Legal Issues

On Wednesday, August 30th, the Department of Health and Human Services made its recommendation to the Drug Enforcement Agency to classify cannabis as a Schedule III drug, paving the way for reform, industry expansion, and research opportunities.

The recently approved legislation creates new opportunities for possession and cultivation.

Read coverage from our sister publication, Nutritional Outlook, on “The Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act,” which was previously proposed in 2021.

A recent lawsuit brought to the state’s Superior Court challenges the constitutionality of several aspects of cannabis sales.

One month after recreational cannabis became legal, sales exceeded expectations.

Growing trend in drug testing: more employers are changing their drug testing policies around cannabis.

Recent activity in the Senate focuses on both recreational and medical cannabis regulations and reforms.

Several agencies are reportedly working together to review the scheduling of cannabis, with a final decision anticipated to come later this year.

The bill would have expanded cannabis legalization already in place in the country.

The Legalise Cannabis Party introduced a bill in three states simultaneously, calling for the growing and consumption of cannabis for personal use.

The New Jersey Business Action Center (NJBCA) recently announced Tauhid Chappell as the first Executive Director of its Cannabis Training Academy (CTA).

Verde Leaf president and CEO handed prison sentence due to fraudulent business activity with hemp farmers in three states.

Impacts of cannabis for legal, adult recreational use to be discussed in Indiana study committee period this year.

If passed, possession of psilocybin would be legal in certain circumstances in the state.

Sponsored by 17 state lawmakers, House resolution 420 called on federal officials to reschedule cannabis at the federal level.

Several cannabis brands, wholesalers, and producers in California formed a coalition to promote a bill intended address the debt crisis in the local supply chains.

Colorado’s HB23-1279 would allow retail online cannabis sales in order to help reduce the amount of cash held in dispensaries.

A judge in Pinellas County, Florida suggested to a 21-year-old defendant to look into Xanax to treat her anxiety instead of medical cannabis.

If approved, the newly licensed facilities will have 120 days to open their doors. More applications are anticipated in the future.

With bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate, the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act was refiled this week.

The legislature of Hawaii this week approved a non-binding resolution encouraging the governor to create a clemency program for prior cannabis convictions.

Bipartisan legislation was recently reintroduced to remove barriers preventing veterans accessing medical cannabis as recommended by health care providers at the VA.

In late March the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled that workers’ compensation must cover the cost of medical cannabis for treatment of injuries suffered on the job.

A civil lawsuit filed in Arkansas by a medical cannabis patient alleges that three cannabis growers and one testing laboratory inflated the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in numerous cannabis products.

While many psychedelics are classified as Schedule I drugs under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the recent resurgence of interest in their potential therapeutic benefits means the landscape around psychedelics is rapidly evolving. New laws and regulations are proposed and passed at the local, state, and federal levels. Research continues to increase as well, contributing to the questions and perspectives surrounding the various uses of psychedelics. In this interview, Dustin Robinson, Esq., CPA, Managing Principal of Iter Investments; Co-Founder of Nucleus; Founding Partner of Mr. Cannabis Law; and Co-Founder of Mr. Psychedelic Law explains how he navigates the complex legal landscape of psychedelics, the surprises and challenges he encounters, and how he envisions psychedelics in the United States in the near future.