2020 was the year that showed us all that you can’t truly predict what lays ahead. But, for all the surprises of the last year, the industry didn’t collapse, it accelerated along familiar trend lines. So, after a year like 2020, should we even attempt to predict what will happen in 2021? We say yes. And here’s why…
Read MoreWelcome to January 2020! I am Tommy Miller, I am Senior Counsel, and life science practice lead here at Nixon Law Group. Today I want to walk you through what I think are the highs and lows of 2019, specifically related to the legislative and regulatory actions taken in the pharmaceutical and medical device space.
Read MoreOn Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) released three warning letters to unnamed companies who were illegally advertising their CBD products.
Read MoreThe Virginia Cannabis Industry Association (VCIA) will host a series of regional legislative forums over the next several weeks. Discussions will include an update about the Virginia cannabis industry and how outcomes of the November elections of all 140 seats of the Virginia General Assembly may affect the opportunities and challenges of this nascent industry.
Read MoreFollowing its July 15th letter to Virginia Industrial Hemp Processors (“Processors”) notifying them of Governor Ralph Northam’s recent directive regarding the manufacture of CBD in Virginia, the VDACS Food Safety Program (the “FSP”) sent a letter to Processors on Friday, July 26th setting forth guidelines for Processors to follow when manufacturing cannabidiol (“CBD”) products intended for human consumption (the “Food Safety Letter”).
Read MoreThe Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (“VDACS”) Commissioner Jewel Bronaugh sent a letter (the “July Letter”) to all Virginia-registered Industrial Hemp Processors (“Processors”) on July 15, 2019 notifying the Processors that Governor Northam’s office has directed VDACS to “treat hemp-derived extracts intended for human consumption as approved food additives and to place qualifying Registered Industrial Hemp Processors under food safety inspection so that inspected and approved processors may manufacture a hemp-derived extract for human consumption.”
Read MoreNixon Law Group represents clients whose businesses are on the leading edge of healthcare and technology. We represent healthcare providers, healthcare technology companies, and other businesses that sell to the healthcare industry, including businesses in the medical cannabis industry.
Read MoreIn Virginia’s 2019 General Assembly (GA) Session, five of six proposed cannabis-related bills passed and will soon reach the desk of the Governor, ushering in some significant changes to the Commonwealth’s medical cannabis program. Among them, allowing full therapeutic-strength medical cannabis preparations, and the addition of physician assistants and nurse practitioners to the list of providers permitted to make medical cannabis recommendations.
Read MoreOn December 12, 2018, Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill (The “Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018” or the “Bill”), which includes provisions that exempt Cannabis plants with lower than 0.3% THC content (also called “Hemp”) from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Once signed into law, the Farm Bill effectively legalizes the production, commercialization, and interstate shipment and sale of hemp and hemp-derived products like cannabidiol or “CBD”. Each state (including Indian Tribes and U.S. Territories) will eventually be able to regulate hemp production like any other agricultural commodity, as long as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approves its plan to monitor and regulate the plant’s production.
Read MoreOn September 25, 2018, the Virginia Board of Pharmacy met in closed session for more than five hours before awarding five conditional permits to five separate companies who will likely become the first Pharmaceutical Processors of Medical Cannabis in Virginia. Following this exciting announcement, these conditional license permittees will undergo background checks and, upon satisfactory results, will begin the arduous process of creating Virginia’s first vertically integrated Medical Cannabis cultivation, manufacturing and retail facilities. The state’s program started in earnest in 2015, and due to the advocacy of Virginia patients, caregivers, legislators, and healthcare providers, expanded to its current state in just three short years.
Read MoreIn anticipation of the forthcoming issuance of Virginia’s first pharmaceutical processor licenses, the Virginia Cannabis Industry Association (VCIA) will host a launch event at O’Connor Brewing Co,’s Legalize Virginia Festival, Tuesday, September 18. VCIA’s mission is to represent Virginia medical cannabis business owners and industry stakeholders to advance legislation and bring the highest quality, safest, and most compliant medical cannabis products to consumers in the Commonwealth.
Read MoreVirginia’s medical cannabis program is moving forward, with a notice of proposed regulations and a new physician registration form. However, the Board of Pharmacy, whose ad hoc committee is currently evaluating pharmaceutical processor applications, has signaled that it will not be announcing the conditional permit recipients at its August 14th meeting, as was previously expected. The 53 applicants to the Board may be looking at a delay of weeks or months.
In the meantime, physicians can begin to prepare for increased demand from Virginians for medical cannabis certifications by registering with the Board of Pharmacy using its new application form. Also, industry stakeholders have until August 22nd to comment on the proposed regulations to replace the emergency regulations adopted by the Board earlier this summer.
Read MoreNixon Law Group’s Cannabis attorneys assist clients with licensing for growing/cultivation, processing/extraction and dispensing; intellectual property; real estate and equipment leases, and business/corporate transactions.
Read MoreOn February 21, the Virginia House of Delegates voted 99-0 (1 abstention) to approve HB 1251, a bill that will dramatically expand the state’s medical cannabis laws. The bill was sent to Governor Ralph Northam for signature and – thanks to an emergency clause recommended by the Governor himself – will be effective immediately once he signs. With this bill, doctors will now be able to recommend the use of medical cannabis oil to patients with any diagnosed condition or disease that the doctor determines will benefit from such use.
Read MoreNixon Law Group, a Virginia-based boutique law firm representing clients in the healthcare industry exclusively, announced today that Kaitlyn O’Connor, Esq. has joined the firm as Counsel. Kaitlyn will be based in Nixon Law Group’s Richmond office, but will divide her time between Richmond and Williamsburg.
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