The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was recently passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide much-needed economic relief to individuals and businesses. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is now offering the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and federal disaster loans for working capital via the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to small businesses and non-profits to help small businesses in the U.S. stay afloat during this historic emergency. Although these programs are not available to state licensed cannabis related businesses, it is available for hemp producers and manufacturers. Here are 5 take-aways about the SBA’s EIDL and PPP programs:

What do the SBA programs mean for marijuana-related businesses? In a 2018 Policy Notice, the SBA reaffirmed that marijuana-related businesses – including plant-touching and some non-plant-touching businesses – were ineligible to receive SBA loans. More recently, in March, the SBA reiterated that cannabis companies are not eligible for disaster relief loans because cannabis remains illegal under federal law. However, the SBA further clarified that hemp businesses are eligible for SBA-funded services, tweeting:

“With the exception of businesses that produce or sell hemp and hemp-derived products (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 115-334), … Keep reading