American Seed

Yahoo! Finance
Algae International Group, Inc. (ALGA), through its operating subsidiary American Seed & Oil Company, Inc., announced an online interview with CEO Steven Rash regarding current and future hemp operations.

Interview Highlights

- Largest legal hemp harvest in Vermont in 60 years

- Plans to begin hemp production in New York in 2015

- Pending pilot research agreement with NY based university

- EpiVape preparing for launch in phased campaign

- CBD Hemp oil research for treatment of neurological disorders

- 1000 acres commitment from Vermont farmers for Hemp production

Mr. Steven Rash, the CEO of Algae International Group, Inc. discusses the Company's current hemp and medical marijuana cultivation operations, plans for development of the EpiVape device, and expansion into new areas of hemp production for 2015.

A link to the online audio interview Mr. Steven Rash can be found by going to http://www.wallstreetnewscast.com/profile/alga.html.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/american-seed-162000207.html;_ylt=A0LEVvcKJ6NUex8ApDUPxQt. 

UltraCBD™ Releases 2 oz. Hemp Oil Supplement

PR Newswire
The UltraCBD™ team has released a 2 oz. offering with twice as much hemp extract to meet the increasing demand for CBD oil. The 2 oz. 400mg CBD supplement is available for retail sale in limited quantities and will be available for wholesale orders in the first half of 2015. UltraCBD™ takes great pride in using the highest quality extract from industrial hemp ensuring that all products manufactured by the company have the best possible flavoring while maintaining the wellness components of a high-quality CBD supplement. 
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ultracbd-releases-2-oz-hemp-oil-supplement-300014085.html

Where There's Smoke, There's Power: Yet Another Use for Hemp

Sputnik
Hemp (cannabis sativa) is a pretty versatile plant, and for centuries has been used for clothing, paper, fabric, and lately it’s been used for medicine, building materials, food, and even fuel. Its versatility is so extensive that the energy storage industry is taking a look at it.
http://us.sputniknews.com/us/20141228/1013394119.html

New Year’s Revolutions: The Return of the US Hemp Industry

The Leaf Online
In the last post of this series, the Leaf outlined the reasons why the year 2015 will probably usher in some kind of federal rescheduling of cannabinoids, although the reform may not be the kind many activists are looking for. This post looks at another facet of the diverse cannabis industry: the return of industrial hemp.

Although the US hemp industry is already back in microcosmic form, the nascent gaggle of family and experimental plots cultivated in 2014 will likely be dwarfed by the 2015 crop, sown in the wake of significant federal reforms. Topping the bill is a rider in the 2015 federal funding bill which deprives the Department of Justice of any funds to move against state-legal industrial hemp programs, as the Drug Enforcement Agency attempted to do in Kentucky last May. That bill only takes effect for one year, but when coupled with an amendment to the 2013 farm bill signed by President Obama which legalized limited hemp cultivation for research purposes in about a dozen states, the new bevy of federal laws is beginning to look like real reform.
http://theleafonline.com/c/business/2014/12/new-years-revolutions-return-us-hemp-industry/

Missouri Agency Reviewing Hemp Grower Applicants

Ozarks First
The Missouri Department of Agriculture is closer to selecting the entities who will grow hemp to make cannabidiol (CBD) oil, under a bill that became law earlier this year.

Cannabidiol oil is genetically modified to not include a high enough level of THC to get a user high, but has a high CBD level that offers a potential therapeutic effect.

The bill told the Department of Agriculture to create a process by which nonprofits could apply for a license to become a hemp production facility. The Department did, and has since received ten applications.

Senator Eric Schmitt, who sponsored that bill, said one or two licenses will be awarded.
http://www.ozarksfirst.com/story/d/story/missouri-agency-reviewing-hemp-grower-applicants/19549/xqfBZUSb2kqoVop10cVwgA

Homegrown hemp on the horizon?

Lancaster Online
If state Sens. Mike Folmer and Judith Schwank have their way, the plant that lent its name to East and West Hempfield townships could once again grow here.

