The 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized industrial hemp and, Forest Mountain CBD Gummies by extension, hemp extract products like CBD oils. However, entrepreneurs must be aware of significant regulatory considerations surrounding the industrial hemp industry. The 2018 Farm Bill essentially removed CBD from the federal Controlled Substances Act and Forest Mountain Farms the oversight of the Drug Enforcement Agency. Instead, it placed governance of the hemp industry and CBD oil in the hands of the FDA. The FDA is still devising regulations, Forest Mountain which leaves the CBD industry in a gray area. So far, the federal agency has signaled that marketing CBD as having health benefits will not be tolerated. It has also initiated a crackdown against CBD-infused foods and beverages in some instances. Further complicating the regulatory landscape is the 2017 approval of the CBD-based pharmaceutical Epidolex, an epilepsy medication approved by the FDA. Since CBD is a primary ingredient in an FDA-approved drug, using it in food products without FDA approval could be illegal. Clearer guidance is sorely needed for CBD businesses to operate in compliance with federal regulations. In 2023, the FDA issued a statement that a new regulatory pathway for Forest Mountain Farms CBD products must be established because current frameworks are too limiting. The regulatory body indicated it will work with Congress to establish an appropriate regulatory strategy moving forward. "I think the FDA does have to step in, and they will," said Slovik. "I expect a lot of changes to labels; we’re seeing a lot of businesses out there now using the term ‘hemp extract’ instead of CBD, or they’re not thinking of health benefits so much.

If you're dipping your toes into the infused beverage space, these businesses can help you get started. As cannabis regulation continues to evolve across the United States and around the world, please be mindful of your local laws and regulations. Alcoholism runs deep in both sides of my family. To prevent possibly continuing those patterns as I get older, I’ve become more interested in exploring other options for social drinking; Alcohol-free wines and spirits have become significantly more accessible in recent years, and cannabis-based mocktails is one of the most interesting trends in this space. Picture a zero-proof drink with all the layers of flavor we’ve come to love in a cocktail, but with a THC and/or CBD mixture that can be customized for the exact high you’d like to experience. While this trend is spreading, conversations around race and cannabis need to remain at the forefront of this movement.

With Black cannabis entrepreneurs accounting for less than 2% of businesses in this multi-billion dollar industry, the politics around all things cannabis still live in the shadow of the effects of DARE (an anti-drug program that was very popular in the 90’s and early 2000’s that also helped to push the criminalization and stigmatization of recreational cannabis to children), the Reagan-era’s war on drugs, as well as a longer legacy of racism in the United States. The first cannabis mocktail I ever tried was in Rose Mary Jane, a Black woman-owned, equity-owned canna-bar and lounge in Oakland, California.