Cannabis Revolution

Cannabis sativa L. contains an astonishing 525 natural compounds, including the cannabinoid CBD, which is found abundantly in hemp and affects a signaling system in humans that had not been discovered until the late 20th Century.

Josh Long, Associate editorial director, SupplySide Supplement Journal

December 16, 2014

1 Min Read
Cannabis Revolution

On Oct. 10, during SupplySide West 2014 in Las Vegas, Informa Exhibitions LLC hosted the Agricultural Hemp Summit: CBD and the Hemp Revolution. CannaVest executives joined medical and science experts to review the burgeoning market for the cannabinoid CBD and share key developments affecting an American crop (hemp) that dates back to English settlers.

This year, Congress gave American farmers the right to plant hemp for research and development. Section 7606 of the 2014 Farm Bill authorizes institutions of higher education or state agriculture departments to study the growth, cultivation or marketing of industrial hemp in states that permit such activity. CannaVest Chief Executive Michael Mona, Jr. and others in the hemp industry are hopeful that the legislation will pave the way for federal legalization of hemp cultivation for commercial purposes in the United States.

Research has shown CBD may be effective in producing a number of health benefits, from relieving seizures to reducing inflammation. In 2012, the journal Pharmaceuticals identified 34 CBD studies, and the results to date have been promising. Although a renowned neurosurgeon acknowledged there has been a limited number of human trials on CBD, pharmaceutical companies are charging ahead with human trials in the hopes of administering CBD-infused drugs to patients suffering from epilepsy and other conditions.

Read INSIDER's full report on cannabis by downloading “Cannabis Revolution: An Exploration of Hemp and CBD."

About the Author

Josh Long

Josh Long

Associate editorial director, SupplySide Supplement Journal , Informa Markets Health and Nutrition

Josh Long directs the online news, feature and op-ed coverage at SupplySide Supplement Journal (formerly known as Natural Products Insider), which targets the health and wellness industry. He has been reporting on developments in the dietary supplement industry for over a decade, with a focus on regulatory issues, including at the Food and Drug Administration.

He has moderated and/or presented at industry trade shows, including SupplySide East, SupplySide West, Natural Products Expo West, NBJ Summit and the annual Dietary Supplement Regulatory Summit.

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn and ping him with story ideas at [email protected]

Education and previous experience

Josh majored in journalism and graduated from Arizona State University the same year "Jake the Snake" Plummer led the Sun Devils to the Rose Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. He also holds a J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law, was admitted in 2008 to practice law in the state of Colorado and spent a year clerking for a state district court judge.

Over more than a quarter century, he’s written on various topics for newspapers and business-to-business publications – from the Yavapai in Arizona and a controversial plan for a nuclear-waste incinerator in Idaho to nuanced issues, including FDA enforcement of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).

Since the late 1990s, his articles have been published in a variety of media, including but not limited to, the Cape Cod Times (in Massachusetts), Sedona Red Rock News (in Arizona), Denver Post (in Colorado), Casper Star-Tribune (in Wyoming), now-defunct Jackson Hole Guide (in Wyoming), Colorado Lawyer (published by the Colorado Bar Association) and Nutrition Business Journal.

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