“We will shortly be introducing legislation to permit the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp in Pennsylvania,” the two wrote in a recent memo. “Although federal law for decades prohibited the cultivation and growth of cannabis without distinguishing industrial hemp from the psychoactive forms, the federal Farm Bill of 2014 now authorizes pilot programs for industrial hemp.”
http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/homegrown-hemp-on-the-horizon/article_07f33556-905d-11e4-8d31-47426f4d0c15.html

New Mexico Can Nullify Federal Industrial Hemp Ban in 2015

Tenth Amendment
A bill set for introduction in the New Mexico state senate during 2015 would authorize the farming, production, and sale of industrial hemp in the state, effectively nullifying the federal prohibition on the same once put into effect.

Senate Bill 94 (SB94) was prefiled on Dec. 15 by State Senator Cisco McSorley (D-Bernalillo) and would open up the industrial hemp market in New Mexico if successfully passed.

SB94 would “establish policy and procedures for growing industrial hemp in New Mexico so that farmers and other businesses in the New Mexico agricultural industry can take advantage of this market opportunity.” Under the bill, New Mexico residents could be licensed by the state department of agriculture to produce and distribute the burgeoning cash crop. If SB94 passes through the legislature and is signed by Gov. Martinez, the bill would become law as of July 1, 2015.
http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2014/12/new-mexico-can-nullify-federal-industrial-hemp-ban-in-2015/

Connecticut Studying Whether Hemp Can Be A New Cash Crop

Hartford Courant
In Simsbury, there's a farmer who would like to "throw some hemp seed in the ground and see how it grows."

A Bolton entrepreneur thinks hemp pellets could be used in stoves, and a University of Connecticut scientist is convinced that hemp seed and oil used for nutritional additives could become a high-profit crop.

Unfortunately for them, it's illegal to grow hemp — a close but non-intoxicating relative of marijuana — in Connecticut unless you obtain special permission from federal drug authorities.

That may be about to change. Three state agencies are now studying the prospects for growing hemp in Connecticut. They plan to offer recommendations for licensing and regulating hemp growers to the legislature in January.
http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-hemp-in-connecticut-20141227-story.html#page=1

Canna-Pet(TM) Happy New Year Sale

Yahoo! Finance
Canna-Pet™ celebrates the New Year with 20% off all orders over $75! Canna-Pet™, the leading innovator of over-the-counter cannabinoid products for animals, announces the launch of its "Happy New Year Sale." Sale starts today and runs until midnight on January 3.

Buy any combination of top-selling Canna-Pet™ CBD capsules for dogs and cats, or try our new Canna-Biscuit dog treats in 5 exciting flavors. Simply spend a minimum of $75 to get 20% off your entire order up to a maximum of $300 per order. Place an order now at www.canna-pet.com. 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/canna-pet-tm-happy-sale-140000691.html 

Hats, Shirts, Milk — The Hempest Has It All, And It’s All Made Of Hemp

MintPress News
Jon Napoli jokes that when he opened a small shop specializing in hemp products in 1995, it was because, at 23, he just didn’t have anything better to do.

But that’s not quite the whole story.

“Ending the prohibition on hemp and cannabis was something I needed to be involved in,” he tells MintPress News. “And I figured I could do it economically.”
http://www.mintpressnews.com/hats-shirts-milk-hempest-made-hemp/200176/

Update: First Seeds in Vermont's Budding Hemp Industry

Seven Days
Hemp activists scored a big victory in 2013, when Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law a bill that legalized the cultivation of cannabis sativa, a relative of marijuana that can be used to make food, fuel and fiber. The problem is that the state law regulating hemp — which lacks tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, in the concentrations necessary to produce a high — doesn't match up with federal regulations that still classify it as an illegal, controlled substance. So would-be hemp farmers faced a conundrum: They couldn't find seeds.
http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/update-first-seeds-in-vermonts-budding-hemp-industry/Content?oid=2489553

The Beauty of Hemp Seed Oil

Medical Jane
Hemp seed oil has been referenced to as nature’s perfect food due to its balanced concentrations of omega fatty acids. The human body needs these omega fatty acids for many functions, from building healthy cells to maintaining brain and nerve function. Our bodies can’t produce them. The only source is food.
http://www.medicaljane.com/2014/12/24/the-beauty-of-hemp-seed-oil/#

Pa. lawmakers, activists push for industrial hemp

M
Two Republican state senators plan to unveil legislation that would permit cultivation and processing of industrial hemp in Pennsylvania under the state's Department of Agriculture.

