Tag: Cannabidiol

Study Finds No Association Between CBD Use and Liver Abnormalities

The medical journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research recently published an article examining the relationship between CBD and liver function. Researchers affiliated with UCLA and the University of Buffalo assessed nearly 1500 volunteers who consumed oral CBD products for a minimum of 30 days. The authors identified “no relationship between continuing to take CBD, daily dose of CBD and ALT [an enzyme found mostly in the liver] levels or change in ALT elevation severity.”  Elevated levels of the enzyme can indicate liver disease.

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Murphy Presents at NORML ISU Chapter Meeting

On October 13, 2021 GRL Law’s own Colin Murphy spoke before a packed room of cannabis activists at the ISU Memorial Union. The presentation for NORML ISU focused on the current status of marijuana and cannabis extracts.  Colin discussed what not to do during traffic stops.  He also reviewed important driver rights to assert during detention and arrest. GRL’s firm culture emphasizes public outreach especially when it comes to emerging legal issues like cannabis.  Our attorneys regularly take part in educating the general public, criminal defense bar and bench. Presentations like this are what sets GRL Law apart as the […]

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GRL Law Secures Dismissal of Felony CBD Charges in Polk County

The Polk County Attorney’s Office and GRL Law announce the resolution of criminal charges against Lacie Navin arising from the retail sale of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) in December 2019. At the time of her arrest, Iowa’s Hemp Act, S.F. 599, which would provide for the production and retail sale of hemp products in Iowa, had not been fully implemented. Until the approval of the State Hemp Plan by the United States Department of Agriculture, it was unlawful to distribute CBD products under Iowa Code chapter 124. In late November 2019, Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (MINE) Task Force officers informed Ms. Navin […]

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GRL Law Considered Authority on Delta-8 THC by Task Force

The cannabis compliance attorneys at GRL Law received a call this week that brought smiles to the office. Apparently, one local task force is supplying copies of our most recent blog post on delta-8 THC to area retailers to explain the current state of the law on this particular cannabinoid.  When law enforcement is citing the firm as authority, then we must be experts, right? We think so. We help Iowa cannabusinesses maintain compliance with the changing landscape of consumable hemp laws and regulations. Have questions about manufacturing or the retail sale of hemp-derived products?  Give us a call at […]

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Retailers Should Avoid Delta-8 THC For Now in Iowa

There’s a lot of buzz surrounding the availability of consumable hemp products now that the retail registration portal is open.  One of the more frequent questions we have been fielding concern the legal status of delta-8 THC in Iowa. Hemp is defined under state law to include “any part” of the plant of the genus cannabis and all “derivatives,” “extracts” and “cannabinoids” with a maximum delta-9 THC concentration of 0.30 percent.  So it would appear that delta-8 THC, a non-intoxicating cannabinoid found in hemp, would be legal to sell over the counter here, right? Not so fast. The amount of […]

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Record CBD Seizure in Adair County Ends with Court-Ordered Return to Client

Greenfield, Adair County, Iowa.  The drug defense attorneys at GRL Law prevailed again today by successfully securing a court order for the return of over-the-counter cannabidiol (CBD) products seized by local law enforcement.  The estimated retail value of these CBD products exceeded $3,000, which is believed to be the largest seizure of its kind in Adair County. The original basis for the seizure was the erroneous belief that our client was operating an unlicensed “medical cannabidiol” dispensary under Iowa Code Chapter 124E.  Medical cannabidiol in Iowa contains both concentrated CBD and THC extracted from marijuana and is heavily regulated by […]

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Common Police Field Test Mistakes CBD for Marijuana

Police have historically relied on the Duquénois-Levine (D-L) colorimetric field test to presumptively identify botanical material as Cannabis for the purpose of arresting a suspect for possession of marijuana. The reagent used in the D-L test reacts with a particular part of the THC molecule producing an intense violet color that is readily identifiable by law enforcement at the roadside.  However, the D-L test is not specific for just THC.  Many other cannabinoids, including hemp-derived extracts such as CBD, will yield similar purple hues in the presence of the reagent. Of course, these extracts are not marijuana under Iowa law, but […]

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THC Metabolites Remain in Blood for Extended Periods During Abstinence

According to data recently published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, THC remained detectable in blood at levels greater than 2.0 ng/ml during several days of abstinence. Investigators affiliated with the University of British Columbia reviewed the relevant literature assessing residual THC plasma levels in those who regularly consume cannabis.  They reported: “[I]n all studies where participants were observed for over a day, blood THC [levels] in some participants remained detectable during several days of abstinence,” with some subjects continuing to test positive for up to 30 days. Some subjects also demonstrated a so-called “double hump” pattern “where their […]

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CBD

BREAKING!!! CBD and Other Hemp Extracts Explicitly Legal in Iowa

Governor Reynolds has now signed into law HF 2581 regulating the possession and sale of hemp products in Iowa. This provision explicitly legalizes the retail sale of consumable products containing hemp extracts like CBD, CBC and CBG. Since the passage of the 2018 federal Farm Bill, which differentiated between marijuana and hemp containing less than 0.3% THC, GRL has consistently maintained the position that hemp-derived extracts were nevertheless legal to sell and possess in Iowa without a prescription or physician recommendation. The passage of both SF 599 in 2019 and now HF 2581 sure seems to vindicate us.  Our so-called […]

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CBD Legislation Awaits Governor’s Signature

On June 5, 2020, the Iowa Senate, by a vote of 48-1, passed the latest hemp provision that formally recognizes the legality of consumable hemp products in Iowa. The same measure met with approval in the Iowa House by a vote of 99-1 in March. All that’s left is a signature from Governor Reynolds. This legislation permits the retail sale and use of over-the-counter hemp extracts, such as CBD and CBG, containing less than 0.3% THC in the state. Consumable hemp products have been legal at the federal level since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. However, smokeable hemp […]

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