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.


The story behind a hemp extract firm’s distributor deals with major grocery, pharmacy chains

When President Donald Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill into law, it not only made hemp a legal crop on the federal level, it also made cannabis-derived products more obtainable to consumers beyond marijuana retailers.

A side effect of this development is that securing a partnership with mainstream retail companies has become the goal of every cannabis business hoping to reach more customers and potentially see a huge increase in sales.

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Christmas tree shortage possible as farmers switch to hemp

Farmers moving to hemp production could cause shortages of other crops, including Christmas trees. Consumers should make their yearly pilgrimage to pick out the perfect tree for the holidays sooner than later, according to experts, because some tree farmers have pivoted away from the crop to concentrate on faster-growing, more profitable crops such as hemp. […]

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Federal CBD delays hurting profits and shelf space for manufacturers, companies say

CBD manufacturers have seen wide adoption of their products into mainstream retail chains in recent months, so why aren’t they turning profits as rapidly as expected? The federal government is the culprit, according to some. CV Sciences and Charlotte’s Web are among the cannabis companies that pointed to delayed federal CBD regulations as they reported […]

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FDA says more scientific data needed to move forward with CBD regulation

Federal health regulators say the lack of scientific data about cannabidiol explains their delay issuing new guidance on over-the-counter CBD products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to accept comments on hemp- and cannabis-derived ingredients, months after the comment period closed, according to Sharon Lindan Mayl, senior policy adviser in the agency’s Office […]

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Idaho governor approves hemp transportation across state

Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued an executive order aligning the state’s law enforcement activities with federal statutes to allow the transport of hemp across the state. The Republican governor issued the order in the wake of the U.S. Department of Agriculture interim rule published on Oct. 31. Little said Idaho is likely in conflict with […]

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New York prosecutor to drop marijuana charges in Vermont hemp seizure

Prosecutors are planning to drop all charges against the man arrested on marijuana possession charges in connection with a case in which 106 pounds of hemp plants shipped from Vermont were mistaken as MJ and seized by the New York Police Department. The Brooklyn district attorney’s office said that Ronen Levy’s felony marijuana possession charge […]

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CBD wellness firm Heavenly Rx to take over Nasdaq-traded drug company

An emerging CBD company plans to take over a Nasdaq-traded pharmaceutical corporation focused on developing cannabinoid pharmaceuticals. Under an agreement announced Tuesday, Heavenly Rx will execute a reverse takeover of Therapix Biosciences. When the proposed deal is complete, the combined entity will be known as Heavenly Rx. Paul Norman, CEO of Heavenly Rx and former […]

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Pennsylvania hemp drying facility reopens; employees still awaiting payment

A Pennsylvania hemp facility that was closed last week after its owners allegedly ignored code requirements has reopened after adding ventilation, but former employees say they still haven’t been paid. The drying warehouse in Jeannette – owned by Patriot Shield Security, a Colorado-based security and transportation company that serves both hemp and marijuana clients – […]

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Ruling confirms Germany’s designation that CBD is a ‘novel food’

A court case confirmed that German authorities consider CBD products either a prescription medicine or novel food. The ruling followed the direction of the European Union (EU), which has ruled that the cannabinoid and products containing cannabidiol can’t be yet be sold without additional safety research. The novel foods distinction is given to products if […]

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Canopy Growth’s NY hemp facility to receive $1.7 million tax break

The Canadian cannabis producer building an industrial park for hemp processing in New York state would get a hefty property tax break under a new plan hatched by a local economic development group. The Broome Industrial Development Agency said Canopy Growth will receive a standard 15-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes deal that will reduce taxes on the 48-acre […]

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