Under new regulations in New York, state-licensed medical cannabis companies will be able to use the hemp and related extracts that are produced by the state’s hemp growers.
The rules, announced Nov. 6 by the Department of Health, would allow the state’s 10 licensed medical cannabis operators to purchase hemp and related extracts from hemp cultivators operating under the state’s Hemp Agricultural Research Pilot Program, which launched in 2015, according to a Democrat & Chronicle report.
Until now, medical cannabis businesses had to produce CBD through their own operations, which increased costs for the state’s patients, according to the news outlet. New York’s patient count has reached nearly 110,000 following efforts to expand the program in recent years, the Democrat & Chronicle reported.
New York’s hemp industry has also been growing since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill late last year; more than 400 cultivators had nearly 18,000 acres of hemp awaiting harvest this year, according to the Democrat & Chronicle, as compared to 2017, when there were just about 100 licensed growers.
The new regulations are subject to a 60-day public comment period, the Democrat & Chronicle reported.
Meanwhile, a bill that would regulate CBD in New York through testing and labeling standards, as well as guidelines for farmers, remains in limbo as it awaits Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s signature.
