Legal Issues

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.

For years, Congress and various veterans' advocates have been working to get Veterans Affairs to drop the obstacles blocking medical cannabis use for veterans. Now real progress is at hand and we speak with Congressman Earl Blumenauer on the work he’s been doing as well as updates on the current state of legislation related to veteran access to medical cannabis.

Brittany Griner had been arrested in Moscow, Russia and sentenced to prison for cannabis possession, which is illegal in Russia.

In a statement released from the White House on October 6, 2022, President Joe Biden announced plans to pardon Federal convictions for simple possession of marijuana and issued a call to review the scheduling of cannabis (1).

In early June 2022, the New York State Senate approved a bill which mandated public health insurance programs to cover medical cannabis expenses and defined how private insurers are allowed to handle these expenses as well (1).

Here we present an outline of the areas that might be critical in creating an infrastructure for building the right psilocybin production space.

Scheril Murray Powell, Esq., shares a preview of her talk “International Cannabis: Trade and Supply Chain Considerations for a Global Cannabis Brand.”

Sheila Gibson, the founder of Aura IP Law, shares her insights, knowledge, and advice on cannabis IP, including emerging topics.

Gretchen Schmidt, Faculty Program Director Criminal Justice Programs & Cannabis Control at Excelsior College, discusses the graduate certificate program offered at her college.

According to a press release from the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), a standalone cannabis policy reform bill was brought before the House of Representatives for a vote on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 and passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority.

Nearly every state has to weather the argument from law enforcement about how to find and get stoned drivers off the road. But developing roadside testing devices to use for finding reliable, standardized levels of THC intoxication continues to be a slippery, moving problem with no solution in sight.

More CBD consumers means more people in the workplace unaware of the issues with CBD products and THC levels who could be putting their jobs at risk.

Two new bills creating significant legislative movement put cannabis on the road to legalization

The FDA reminds CBD makers that CBD-infused edible products are still illegal, and calls for stakeholder input to begin regulation process

Where does cannabidiol’s (CBD) legal status stand following the 2018 Farm Bill? One attorney looks at common misperceptions.

President Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, William Barr, stated in his confirmation hearing that he would not go after cannabis companies that were compliant with state laws. In a recent letter in response to written questions from various senators, Barr has put that statement in writing.

The next step in the lawsuit against the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Justice (DOJ) was heard this week at the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

We recently spoke with Eric Furman, PhD, a partner at Knobbe Martens a leading intellectual property law firm with an expansive presence in the biotech and pharmaceutical fields and deep experience in intellectual property issues relating to the cannabis industry. Here, Furman provides some insight on what cases are currently on-going and what we might expect in the future as the cannabis industry continues to expand.

Two U.S. Senators introduced legislation that would allow doctors at the VA to prescribe medical cannabis to veterans in the 31 states that have established medical-marijuana programs.

The agencies sent warning letters to several companies that the agencies say are illegally marketing unapproved products to treat opioid addiction and withdrawal.