The state gave the go-ahead for Natural State Medicinals in White Hall to begin growing the plant.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - A third medical marijuana cultivation facility has been approved to start growing, leaving just two facilities waiting for state inspection.
Department of Finance and Administration spokesman Scott Hardin said Friday that state inspectors gave the go-ahead for Natural State Medicinals in White Hall to begin growing the plant.
BOLD Team in Cotton Plant and Osage Creek Cultivation in Berryville have also been approved.
The certification program recognizes companies that have taken steps to provide the hemp market with safe and accurately labeled products.
In an effort to standardize quality control and build a better hemp industry post-Farm Bill, the U.S. Hemp Authority has launched a Certified Seal program to recognize companies that have taken steps to provide consumers access to safe and accurately labeled hemp-derived products, including those containing hemp-derived CBD.
In early March, the organization awarded its first 13 Certified Seals to companies that met the program’s stringent standards, which are modeled after existing federal regulations for manufacturing in the dietary supplement industry.
Here, U.S. Hemp Authority President Marielle Weintraub discusses the journey to issue these first Certified Seals, as well as how the program aims to keep consumers safe in the rapidly expanding hemp market.
Marielle Weintraub: Two and a half years ago, it was a group in the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, which is more of a hemp lobbying group. They took it upon themselves to recognize the importance of creating a self-regulated organization, or SRO, until there were very strict, written, and black and white guidelines as to safety and quality standards in hemp and hemp products. They began a standards committee, which I was on at the time. We began to use what was already written. First, we wanted to grab as much federal guideline as we could, so we looked to the federal guidelines for current good manufacturing processes for dietary supplements. Those already exist for dietary supplements, but we understood that we would need to branch out from just that to cover the fact that it is a botanical product, which adds a couple layers of testing and quality standards needed. And in addition to that, it’s not just a normal botanical—it comes from a plant that has a stigma attached to it in the U.S.
So, we wanted to make sure that the bases were covered from the federal regulation side, from the botanical regulation side and from the fact that different states have different guidelines and testing [regulations], depending on whether or not they are a med/rec legal state. For instance, the state of California has cannabis regulations around what pesticides you can and cannot use, in addition to their labeling guidelines, so we wanted to make sure we took those into account, as well, so that people could be as federally compliant and state-compliant with these regulations as possible. That’s where this SRO started.
The actual certification program is our industry’s initiative to provide high standards. It’s also [meant] to be very easily recognized by consumers and law enforcement, which is why the stamp is there and the certification seal is there, so it’s an easy way to tell that these products are safe and legal.
MW: We have a website, USHempAuthority.org, and on that site, we have our guidance procedures to help either growers or processors understand the program. It goes over contaminant testing. It goes over personnel guidances. And at the same time, there is a link for an email to Validus Services—they are the group Where Food Comes From, who is our third-party certification body. They are the ones who have all the audit guidelines [and] all the audit papers. They’re the ones who do the original discussion with you, make a time when the auditor can come out, but then [also] make sure you’re prepared for that audit so it’s not just a waste of time. They want to make sure all that paperwork is together because it is a full day audit and it can go over a full day if you’re not prepared for it. They begin doing the third-party audit, and if you pass their audit, then they are also the ones that issue the seal to you. If you don’t pass, they give you the reasons you didn’t pass, which gives those companies a chance to get up to snuff and re-apply.
MW: At Natural Products Expo West a couple years ago, there were a handful of companies that had a hemp or a CBD product. And this [year], I was told by multiple people that there were over 170 groups with a hemp or CBD product present, and I think there were 88,000 people at this conference. So, there’s a very clear increase in the [number] of products available and the companies doing this, and the questions I get most are “Which ones should I buy?” and “Who can I trust?” And when there are that many products on the market, we wanted to make sure people could make a choice, knowing that there is a certification program that is trying to drive the industry to higher standards, best practices, and give that confidence to the consumer that they can trust the products they’re buying.
MW: We started with dietary supplements, [but] the idea is to be a certification program for the entire hemp industry. Later down the line, depending on which way the FDA goes, we’re looking at companies that have food products that are infused with CBD oil because that’s a whole different federal regulation and guideline program. It has a different set of rules. In addition to that, we would like to extend out where people are making paper, they’re making hemp cream, they’re selling biomass. We want to continue to evolve as this industry evolves and be a reliable program where people know, no matter what type of product it is, if it’s in the hemp industry, it’s a product that can be trusted.
Very soon, our website will be updated. We’re going to keep a running list of those that have been granted the seal. So, if customers are interested in knowing who has this certification, there will be a place for them to see who has the industry standards and best practices and the certification showing that they are producing safe and legal products.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for style, length and clarity.
Today's hearings at noon and 2 p.m. in Trenton, N.J., could set up full floor votes.
