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A Look Inside The White House’s First Cannabis Products Enforcement Policy Meeting

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2 months ago

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The White House has done the first a series of scheduled meetings with cannabis industry and research stakeholders To discuss a new enforcement policy for CBD products.

Representatives from the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) under the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) spoke with Panacea Plant Sciences CEO David Heldreth on Wednesday to learn more. Awaiting Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of cannabidiol.

Marijuana Moment caught up with Heldreth shortly after he finished attending the remote meeting, which is one of several discussions on the topic that OIRA has organized after last month’s release of a memo on the FDA’s policy review.

“Members of the FDA were present, but they were not identified other than the host. They opened the meeting by not revealing anything about the policy or when it’s going to come out and essentially not going into detail,” he said. “Then they opened the floor to me.”

Heldreth said he raised questions about the legality of a new one Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) initiative to cover certain hemp-derived CBD and THC products It was launched on Wednesday.

“Current FDA policy is that CBD cannot be a food additive or supplement (which is generally recognized as safe), and therefore all CBD products are technically illegal outside of vaping and smoking,” he told federal officials. “I told them they were putting the cart before the horse. This current CBD policy needed to be updated before we started a legal CBD reimbursement program.”

“Then I argued that if the policy changes it should be more than CBD isolate,” Heldreth said.

“Recent federal legislation set a THC limit of 0.4 mg per container/serving for cannabinoid extracts, but rather than the 0.4 mg THC limit for oral consumption of stem, seed, and hemp microgreens or leaves that is maintained at industrial hemp’s 0.3 percent THC level. I believe FDA policy for CBD should adopt this and define hemp leaves and microgreens as foods and as food additives. should include a policy that supports them.

He said that as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, he expects officials to follow federal laws to make detailed inquiries about the tribes.

“I’m glad the White House held the meeting, but I don’t think there’s going to be much in this process,” Heldreth said, noting that he attended similar meetings with FDA officials in 2020 about CBD policy and “nothing changed” at the time.

“The reality is without congressional action to address the drug exclusion law, it’s difficult to legalize CBD,” he said. “However, I think items like hemp leaf will be out there and provide options.”

OIRA will also meet with Trent Woloveck of multi-state cannabis operator Jushi Holdings on Wednesday, as well as Mackie Barch of Story Cannabis and Iowa hemp farmer Earl Ramey on Thursday, and Brett Goldman of OCan Group, LLC next week.

All of this comes less than a month before changes to federal hemp laws are set to significantly shake up the industry, with a ban on most consumable cannabinoids containing THC taking effect in November. As part of the original law, the FDA was responsible for publishing a list of known cannabinoids, however He missed a deadline set by the congress to fulfill this obligation and it is not clear when that list will finally be issued.

Some have speculated that the enforcement policy guidance OIRA is reviewing is related to the executive order President Donald Trump signed in December to move marijuana from Schedule I to III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which also included provisions to create a pathway for CMS CBD health care coverage.

CBD oriented plan—which A coalition of anti-cannabis groups led by Smart Approaches to Marihuana (SAM) now wants to block it in federal court—will also allow a certain amount of THC in the products, but the agency has said the planned rules could change if federal hemp policies change, under the law now set to take effect in November.

Participants would have to ensure that the CBD comes from a “law-compliant source and high-quality farm,” prepared as an oral solution, and tested for cannabinoid content, so that available products contain no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight and a total of 3 milligrams of THC per serving.

CMS said that centers participating in one of three models that receive substance access beneficiary engagement incentives (BEI) “will be able to consult with eligible beneficiaries about the use of eligible hemp products to improve symptom control.”

Details about the rules for the CBD pilot program came weeks after a co-founder of the Charlotte’s Web hemp company, which has partnered with CMS, had already told the agency. ended federal health insurance plans for cannabidiol.

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While CMS issued a previous final rule this past April specifically stipulating that marijuana, as well as CBD derived from federal law hemp, are ineligible For coverage of the Medicare Advantage program and other services, the agency is revising that policy.

CMS already announced some changes as part of a rulemaking process filed late last year, It affects “marketing and communications, drug coverage, enrollment processes, special needs plans and other programming areas.” for the insurance programs it oversees. One of these changes concerned the coverage of cannabidiol.

Meanwhile, regarding the marijuana components of Trump’s December executive order, Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered a quick end to the cannabis redistricting proposal, which would not federally legalize it, but would remove some barriers to research and allow state-licensed marijuana businesses to take federal tax deductions known as the Internal Revenue Service (2S)80E Service. This proposal to reconsider, however, is still pending.