A councilman in Adams County is pushing hemp in an attempt to make an old industry new again.

David "Scotty" Bolton, a McSherrystown Borough councilman, said he thinks legalizing the plant would provide another cash crop for the county's more than 174,000 acres of farmland.
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pa-lawmakers-activists-push-for-industrial-hemp-1224-20141224-story.html

Why everyone should be eating more hempseed

Natural News
A group of centenarians in a Chinese village seem to have stumbled upon a veritable fountain of youth in the form of a well-known seed. Revered for their life expectancy of 100+ years, inhabitants of Bama Yao live in one of the few longevity hotspots of the world. Sharing similar characteristics with other long-lived people, residents of Bama Yao thrive on a nutrient-rich diet and enjoy a pristine environment. The secret to their exceptional life span, however, appears to be their high intake of hempseed.

http://www.naturalnews.com/048097_hempseed_fatty_acids_inflammation.html

Colorado's first legal hemp crop comes in amid constraints by fed laws

The Denver Post
The federal government's prohibition on hemp was partially eased in the Farm Bill passed by Congress this year. Still, Colorado growers have no legal means to buy starter seed from out of state, nor to sell their harvested raw seed outside of Colorado.

Some growers are using Colorado's hemp laws to cultivate ultra-low-THC cannabis for use in medical marijuana extracts, only adding to the confusion.
http://www.denverpost.com/potanniversary/ci_27174764/colorados-first-legal-hemp-crop-comes-amid-constraints

ViPova(TM) by Lexaria Announces New President

Yahoo! Finance
Lexaria, Corp. (LXRP) (CSE:LXX) (the "Company"), as part of its broader business transition into the alternative health industry, is pleased to announce it has hired Tom Ihrke as President of its U.S. subsidiary to oversee the rollout and sale of its ViPova(TM) brand, CBD infused teas. Lexaria has also named Tom as Executive Vice President of U.S. Operations of Lexaria Corp.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/vipova-tm-lexaria-announces-president-130100447.html

Happy Festivus! Here Are Rand Paul’s Grievances

MEDIAite
Happy Festivus! That means it’s time for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to air his grievances. And to no one’s surprise, the senator did it all on Twitter.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/happy-festivus-here-are-rand-pauls-grievances/

Stevia Corp. Confirms Protocol to Produce Synthetic CBD

Yahoo! Finance
Stevia Corp. (OTCQB: STEV) ("Stevia Corp" or the "Company"), an international farm management company focused on the commercial development of products that support a healthy lifestyle, including stevia and hemp and their extracts, is pleased to announce the Company's Hong Kong subsidiary, Stevia Technew Ltd, has confirmed a cost effective protocol to produce synthetic cannabidiol (CBD) that is molecularly equivalent to CBD extracted from the cannabis sativa plant.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stevia-corp-confirms-protocol-produce-154018339.html

ETST Wholly Owned Subsidiary "Nutrition Empire" Opens Its First Retail Health & Wellness Store in Coral Gables, FL Last Week, Starts Generating Revenue Selling Leading Nutritional and Dietary Supplements and ETST High Grade CBD (Cannabidiol) Rich Hemp Oil

