Under the USDA-approved hemp licensing program, business opportunities in New Jersey are being further promoted by developing commercial markets for farmers and all qualified participants to produce, sell, and manufacture hemp. The organization of the legislation and the business/marketing infrastructure plan, in sync with one another, create an opportunity for long-term profit and success.
New York will be among the first states to establish a grading program for cannabis-derived extracts assuring consumers some degree of quality control.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation Monday authorizing the Department of Agriculture and Markets to adopt standards for cannabidiol, or CBD, which is gaining wide acceptance among the public for offering relief from a variety of ailments.
As it gains in popularity, however, product quality still remains questionable in terms of potency and uncertain science about the long-term impacts of the drug.
Case in point, New York City police boasted on social media this week about what seemed like a significant drug bust: 106 pounds (48 kilograms) of funky, green plants that officers thought sure seemed like marijuana.
But the Vermont farm that grew the plants and the Brooklyn CBD shop that ordered them insisted they're actually industrial hemp, and perfectly legal. And, they said, they have paperwork to prove it.
Two New York State departments filed an amendment on Wednesday that would allow medical marijuana businesses to provide hemp-derived compounds such as CBD to patients.
The measure, which was introduced by the Departments of Health and Agriculture and Markets, is designed to “enhance” the state’s medical cannabis program while also lowering manufacturing costs for licensed facilities. Patients would also reap the cost-savings benefits under the regulatory amendment.