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Columbia hemp business Burning Acre to close and move to North Carolina over new Tennessee rules

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10 hours ago

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June 14, 2026

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Burning Acre, a Columbia, Tennessee-based hemp company, says it will close its retail store and move operations to North Carolina ahead of new state regulations that take effect July 1, according to WSMV.

The business says its last day to open in Columbia will be June 30, the same day the Tennessee Department of Agriculture licenses for hemp-derived cannabinoids expire. As of July 1, businesses that continue to operate in the state will be required to be licensed under a new regulatory framework led by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Burning Acre says the changes have forced it to abandon plans for a new sandwich shop and bakery and close its Tennessee retail operations and relocate to Murphy, North Carolina. “I won’t sugarcoat it, it’s a very hard video for me and a message I should never have written,” the business wrote.

The business puts the annual cost of manufacturing, distribution and running the retail store at about $750. Under the new rules, he says, those costs would rise by tens of thousands of dollars, citing new licensing fees, a required $25,000 annual bond and increased testing fees.

The law, which took effect in July, changes the regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoid businesses from the Department of Agriculture to the ABC. The Department of Agriculture stopped issuing licenses at the end of 2025, and the licenses issued by the TDA will remain valid until June 30, 2026.

“Columbia, we absolutely love being a part of this community,” said Burning Acre. “We are truly heartbroken to have to say goodbye to this location.”

Read more at WSMV4










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North Carolina Lawmakers Advance Bill To Set A Minimum Age Limit For Hemp And Kratom Products

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10 hours ago

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June 14, 2026

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“Many other details about cannabis have been debated and will continue to be debated.”

By Christine Zhu, NC Newsline

Lawmakers in North Carolina are considering banning people under 21 from buying or possessing certain hemp-derived consumables, including combustible hemp flower, hemp cigarettes, gummies and drinks, or items that include the drug kratom.

The House Agriculture and Environment Committee approved a rewrite of Senate Bill 59 on Wednesday. This is the latest attempt by state legislators after years of proposals to regulate the sale of hemp products that didn’t work out in the end.

This measure would prohibit companies from selling such products to under-21s. If the seller has “reasonable grounds” to believe that the buyer is under the age of 21, the seller must verify the buyer’s ID.

Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin), who introduced the bill, said he was motivated to bring public attention to issues surrounding cannabis. He said there was a 14-year-old boy in his neighborhood who had an emergency after buying a hemp-derived product.

“There are a lot of other details about cannabis that have been debated and will continue to be debated, but ladies and gentlemen, to make sure we have the good sense to be agents of these kinds of issues, that’s the lowest hanging fruit,” he said.

Violators would face a Class 2 felony, as well as a fine of $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second offense and $1,500 for subsequent offenses.

asked Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford). of the bill language resulted in potential changes to hemp-derived products. It is common for manufacturers of synthetic recreational drugs to make changes to the chemical composition of their products to avoid legal bans or restrictions.

“I assume the definition as written is broad enough to capture any future manipulation of molecules,” he said. Dixon nodded.

Legislators also voted in favor correction To add kratom products to the under-21 ban.

Rep. Jeffrey McNeely (R-Iredell), who proposed the amendment, said it was necessary to add those elements to the bill.

“I’ve been working on this for quite some time, trying to get these bills passed,” McNeely said. “We definitely have a problem. So I’m hoping we can keep posting this and we’ll get something done before we get out of the short session here.”

Both the amendment and the legislation passed unanimously without debate.

The bill moves next to the House Rules Committee. Other amendments will be heard when they appear on the House floor, which could be as soon as next week.

This story was first published by NC Newsline.

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GreenTech Amsterdam 2026 in 2026 photos

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1 day ago

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June 13, 2026

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Well, it’s not 2026 photos, but with around 600 photos, we definitely did our best. For the past two days, the Netherlands has been the place to be for the global greenhouse industry. From Flower Trials for the horticulture sector, company visits to growers and technical suppliers, as well as dinners, get-togethers, drinks, knowledge sessions and much more. And of course with GreenTech Amsterdam.

The event brought together professionals from around the world to connect, network, share knowledge and do business.

Next week, we’ll be sharing more information on market developments, trends, what’s on display, news, business news, innovations and whatever else you can think of, but for now we’ll stick to photo reporting.

Click here for the photo report.

© Arlette Sijmonsma | MMJDaily.com










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