Yahoo! Finance
Earth Science Tech, Inc. (ETST) ("ETST" or "the Company"), a unique biotechnology company focused on nutraceuticals, bioceuticals and dietary supplements, today announced its wholly owned subsidiary, Nutrition Empire, a health, wellness & fitness specialty product retail store located at the Gables Ponce complex at 4583 Ponce DeLeon Blvd by the intersection of LeJeune Road and Ponce DeLeon Boulevard, opened its doors as of December 15, 2014. ETST is happy to announce that "The Gables Ponce Complex" in which Nutrition Empire opened its flagship store will soon begin its 3^rd phase of development and looks to have roughly 1,000 apartment units when completed. This will give Nutrition Empire a larger built in customer base and will allow the company to help provide the local residence with cutting edge supplements for their everyday Health & Wellness needs. Nutrition Empire is excited to announce it officially started generating revenue and selling ETST High Grade CBD (Cannabidiol) Rich Hemp Oil as well as Top Leading Nutritional and Dietary Supplements starting day 1 of its opening, being December 15, 2014. To view recent photos of Nutrition Empire as well as its products please visit http://www.earthsciencetech.com/nutrition-empire. 
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/etst-wholly-owned-subsidiary-nutrition-123000212.html

ForeverGreen Worldwide Corporation Interviews with TheStockRadio.com

Yahoo! Finance
ForeverGreen Worldwide Corporation (OTCBB: FVRG), a leading direct marketing company and provider of health-centered products, announced today its recent interview with TheStockRadio.com, Inc., an audio interview company dedicated to raising awareness for small-cap and OTC public companies, is now available at http://thestockradio.com/fvrg-forever-green-worldwide-corp-ceo-ron-williams/.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/forevergreen-worldwide-corporation-interviews-thestockradio-150211735.html

High Buy: Earth Mama Natural “Top Secret” Hemp Flavored Vodka

High Times
We’re not normally into promoting the alcohol industry for obvious reasons, but Earth Mama is not your average player in the liquor business. 

Not only do they make charitable donations to aid organizations that help feed the world’s children, their vodka has hemp in it.
http://www.hightimes.com/read/high-buy-earth-mama-natural-%E2%80%9Ctop-secret%E2%80%9D-hemp-flavored-vodka

Healthy Glow Hemp Protein Smoothie

Fitness Goop
Hemp could win an academy award for being an excellent source of plant based protein. This quality alone has made hemp protein a desirable addition to vegan and raw food diets but you certainly don’t have to follow a specific diet to enjoy the benefits of this plant powerhouse!
http://www.fitnessgoop.com/2014/12/healthy-glow-hemp-protein-smoothie/

Photo Release -- CanChew Gum Gives Holiday Cheer Through Adopt-A-Soldier

Yahoo! Finance
Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC Pink:MJNA), a leading industrial hemp industry innovator, is proud to announce that its joint venture company, CanChew Biotechnologies, LLC (CanChew(R)), is spreading holiday cheer to U.S. service members through the Adopt-A-Soldier program. The Company's Adopt-A-Soldier representative will be giving CanChew(R) gum to our national heroes, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/photo-release-canchew-gum-gives-140000687.html;_ylt=A0LEVrhp4JlU5OEAa_oPxQt.

Hemp-based skincare company develops more products

The Taos News
Kristel McKanna and Montserrat Oyanedel — co-owners of the skincare company Nabis Naturals —  came from the longest and narrowest country in the world: Chile. ...

“We chose a good, affordable moisturizing serum as our first product,” Oyanedel said. “Skin care is a very competitive market, but we knew we had a winner — we would use hemp seed oil as the main ingredient, not just because of the recent (and not-so-recent) popularity of hemp, but also due to the many beneficial effects that its seed oil has on the skin: it reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and fights dryness as well.”

“That’s how Nabis Naturals was born,” said McKanna. “The name Nabis came from the scientific name of the plant cannabis. Of course, the serum is totally natural so it was a perfect fit.”

http://www.taosnews.com/news/business/article_b4912798-87b4-11e4-af85-c70c75c30006.html 

Measure would legalize hemp farming in Arizona

Phoenix Business Journal
A Gilbert-based group called HOW Arizona has filed paperwork for a ballot initiative for the 2016 elections. It would allow for industrial hemp farming in the state by permitted and regulated producers. It would allow for hemp farming research grants to administered by the Arizona Department of Agriculture.

