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Hemp 301 - Hemp and Climate/Environment: Challenges and Opportunities
Now that the statute legalizing hemp and hemp-derived products has been implemented through the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations, hemp is a commodity that can be grown, processed and marketed pursuant to USDA regulations—the industry is ready to take off! With the renewed focus on climate footprint and sustainability placed on the agriculture sector by the new Biden Administration, hemp is in a position to seize a new opportunity as a green and climate-friendly alternative. Hemp production has benefits of carbon sequestration and soil “cleaning”; use of hemp fiber as alternative for manufacture of clothing, building materials (hempcrete) and other products could reduce the climate footprint of these industries. This demand could be spurred by government mandated standards or by retailer demand on suppliers to meet climate private standards. New government funding may become available to incentivize clean sectors such as hemp. At the same time there are environmental challenges including emerging strict standards for toxins (eg Colorado and Canada); water usage; land use and production issues. Environmental compliance is an important legal area for hemp production.
Jessica Wasserman, JD, Partner, WassermanRowe
Jessica Wasserman is the founder and CEO of WassermanRowe, a DC-based law and government relations firm providing services to Food and Drug Administration-regulated industries, including food, supplements, medical devices, botanical drugs and drugs. She has worked in Congress, federal agencies (at both career and political levels) and major law firms. She has worked on hemp and cannabinoid issues since the 2018 Farm Bill decriminalized and defined hemp. Having worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, she hit the ground running on the hemp harvest issues and then pivoted to the cannabis FDA issues (Warning Letters for drug label claims compliance; GMPs; Epidiolex drug preclusion issue; GRAS; NDI) as CBD manufacturers and retailers faced these issues. Currently, Jessica lobbies and advises on compliance on a wide range of cannabis issues, including reauthorization of the 2018 Farm Bill; the proliferation of state laws focused on “intoxicating” cannabinoid products; compliance for edible products sold in dispensaries; federal lobbying on the ongoing FDA cannabis scheduling review and more. Jessica is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School.
Mackenzie Schoonmaker, Beveridge & Diamond, PC
Mackenzie Schoonmaker co-chairs Beveridge & Diamond's Industrial Hemp & Cannabis industry team. She advises clients, and regularly writes and presents, on federal and state environmental regulations impacting this thriving industry.
Michelle Bodian, Partner, Vicente LLP
Michelle Bodian serves as counsel in Vicente Sederberg’s Boston and New York offices, where she is co-chair of the firm’s Hemp and Cannabinoids Department and Grants and Loans practice group. In addition, Michelle leads the firm’s Environment, Health & Safety practice group and is a leading member of the firm’s cannabis licensing and regulatory compliance efforts in Connecticut and New York.
She advises hemp and CBD clients on how to navigate through the complex and interconnected federal, state, and local regulatory frameworks. In addition, she counsels tri-state (Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey) clients on all aspects of cannabis licensing and regulatory matters. Her clients include existing medical operators throughout the tri-state, as well as businesses and individuals seeking new adult-use, medical, and cannabinoid hemp licenses.
Michelle also advises cannabis and hemp clients on environmental, health and safety federal and state laws through identification, prevention, mitigation, and resolution of relevant issues.
Before joining Vicente Sederberg, Michelle served as the land use counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, and before that was an associate at an environmental and real estate law firm in Milford, Connecticut.
In 2022, Michelle was recognized as one of Boston's top lawyers by Boston magazine. She is a member of the American Herbal Products Association Cannabis Committee and has spoken at many cannabis industry events. Michelle is often quoted in media publications related to the tri-state markets and has authored several articles on cannabis, hemp- and CBD-related topics.
She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law with an Environmental Law, Science, and Policy Certificate and received her Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University. During law school, Michelle served as a legal intern for the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office in the Environmental Protection Division.
Amy Wang, Ward and Smith, PA
My law practice focuses on the environmental regulatory aspects of real estate and business transactions, with a focus on the coastal region. By emphasizing teamwork and communication in my practice, I leverage strong relationships with environmental consultants and government regulators to arrive at compliance solutions that make business sense. I routinely advise clients on federal, state, and local laws concerning the areas of environmental due diligence; cleanup activities; coastal development; and, wastewater and stormwater management. I also represent clients in administrative actions involving governmental agencies and private parties. I chair Ward and Smith's Environmental Practice Group, lead our Green Team sustainability initiative, and co-Chair our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Group.
