In this blog, 3L staffer Lakyn LeMaster analyzes how the increasing popularity of GLP-1 medications may be reshaping consumer food habits and, in turn, impacting Kentucky’s agricultural industry. LeMaster addresses the risks that changing demands could create for Kentucky, particularly as consumers purchase less ultra-processed and fast food while showing increased interest in fresh foods. Ultimately, she argues that Kentucky’s agricultural community should proactively monitor these trends and encourage diversification to ensure producers are prepared for an evolving market.
In this blog, 2L staffer Grace Hager analyzes the escalating legal crisis facing the "Clean Beauty" industry driven by 2026 FDA findings and new state-level bans. Hager explores the debate between the industry’s current reliance on self-defined clean standards versus the growing legal demand for lab-verified transparency. Ultimately, she takes the position that retailers must assume a heightened legal risk that can no longer be hidden by vague marketing claims.
In this blog, senior staffer Amy Rice argues that the FDA should fully embrace a "method-neutral" approach by accepting New Approach Methodologies (“NAMs”) as primary evidence of drug efficacy. She contends that traditional animal testing is often an outdated and poor predictor of human outcomes, whereas modern tools like organ-on-chip models offer superior scientific precision. Ultimately, Rice asserts that regulators must move beyond historical biases to implement the FDA Modernization Acts, thereby accelerating innovation and reducing the costs of biomedical and agricultural development.
In this blog, 2L staffer Samuel Lay examines a new method to apply 5th Amendment Takings Claims in response to changing regulations regarding Solar Farms built on farmland in Lexington, Ky. Lay breaks down the changing landscape regarding the city’s solar regulations. This is followed by a proposed new method in determining what constitutes total economic deprivation for a per se takings. The proposed change would alter the current meaning of total deprivation to depriving the owner of the value they have in the land. Lay argues that this new method is fairer to those who want to build solar farms in Lexington but may be discouraged due to the ever-changing landscape of solar regulation in Lexington.
In this blog, 2L staffer Emma Johns explores the expansion of solar energy projects on reclaimed coal lands in Eastern Kentucky. She argues that although these developments offer potential economic and environmental benefits, current legal and regulatory systems fail to adequately protect landowners and local communities. She concludes that stronger regulations and greater community protections are necessary to ensure a fair and effective transition to renewable energy.
While the Kentucky pension crisis remains a focal point among the state government, crippling the state and putting workers at risk, staffer William Hutchins offers up a unique solution: legalizing marijuana. Read more to learn about how Kentucky has the climate, soil, and market that could generate some much-needed revenue.
Since 1997, Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources has implemented a program to bring elk to the state. This has brought economic benefits to impoverished areas of the state, but some question if the state’s efforts are enough. Read on to learn more about this untapped potential industry in Kentucky.
Keeping dairy farms afloat has challenged the United States government over the last few decades, resulting in billions of dollars spent bailing out dairy farmers. In 2019, more than 2,700 family-run dairy farms shut down. Major dairy companies are now arguing that mergers are the only way to stay in business. However, the government does not seem too MOOved by this argument. In this post, staffer Mary Dallas discusses the reason for the government's pushback when it comes to dairy farm mergers and potential antitrust issues that could arise.
With Kentucky’s famed Bourbon Trail, the state is uniquely poised to benefit from agritourism. And with statutes on the books, farmers already have the framework needed to succeed in this blooming industry. Read more to learn how piggybacking off of bourbon can benefit Kentucky’s farmers in agritourism.
In the past, hemp farmers struggled to secure financial capital to run viable farms. However, the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill launched a series of federal legislation that aided farmers interested in the THC industry. The SAFE Banking Act is the newest piece of federal legislation that provides a safety net for banks to lawfully work with the hemp industry without being subject to the heightened regulatory scrutiny necessary to work with the marijuana sector. In this blog post, 2L staffer Vincent Kleindienst explores the impact of the SAFE Banking Act.