Organizers need to collect more than 150,600 valid voter petition signatures by July 2016 to qualify for the ballot.
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2014/12/22/measure-would-legalize-hemp-farming-in-arizona.html 

McSherrystown councilman asks for approval of industrial hemp resolution

The Evening Sun
McSherrystown Borough is one of the many Adams County municipalities that is being asked to adopt a proposed resolution in support of industrial hemp cultivation, said Councilman David "Scotty" Bolton, but it is important that it gets the support of his local peers.

"That's my baby," Bolton told council at the borough's December meeting. "I wrote this resolution and I gave a lengthy presentation on it at the borough's association meeting." Bolton is the vice-president of the Adams County Borough's Association where the first draft of the resolution was heard.

There is a long history of hemp cultivation in the United States that is not associated with marijuana use, said Bolton. There are 25,000 different products that can be made with industrial hemp, alleged Bolton, including that "hemp could produce a fuel that would rival petroleum."
http://www.eveningsun.com/portal/local/ci_27172742/mcsherrystown-councilman-asks-approval-industrial-hemp-resolution?_loopback=1

Oregon liberals, Kentucky conservatives bond over hemp

The Bulletin

Amid a fight that is spreading to Congress from the 18 states that have legalized hemp production, unlikely partnerships between congressmen have formed in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Portland liberal Democrat who has spent four decades working to change federal drug policy, paired with Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, among others, to create a major shift in the federal government’s view of hemp early this year.

The two helped put a provision into the 2014 Farm Bill that separated marijuana and hemp for research purposes, effectively creating an outlet states could use to create hemp programs. 

http://www.bendbulletin.com/nation/2705635-151/oregon-liberals-kentucky-conservatives-bond-over-hemp 

Oregon still struggles to create hemp industry | Hemp to become the third cannabis industry legal in Oregon, illegal federally

The Bulletin

The Oregon Department of Agriculture is nearing a deadline to create rules for hemp growers that will give the state regulatory power over a third cannabis industry that will be legal in Oregon but illegal at the federal level.

The rule-making process has been slow, with newly written draft rules coming more than five years after the Legislature legalized hemp. A review of the rules shows the state still needs to make changes to ensure license holders are protected from federal interference if farmers get seeds in the ground in spring 2015. 

http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/2702337-151/oregon-still-struggles-to-create-hemp-industry# 

Hemp Inc (OTCMKTS:HEMP) Here Comes the Season

Microcap Daily
Hemp Inc (OTCMKTS:HEMP) has seen a recent spike in volume and trading as we head into the holiday season, the time of year when pot stocks usually heat up and light up the bb’s. HEMP has a history of explosive moves but last year was legendary as the stock ran from well below $0.01 to a spectacular high of $0.34.
http://www.microcapdaily.com/hemp-inc-otcmktshemp-here-comes-the-season/17911/

Group seeks to put hemp farm on Arizona ballot

azdailysun.com
Arizonans may get a chance to decide if they want to let farmers here grow an industrial -- and not psychoactive -- version of marijuana.

In essence, the measure would empower the state Department of Agriculture to license people to grow hemp. This essentially is marijuana but with a concentration of THC, the psychoactive element, that is no greater than three-tenths of one percent.

The organization, Hemp Our World, needs 150,642 valid signatures on petitions by July 7, 2016, to put it on the general election ballot that year.
http://azdailysun.com/news/local/state-and-regional/group-seeks-to-put-hemp-farm-on-arizona-ballot/article_a4fb4d8b-f97f-5d35-90a7-1b8d2e431a78.html

The History of Cannabis in Canada – Part 4: Hemp Farmers Struggle Against Extinction

Cannabis Culture
Although "marihuana" had been banned, cannabis hemp was still being grown across the country for industrial purposes, but the market for commercial cannabis products had been shrinking for decades. 
http://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2014/12/18/History-Cannabis-Canada-Part-4-Hemp-Farmers-Struggle-Against-Extinction

