The Prospect of Federally Legal Industrial Hemp and Cannabis-Infused Craft Beer: Week In Review

In the past week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that he will introduce a bill to federally legalize industrial hemp, the first cannabis testing laboratory in Pennsylvania was accredited, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy supported an expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program, the creator of Blue Moon announced plans for a cannabis-infused craft beer and more.

• U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced March 26 that he will introduce a bill next week to legalize and subsidize industrial hemp cultivation. “Hemp has played a foundational role in Kentucky’s agricultural heritage, and I believe that it can be an important part of our future,” McConnell said in a press release. Read more

• Cannabis oil is now legal in Indiana, but Gov. Eric Holcomb says that doesn’t change his opposition to legalizing medical marijuana. He argues that medical cannabis is frequently a gateway to deadlier drugs, and says the federal government needs to resolve what he calls a “hodgepodge” of contradictory guidance before Indiana even considers legalization. Read more

• State Sen. Tick Segerblom and Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian said during a press conference March 26 that money generated by Nevada marijuana sales should be pulled out of the state’s rainy day fund and sent directly to school districts. “We want to make sure it goes towards education,” Tarkanian said. “If this goes into the rainy day fund, it’s sometimes a dark cellar in there, and we don’t know where it goes.” Read more

• The A2LA Cannabis Accreditation Program has accredited the first cannabis testing laboratory in the state of Pennsylvania. Harrisburg’s Keystone State Testing finalized the accreditation process Feb. 21 and is currently able to perform the tests required by the state on cannabis flower and plant material. Read more

• New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced March 27 broad expansions to the state’s medical marijuana program, including the addition of five new categories to the state’s list of qualifying conditions: anxiety, migraines, Tourette syndrome, chronic pain relating to musculoskeletal disorders and visceral pain relating to internal organs. The announcement comes 60 days after Murphy’s promise to review the access to and costs of medical marijuana in the state and includes a 26-page executive order report that addresses the shortcomings of New Jersey’s 2008 medical marijuana legislation and the potential for safer, more widespread access to the plant. Read more

• Michigan’s medical marijuana licensing board cannot come to a consensus on the first two applications for licenses to transport and sell cannabis, and regulators have realized that getting applications through the new licensing process is more difficult than anticipated. Instead of five meetings set for the rest of the year, the board added two meetings to its schedule to tackle the hundreds of pending applications. Read more

• The number of entrepreneurs trying to start a cannabis business in Oakland, Calif., has overwhelmed the city staffers charged with evaluating and doling out permits. To accommodate the industry’s dramatic growth, the city is now planning to spend an additional $307,000 to hire more staff members to process the flood of business applications. Read more

• Keith Villa, the creator and head brew master of Blue Moon Brewing Company, has launched Arvada, Colo.-based CERIA BEVERAGES in partnership with his wife, Jodi Villa. Among the company’s goals this year is to be the first to introduce a line of non-alcoholic craft beverages containing THC. Read more

• A second Tennessee House committee approved a bill March 28 to allow Tennesseans to use medical cannabis. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Crosby) would give those suffering from roughly a dozen maladies a legal defense if they are arrested and prosecuted for having cannabis, provided they have a doctor’s note prescribing the product. Read more

• South Carolina’s Senate Medical Affairs Committee approved a medical marijuana bill March 29, sending it to the full Senate for consideration. The South Carolina Compassionate Care Act would allow seriously ill patients to use marijuana to treat their conditions with a recommendation from their doctors. Read more

Top Image: © Iarygin Andrii | Adobe Stock