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A Note From Robert Hoban
On December 20, 2018, President Donald Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill into law. This cleared the pathway for the outright legality of industrial hemp; meaning that it should no longer be considered a controlled substance. Many European-based governments had previously (and have since) taken this very same step. Latin American countries are moving very quickly in the same direction. This represents a global shift in cannabis policy, but the work has only begun.
How does one navigate these choppy waters in a global industrial hemp economy? Specifically, what are the regulatory protocols surrounding the production of hemp-based products for human or animal consumption? With the U.S. FDA actively considering this very question and looking to provide “regulatory pathways” for products containing cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds), and the European Union examining the use of cannabinoid-rich hemp-derived ingredients and additives as a potential ‘novel food’ across the E.U. (decision to be finally announced on or about March 19, 2019), where can one find good guidance? How can one build a global business plan? What does a distribution channel actually look like? More practically, what does a label need to include in one or more jurisdictions for the very same product?
These are issues that HLG Global addresses every day. While the path is navigable with expertise, the answers are not always clear. But one thing is for sure, the global cannabis industry is here to stay. And the great potential of hemp extracts and derived products containing cannabinoids has only begun to impact the marketplace. And the most pressing issue is standardization and consumer protection.
The standards governing consumer protection related to health and safety measures, labeling and disclosure already exist. And these existing standards need to be applied to the hemp plant, as it is simply an agricultural commodity that has been used for thousands of years. But what happens when insatiable consumer demand for hemp-derivatives bumps up against long-held misbeliefs about the cannabis plant? We are seeing the answer to this question evolve in real time…around the globe. It is extremely challenging. Hold on tight. And stay tuned.
/Bob Hoban
This is the second HLG Global Newsletter, which will regularly feature news, information, trends and articles from our vast global industry network. We hope that you will rely on us for your global cannabis connectivity. And please feel free to send along information, news, articles, or the like to be featured in the HLG Global Newsletter.
This newsletter will cover:
I. Introducing Cannabis Law Report
II. Introductions to the HLG Global legal team.
III. Reflections on the global cannabis marketplace, by Bob Hoban
IV. “All Bets on Green” published by LexisNexis
V. Bankers Are Circling Europe’s Growing Cannabis Market
VI. Upcoming international cannabis events
VII. International headlines
I. Featured HLG Global Consortium Partner: Cannabis Law Report
HLG Global provides elite guidance on the many questions that arise for international businesses, governments and ancillary service providers. HLG Global’s partners are a worldwide collection of professionals with expertise in the global hemp marketplace and the regulated marijuana industry, whether that be science-based, medical-focused, or otherwise. Our international consortium partners each bring their own expertise to the table; they are leaders in their respective fields.
Cannabis Law Report is the only dedicated law & accounting news and information source for the latest intelligence, commentary and views from the regulated cannabis & hemp markets around the world reporting from the Americas, Europe & Australasia.
We started publishing back in 2015 and have reported daily on the market since then and now have over 5,500 articles giving you the most comprehensive historical development of the market from a regulations, compliance and legal perspective. Best of all we’re free !
We also publish a weekly alert on Mondays (we know you’re busy and don’t need endless emails clogging up your inbox daily) that highlights articles published by our legal and tax specialists working in the sector as well as the most important news and cases from the Cannabis Law Digest.
As of December 2018, we now have a European correspondent, Mark Taylor, a specialist journalist who works in highly regulated industries. We believe he is the only writer worth reading if you really want to get a sense of what’s happing in Europe.
Our contributors include, amongst others, Jordan Zoot, California’s leading cannabis and tax specialist, OR & WA firm Lane Powell, Canada’s Langlois and of course Hoban Law. If you’d like to contribute please do get in touch with us.
Sean Hocking, founder and editor of CLR, has 30 odd years experience of working in legal and professional publishing with stints at the likes of Lexis Nexis & Legalease(UK) and also publishes information daily at www.practicesource.com for the legal publishing and law librarian market globally.
Cannabis Law Report is only interested in getting relevant information to you in a timely fashion. We don’t run conferences & publish here today gone tomorrow information reports. Just the news and insights that’s needed to understand this complicated and fascinating sector from a legal and accounting perspective.
We’ll soon have some exciting news putting CLR in front of 80% of the US’s lawyers as we start working with a major legal publisher and existing media partners already include Green Market Report, Cannabis Financial Network and also Newsbank who make sure our content is seen by every USA govt dept and tertiary institution.
If you’d like to get in touch, work with us, subscribe to our free weekly news alert just email Sean via this link.
Learn more about CLR sponsorship, co-publishing, and directory opportunities here.
II. Introducing HLG Global’s International Attorney Jeff Frazier
Since graduating from the University of Texas School of Law, Jeff has worked as a lawyer and consultant representing clients in matters involving environmental and human rights law, business and commercial litigation, contract and criminal law, and trans-border litigation. He also advises individuals and companies doing business in Latin America, primarily Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina.
Jeff counsels individuals, organizations and governments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry. He also has been involved in emblematic drug policy litigation including actions to end the Plan Colombia fumigations, to dissolve the Texas Regional Narcotics Task Force System; and to enjoin illegal Michigan state police crime lab reporting practices. Jeff is of counsel to Komorn Law in Michigan, special counsel to Hoban Law Group, and is licensed to practice in Texas. 
III. Reflections on the Global Cannabis Marketplace
In February, 2019, I traveled to Latin America with several clients to work on a variety of business transactions, and to consult with two governments concerning cannabis regulation. I stopped over in Panama City, Panama to attend two events — the inaugural InterCannAlliance Latin America Symposium and Cannatech Panama. Why Panama? Because the cannabis industry in Latin America is projected to reach $12 billion within the next 10 years. And because Panama has long been a major throughway for international trade and banking.
