EMAIL: laurad@staging-hempindustrydaily.kinsta.cloud
PHONE: 720.213.5963

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.

Louisiana permits hundreds of businesses to sell CBD products

Published September 11, 2019

Louisiana has awarded business licenses to 775 companies that want to sell CBD products. The state’s Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) received more than 1,000 permit applications after passage of a law outlining how retailers can sell products containing CBD. The ATC started the process in June. Liquor stores, gas stations and CBD-specific shops were among the […]

Oregon hailstorm update: Hemp crops recovering but may not have time to flower

Published September 11, 2019 | By Laura Drotleff

Four weeks after a hailstorm in Central Oregon wreaked havoc on roughly 500 acres of hemp, farmers say the area’s crop may not be a total loss. Some of the damaged plants in one of the nation’s most heavily planted hemp areas have greened up and sprouted new leaves and flowers, said Deschutes County Farm Bureau President […]

Canada’s hemp industry shrank last year amid slow-moving CBD regulations, USDA says

Published September 9, 2019 | By Laura Drotleff

Canada has a 20-year head start on the United States in growing and processing hemp. But Canada’s acreage shrank in 2018 as the nation lagged behind its southern neighbor in developing a market for hemp extracts such as CBD, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that highlights Canada’s industrial hemp industry. […]

Hemp in California: Proposed CBD legislation put on hold until 2020

Published September 4, 2019 | By Laura Drotleff

California’s long-awaited legislation to legalize hemp-derived CBD in foods, beverages and cosmetics has been put on hold, rendering it dead for this legislative session.

Beyond the Dispensary: Three key strategies for getting hemp products on shelves

Published September 3, 2019 | By Laura Drotleff

Mainstream retailers from grocery stores to pharmacies and even clothing merchandisers are clamoring to stock hemp and CBD products.

‘Global cannabis supply chain is based on industrial hemp’: Q&A with cannabis attorney Robert Hoban

Published August 30, 2019 | By Laura Drotleff

Industrial hemp is big business – and it’s only going to get bigger as investors around the world begin to pile money into the development of infrastructure for hemp products.

According to cannabis attorney Robert Hoban, the foundation of the global cannabis marketplace will be built on industrial hemp.

USDA: Crop insurance available for some hemp growers for 2020 season

Published August 28, 2019 | By Laura Drotleff

Federal crop insurance is finally coming to some hemp farmers as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) takes more steps toward adopting new rules for hemp production.

Plant researchers discuss breeding priorities for stable hemp genetics

Published August 26, 2019 | By Laura Drotleff

To maintain growth, the booming U.S. hemp industry needs a reliable supply of steady, stable seed genetics. Professional and academic plant breeders are rushing to fill the market demand, but it might take at least another five years to develop those genetics, according to longtime breeders. That’s because it takes time to breed, trial and […]

Green Growth Brands completes first equity raise for CA$50.2 million

Published August 22, 2019

A Columbus, Ohio-based cannabis retailer that distributes CBD products at big-box retail stores and malls across America has completed its initial equity raise through a bought deal offering for 50.2 million Canadian dollars ($37.8 million). Green Growth Brands said in a statement that the raise is intended to fuel expansion. The company plans to combine […]

‘Sky is the limit’ for global hemp opportunities: Q&A with Hemp Industries Association’s Joy Beckerman

Published August 22, 2019 | By Laura Drotleff

Hemp is a global industry and the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill put the United States on the map as a major player ready to compete, with the potential to impact the international business scene with its unique capabilities.

EPA seeking industry input on pesticide applications for hemp production

Published August 21, 2019

Federal pesticide regulators are reviewing products for use on hemp, a major step toward making the newly legal crop a national commodity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday asked for public comment on 10 pesticide applications it has received. The EPA “is taking the next step toward registering crop-protection tools for hemp in time for […]

Washington state bans all CBD-infused foods, beverages in accordance with FDA

Published August 21, 2019

Washington state banned the commercial sale of food and beverages containing CBD, sticking closely to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policy. The FDA currently stipulates that the cannabinoid cannot be an ingredient in the food supply, and the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) posted similar restrictions this month. “To be clear, CBD is not […]