Calculating the Enormous Potential of the Hemp Industry

Wall Street Cheat Sheet
The crop right now is sellable,” Colorado hemp farmer Jim Denny told NPR reporters earlier this year. “I’ve already had people contact me on my website saying, ‘We know you’re growing stuff and we want to buy it from you already.’ And we haven’t even put it in the ground.”
http://wallstcheatsheet.com/business/calculating-the-enormous-potential-of-the-hemp-industry-2.html/

Gala Global Taps Fashion Icon Paul Frank to Create Hemp Based Products

CNN Money
Gala Global, Inc. (OTCQB: GLAG) today announced that internationally recognized designer and entrepreneur Paul Frank, original founder of Paul Frank Industries and creator of Julius the Monkey with the full line of animated characters, has agreed to join the company's board of directors and lead the creative direction for Gala's upcoming Hemp based fiber apparel and accessories division.
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/1165855.htm

KanaVape: Cannabis e-cigarette to go on sale in the UK

The Independent
The vaping trend seemingly knows no bounds as the first “cannabis” e-cigarette goes on sale in the UK tomorrow.

The KanaVape, which contains hemp, has been legalised for use in France by people with cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions requiring pain relief.

Its creators told The Independent it will go on sale around the world tomorrow but the Home Office has cast doubt on whether that would be legal, saying the product must be tested for controlled substances.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/kanavape-cannabis-ecigarette-to-go-on-sale-in-the-uk-9930443.html

American Seed & Oil Company (ALGA) Announces Plans to Cultivate Hemp in New York in 2015

PR Newswire
Algae International Group, Inc. (OTC: ALGA), through its operating subsidiary American Seed & Oil Company, Inc. today announced that late last night Governor Cuomo signed the bill allowing the cultivation of industrial hemp in New York.

"We are thrilled that American Seed & Oil's investment in New York has paid off as a result of the passage of the industrial hemp bill in New York," said Steven Rash, CEO of American Seed & Oil. "We are optimistic that this progress in New York will bode well for American Seed & Oil's national marketing strategy to introduce Medical Marijuana type strains of CBD oil from hemp into all fifty states." 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-seed--oil-company-alga-announces-plans-to-cultivate-hemp-in-new-york-in-2015-300011889.html 

Everybody Must Get Hemp

Honolulu Civil Beat
What crop can be grown without pesticides and has over 25,000 uses — from textiles, cosmetics, paper and food to medicine, biofuel and smoothies?

If you said hemp, you got it. My wife, Carol, knows the excellent nutritional value of hemp seeds and luckily for me, has been putting them in my smoothies for years!

Not to be confused with marijuana, hemp contains less than 0.3 percent of the psychoactive component THC, while marijuana contains between 5 and 20 percent. In other words, you can’t get high from hemp!
http://www.civilbeat.com/2014/12/everybody-must-get-hemp/

Totally Hemp Crazy Inc. (THCZ) Preparing to Take Charge with a Partnership with RHINO Marketing

News Channel 10
Totally Hemp Crazy Inc. (PINKSHEETS: THCZ) today has announced that the new website designed by RHINO Worldwide Marketing will be ready for retail release before the end of the year.  The new commerce site is action packed and will aid in the company's global marketing and launch strategy for their range of Hemp based beverage products. Rhino Marketing has worked on major international product launches and fast moving consumer retail products such as Wolfgang Puck Iced Coffee, Nissan, Stryker Orthopedics and the National Football League Europe. Red Bull is also on Rhino's track record and it would make a lot of sense for a company focused on beverage products (including a hemp infused energy beverage) to employ the skills of a seasoned and experienced marketing team such as that of Rhino. 
http://www.newschannel10.com/story/27669199/totally-hemp-crazy-inc-thcz-preparing-to-take-charge-with-a-partnership-with-rhino-marketing

Cuomo signs hemp research bill

Press Connects
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation opening the door for growing and researching industrial hemp in New York.

