabis businesses in New Jersey. None of these went to black-owned businesses in areas that were negatively impacted by prohibition, and one Congressman wants answers as to why. In a press release last week, Representative Donald Payne(D-NJ) expressed his outrage at this racial disparity. He feels that this was tantamount to black-owned businesses being “shut out” of the New Jersey retail cannabis industry. He went on to say, “New Jersey has a chance to correct this inequality and allow people abused by the system to finally benefit from it with a fair distribution of cannabis business licenses. Instead, we are seeing the same inequality with these licenses that we see in marijuana arrests.”