TRENTON - If the bill to legalize marijuana in New Jersey is cleared by two committees today, it could set up the Garden State as the 11th state to legalize weed for adult-use as soon as next week.
Committee hearings are scheduled today on landmark legislation to legalize, tax and regulate weed, significantly expand the medical marijuana program and expunge the records of those convicted of low-level marijuana offenses.
The Assembly Appropriations and Senate Judiciary committees will hold hearings on the bill package, with the Assembly committee convening at noon and the Senate committee starting at 2 p.m.
If the bill clears both committees, they could be headed for a floor vote as soon as next week. But that's only if the bill has enough votes to ensure passage, said Kevin McArdle, a spokesman for the Assembly Democratic caucus.
Colorado Harvest Company was honored with a Business for the Arts award.
Denver - PRESS RELEASE - More than 700 corporate, cultural and civic leaders celebrated 10 honorees at the 2019 Colorado Business Committee for the Arts’ (CBCA) Business for the Arts Awards, the only statewide event honoring companies and individuals for their exemplary engagement with the arts.
All honorees were celebrated at the annual Business for the Arts Awards Luncheon, presented by EY and PNC Bank, on Tuesday, March 12, 2019 in the Seawell Grand Ballroom at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. CBCA has been producing this inspiring, arts-infused event for over 30 years, featuring a variety of home-grown entertainers and Colorado artists.
Entertainment at this year’s luncheon included: a Denver-based indie-alternative band Ivory Circle, an excerpt from Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Xanadu, a scene from And Toto too Theatre Company, and a performance from the Intergenerational Women’s African Dance and Drumming Ensemble (IWADDE). In addition, a balloon art installation was featured during the pre-event networking reception, created by Balloon Art by Merry Makers from Greeley, Colo. Think 360 Arts for Learning and artists/educators Eurekus were commissioned to create the table centerpieces.
“We applaud all of the outstanding honorees this year for their innovative and impactful business and arts partnerships. Their stories demonstrate how the arts and business advance our economy and strengthen the cultural vitality and quality of life in Colorado,” said Mark Davidson, Chair of CBCA’s Board of Directors, and a Director at Fairfield and Woods.
The 2019 Business for the Arts Awards Honorees
The Business for the Arts Awards Honorees are exemplary organizations that have gone above and beyond to support the arts and creative industries.
PNC Bank Cultural Leadership Award
The PNC Bank Cultural Leadership Award recognizes an outstanding graduate of CBCA's Leadership Arts program who has made an impact on arts and culture in Colorado.
Volunteer Attorney of the Year
The Volunteer Attorney of the Year recognizes an outstanding attorney who has provided pro bono legal services to Colorado creatives and advanced CBCA’s Colorado Attorneys for the Arts (CAFTA) program.
EY Next Wave Leadership Award
The EY Next Wave Leadership Award honors rising professionals who are leading the future of our cultural community.
John Madden, Jr. Leadership Award
Named for CBCA’s founding chairman, the John Madden, Jr. Leadership Award recognizes a lifetime of extraordinary leadership and a legacy of support for the arts.
Honorees received a unique fine art sculpture as their award, crafted by Colorado Springs artist, Sean O’Meallie. The 2019 Business for the Arts Awards Honorees, PNC Cultural Leadership Award Honoree, EY Next Wave Leadership Award Honoree and the John Madden, Jr. Leadership Award Honoree were selected by an independent panel of arts, business and community leaders. The Volunteer Attorney of the Year Award was selected by the CAFTA Advisory Committee.
CBCA thanks our generous sponsors who make this event possible. Presenting sponsors include EY and PNC Bank, as well as Bellco Credit Union, HealthOne and Xcel Energy. In-kind and media partners are CBS4, ColoradoBiz and The Publishing House.
Bills in three different committees will be the core of the General Assembly’s wide-reaching legislation on the full legalization of marijuana for recreational use and retail sales.
HARTFORD — Bills in three different committees will be the core of the General Assembly’s wide-reaching legislation on the full legalization of marijuana for recreational use and retail sales, Democratic committee leaders announced Thursday afternoon.
The regulatory framework, at this point, does not include provisions for backyard cultivation of cannabis, a potentially divisive issue for lawmakers who will consider the raft of complicated legislation that if enacted could yield an estimated $170 million a year in taxes, once it gets off the ground.
The leaders said that the current producers of marijuana for the state’s medical cannabis program would have the extra capacity needed to provide retail marijuana in the first months of a new retail program, while an anticipated three tiers of new growers--small, medium and large operations--jump through the initial regulatory hoops.
Cannabis Business Times’ interactive legislative map is another tool to help cultivators quickly navigate state cannabis laws and find news relevant to their markets. View More
Melissa Schiller