The bill, introduced by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo and Sen. Tom O’Mara, creates an agricultural pilot program to study ways to cultivate and manufacture products with the multi-use crop. It passed both houses of the State Legislature in the spring.

Colleges and universities, including Cornell, Binghamton University and Paul Smith’s College, have expressed interest in taking part in New York’s research program, Lupardo said.
http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/connections/buzz/2014/12/18/new-york-hemp/20595703/

What Does Marijuana Memo Mean for Hemp Production and Traditional Uses?

Indian Country
Advocates for hemp production are hoping a memo released this month by the federal Justice Department opens the door for legalization of hemp. The memo, originally dated October 28 and distributed to all U.S. Attorneys offices, says sovereign Indian nations can choose to grow or sell marijuana on tribal lands without fear of federal harassment.

“If the federal government is going to allow states to regulate cultivation of marijuana, they’re also saying they don’t have a problem with hemp,” said Eric Steenstra, president of Vote Hemp, a national non-profit organization advocating for a free market of industrial hemp.
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/12/18/what-does-marijuana-memo-mean-hemp-production-and-traditional-uses-158336

Naturally Splendid Extends Novation Agreement

Yahoo! Finance
Naturally Splendid Enterprises ("Naturally Splendid") (TSX VENTURE:NSP)(NSPDF)(50N.F) announces that Full Spectrum Laboratories Limited ("FSL"), Boreal Technologies, Inc. ("Boreal"), Naturally Splendid USA Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Naturally Splendid, ("Naturally Splendid USA") and Naturally Splendid have agreed to extend the outside date for closing of the previously announced Novation Agreement (see news release dated November 20, 2014) to January 15, 2015. No other terms of the Novation Agreement have changed.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/naturally-splendid-extends-novation-agreement-223555061.html

Budget Bill Passed by Congress Prevents the DEA from Spending Money on CBD Enforcement

Philly.com
“You can import hemp legally and sell it legally but you can’t grow it commercially here in the U.S.,” said Adam Laufer, an attorney and co-CEO of MJ Holdings in Miami.

Although industrial hemp fiber, stalk, seed and oils can be lawfully imported into the United States, currently a license is required to extract CBD lawyfully. Engineering the growth of marijuana with less than 0.07% THC in it is also legal.

“That’s how CBDs will be cultivated legally if and once the Farm Bill is broadened,” Laufer told Mainstreet. 
http://business-news.thestreet.com/philly/story/budget-bill-passed-congress-prevents-the-dea-spending-money-cbd-enforcement/1

UConn researchers demonstrate hemp as viable biodiesel feedstock

Biofuels Digest
In Connecticut, researchers at UConn have found that the fiber crop Cannabis sativa, known as industrial hemp, has properties that make it viable and even attractive as a raw material, or feedstock, for producing biodiesel. The plant’s ability to grow in infertile soils also reduces the need to grow it on primary croplands, which can then be reserved for growing food, says Richard Parnas, a professor of chemical, materials, and biomolecular engineering who led the study.
http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2014/12/11/uconn-researchers-demonstrate-hemp-as-viable-biodiesel-feedstock/

Hemp, Inc. to Sponsor 1st Annual Ascent Expo in Los Angeles, CA for the "Cultural Creatives"

Yahoo! Finance
Hemp, Inc. (HEMP) announced today that it is one of the major sponsors of the 1^st Annual "Cultural Creatives" Ascent Expo in Los Angeles, CA, February 27 -- March 1, 2015 which will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. By assembling "Cultural Creatives" from the entertainment industry, corporate America, and mainstream media, the Ascent Expo's mission is to "enjoy, learn, co-create successful ventures, cooperate in facilitating commerce, and empower each other toward a higher consciousness in solving the planet's most important social, environmental and human rights issues."
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/hemp-inc-sponsor-1st-annual-153314030.html;_ylt=A0LEVvcWBpJUOCEA2EcPxQt.