Panama did not disappoint. The organizers of the ICA and Cannatech are truly world class. And the events were very well attended. It was a chance to network with interested government officials, global investors, consulting groups, professionals and operators. Theracann International, a Panamanian Company with global operations, was a great host, with facility tours and product demonstrations. In a nutshell, these events showed the tremendous potential of the Latin American cannabis marketplace. And it was driven by true professionals across the board. From investment and licensing to global distribution, the quality of opportunity was second-to-none. And it further reinforced my view that those of us that have been operating in regulated cannabis environments around the world truly ‘come from the future.’ The challenges, problems, and solutions to the most pressing ‘theoretical’ debates have largely been addresses in multiple places around the world. And it is very exciting to be a part of the global solution to these challenges, and to bring together the top minds from the cannabis industry worldwide, in an effort to be a guide, and to hold the lantern down a dark pathway..if you will.
Travels to Europe following Panama led me down a similar path. With European governments wrestling with government regulatory issues, and operators/investors looking for guidance, it is always a great feeling to present effectuated, real-world solutions to the problems that are anticipated. Again, there is a perception that we come from the future. And with this comes not only great opportunity, but great responsibility; a responsibility to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all regulatory solution, and that cultural sensitivities are of paramount importance, and to understand that the North American framework has its flaws. But most importantly, a responsibility to ‘get it right.’ Because the industry will only go so far as those with the lanterns will lead it. This is a heavy burden for those ‘from the future.’
-Bob Hoban
IV. All Bets on Green: An Analysis of UK Firms Focusing on Cannabis
This article by Samantha Gilbert, LexisNexis, was originally published on LexisPSL. This article looks at the reasoning behind the decisions of law firms to invest departments and funds into the cannabis industry, the growing interest of US firms to open UK branches for cannabis, and the risks. Hoban Law Group President and CEO, Bob Hoban, contributed his expertise to the article.
IV. Bankers Are Circling Europe’s Growing Cannabis Market
It is amazing to see how investment banks have viewed the cannabis industry over the past several years. And how these banks have been exhaustively looking for an entry point into the cannabis industry. However, the pathways have not always been clear. So, it began with banks looking for clear and stable regulatory environments within which to invest; this is why so much investment has been directed by and through Canada. And we had begun to see the same trends across the European Union; because of clarity and stability. Now, with the passage of the U.S. Farm Bill, combined with clear marketplace opportunities across the E.U., these banks are all-in. It is extremely intriguing to watch the banks move slowly and deliberately, while the fervor surrounding the global cannabis industry economic opportunities continues to be set ablaze.
V. Don’t Miss: GreenTech 2019 in Amsterdam
GreenTech will open its doors for the fourth time at RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, and this year from 11 – 13 June. The theme of the Summit will be: ‘Autonomous technology – a formula to accelerate business, professional horticulture beyond the green thumb’.
This year’s edition will focus on artificial intelligence and autonomous technology for greenhouses. Special attention will be given to organic, indoor farming and to growing media (substrates, peat, etc.). This year will also feature an area for medicinal cannabis farming. Next to that it will be possible to visit world’s leading vegetables and seed breeders in their own demonstration areas in close distance to Amsterdam. Also pot and bedding plant
breeders will show their newest varieties during the FlowerTrials, which will run parallel to GreenTech 2019.
The summit will be on 12 June, the second day of the trade
show. The trade show is a must visit for all horticulture and other indoor growing professionals worldwide and presents the latest innovations in the rapidly evolving industry. 95% of all the available exhibition space has been booked. This shows the immense interest of connecting with professionals and sharing knowledge about the
horticulture technology.
Mariska Dreschler, Director Horticulture of RAI Amsterdam, said: “There is a big demand for successful horticultural entrepreneurs, but this line of business is unfortunately still very scarce. Horticulture is dependent on location, infrastructure, specialist skills, ‘green fingers’, (the green thumb) and the availability of labor. Developments in autonomous technology create opportunities to reduce dependencies in horticulture and increase flexibility in the
industry. Therefor we have chosen for this theme: ‘Autonomous technology – a formula to accelerate business, professional horticulture beyond the green thumb’.“
Free registration for GreenTech until 3 June
Visitors can register free of charge until 3 June on www.greentech.nl.After 3 June the online registration fee will be €40 including VAT per person, and €70 including VAT at the entrance
desk.
VI. Upcoming International Cannabis Events
HLG Global
March 31st – April 2nd: Berlin, Germany – ICBC
April 25-26: San Cristobal, Mexico – CannaMexico World Summit
May 2: Bogotá, Colombia – Cannabiz Latino HUB
May 3-4: Bogotá, Colombia – Cannaciencia
May 6: Copenhagen, Denmark – MJBiz Daily’s European Cannabis Symposium
May 15-16: Zurich, Switzerland – ICBC
May 24-25: Victoria Falls, Africa – InterCannAlliance
May 25 – June 7: Cologne, Germany – Hemp Industries Association EIHA Conference
June 6: Santiago, Chile – Cannabis Business Latin America
June 11: Amsterdam, Holland – Cannabis Capital Convention
June 11-13: Amsterdam, Holland – GreenTech Agricultural Tech Conference
September 15-16: Vancouver, Canada – ICBC
September 26-28: Montego Bay, Jamaica – CanEx Jamaica
November 20-21: Valletta, Malta – Medical Cannabis World Forum
December 10-11: Frankfurt, Germany – Cannabis Business Europe
VII. International Headlines

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