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Laura Drotleff

Laura has specialized in agricultural journalism for the past 20 years. Most recently she served as the editor of a B2B publication and multimedia properties focused on productivity, efficiency and profitability in commercial greenhouse cultivation. She has reported on multiple aspects of specialty crops including floriculture, fruit, vegetables, citrus and cannabis. She also has served extensively on various horticulture industry association boards. Laura is a Michigan State University graduate and is based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Michigan growing-rack producer acquires ventilation company for optimum air flow in vertical cultivation

Published December 21, 2020

Pipp Horticulture, a Michigan-based producer of multi-level mobile cultivation systems for the indoor farming and horticulture industries, announced Friday that has purchased Vertical Air Systems.

Hemp pricing data now available on Chicago Mercantile Exchange

Published December 16, 2020

Hemp is another step closer to being recognized as a mainstream agricultural commodity with new pricing data being added to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

They raised $150 million to invest in hemp companies. But they couldn’t find the right partners, forcing a pivot.

Published December 16, 2020 | By Laura Drotleff

Hemp businesses won’t benefit directly from the $150 million raised by a special purpose acquisition company that was initially established in hopes of investing in and further developing the U.S. hemp market. But a deal was made in the spirit of aligning the industry with large manufacturers in the future, according to Geoff Whaling, President of Austin, Texas-based Collective Growth Corp.

Smokable hemp regulations likely won’t come before FDA’s broader CBD rules, attorneys say

Published December 11, 2020 | By Laura Drotleff

Hemp flower growers and smokable hemp manufacturers impacted by state laws that have banned or restricted smokable hemp flower production and sales are worried that federal regulators could echo state-level restrictions on a national scale.

Tom Vilsack to be nominated as US agriculture secretary

Published December 10, 2020

President-Elect Joe Biden will nominate a familiar hemp overseer, Tom Vilsack, for U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

USDA calls on hemp operators to apply for supply-chain research grants up to $10 million

Published December 10, 2020 | By Laura Drotleff

Federal agricultural funding grantors are asking for hemp operators working toward promoting transformational changes in the U.S. food and agriculture system to apply for research money to help develop the hemp supply chain.

Oregon withdraws state hemp plan from USDA

Published December 9, 2020

Oregon has withdrawn its hemp plan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Martha Stewart brand CBD wellness products hit national retail shelves

Published December 8, 2020

One of the nation’s largest chained retailers of health supplements, the Vitamin Shoppe is the first national retailer to carry the full line of hemp-derived CBD wellness products from lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, according to Smith Falls, Ontario-based cannabis operator Canopy Growth Corp.

Market research firm: Lower CBD prices good for consumers, bad for brand loyalty

Published December 7, 2020 | By Hemp Industry Daily staff

Consumers are increasingly using hemp-CBD to help them through the coronavirus pandemic – and that could be thanks in part to heavy discounting from CBD brands.

USDA will move on hemp regulations in 2021 but FDA will not, MJBizDaily CEO predicts

Published December 7, 2020

This session and other MJBizCon 2020 content is available on demand. New leadership at the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Biden administration will result in the agency “taking another look at looming rules for a nationwide hemp regulatory network,” said Chris Walsh, CEO and president of Hemp Industry Daily and Marijuana Business Daily. Walsh […]

Federal health officials solicit public for data on CBD treatments for pain

Published December 2, 2020

Health officials on Wednesday opened a four-week public comment window asking for submissions of literature about how plant-based treatments including hemp-derived cannabinoids affect chronic pain.

International biocontrols producer purchases California insectary to build grower support across North America

Published December 1, 2020

A global biological controls company has purchased a Redding, California-based insectary that specializes in raising beneficial and predatory insects used for natural crop protection and pest control.