New Government Spending Bill Tries To Prevent Tug-of-War Over Hemp Pilot Projects

WKU Public Radio
The new spending bill that made its way through Congress last week contains language that forbids the federal government from getting in the way of industrial hemp pilot projects being conducted in three states, including Kentucky.
http://wkyufm.org/post/new-government-spending-bill-tries-prevent-tug-war-over-hemp-pilot-projects

Can industrial hemp make a comeback?

The Lane Report
Industrial hemp is a hot but still complex topic these days, especially since Kentucky passed legislation in December 2013 permitting a limited number of groups – including some state universities – to grow crops for research. With an eye on world markets and the increasing amounts Americans spend on hemp products each year, many in our state want to revive this crop and capture some portion of the millions of dollars in play.
http://www.lanereport.com/42491/2014/12/can-industrial-hemp-make-a-comeback/

Virginia Hemp Bill a Step Forward, but Falls Short of Nullifying Federal Prohibition

Tenth Amendment Center
A new bill introduced into the Virginia General Assembly would authorize the growing and production of industrial hemp within the state within the guidelines, but unfortunately falls short of nullifying any unconstitutional federal laws.

Introduced by Rep. Joseph R. Yost in July and pending a committee referral, HB 1277 directs the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt regulations and establishes an industrial hemp research program through a Virginia Industrial Hemp Program Fund.
http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2014/12/virginia-hemp-bill-a-step-forward-but-falls-short-of-nullifying-federal-prohibition/

Washington Bill Would Start to Nullify Federal Ban on Hemp Farming

Tenth Amendment Center
A bill prefiled in the Washington State senate this week would authorize the farming, production, and sale of industrial hemp in the state, effectively nullifying the federal prohibition on the same once put into effect. 

Senate Bill 5012 (SB5012) was prefiled for introduction during next year’s legislative session on Dec. 15. It is co-sponsored by State Sens. Brian Hatfield (D-District 19) and Jim Honeyford (R-District 15) and would open up the industrial hemp market in Washington state if successfully passed. 

SB5012 states unequivocally that “industrial hemp is an agricultural product that may be grown, produced, possessed, and commercially traded in the state.” This opens the door for an industrial hemp market to potentially spring up immediately after SB5012 becomes law.
http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2014/12/washington-bill-would-start-to-nullify-federal-ban-on-hemp-farming/

iMD Acquires Freedom Seed and Feed, First Federally Permitted Hemp Seed and Fiber Farm in the United States

Digital Journal
iMD Companies, Inc. (OTC:ICBU) is extremely excited to announce that it has acquired Freedom Seed and Feed, LLC of Lexington, KY., the first federally permitted hemp seed and fiber farm in the United States.

In accordance with the terms of the agreement, iMD has made the first $50,000 cash payment to Freedom Seed and Feed (FSF).  The purchase agreement also includes the subsidiary companies Freedom Seed & Feed, Healing Ground Farms, and Freedom Hemp. iMD will also make additional cash and securities payments for a total purchase price of $1.9 million for the acquisition.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2404449

Lexaria Changes Brand Name and Clarifies Hemp Environment

KeyC News12
Lexaria Corp. (LXRP) (CSE:LXX) (the “Company”) announces that effective immediately, it’s 51%-owned company formerly known as PoViva Tea, will now operate with the trade name of ViPova(TM) Tea. Selling our products under the name of ViPova(TM) is a branding strategy undertaken to ensure long term protection of intellectual rights.

The name change does not affect ownership, operational or any other material issues. However the name change has delayed the product launch by 1-2 weeks, so that ViPova(TM) Tea is now expected to be available to be ordered by consumers around the first week of January.

Both Lexaria and ViPova(TM)also wish to clarify some important distinctions about the Cannabidiol(CBD)-from-hemp industry within which ViPova(TM) operates. Hemp based CBD is legal in all 50 states, as are hemp-based food products that can be purchased from national retailers like Whole Foods or Costco, and many regional food stores. Popular hemp food products include hemp cereal, seeds, milk, and oil.
http://www.keyc.com/story/27651746/lexaria-changes-brand-name-and-clarifies-hemp-environment