On October 12, hemp producers and retailers notched an early win in litigation challenging the legality of Maryland’s cannabis licensing program as it applies to hemp. By way of background, the Maryland General Assembly...more
Medical marijuana has been legal in DC since 2011. In recent years, the District has adopted piecemeal amendments to its medical cannabis program, largely through temporary emergency legislation and mayoral rulemaking. In...more
On December 2, 2022, President Joseph Biden signed the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (Cannabis Research Act), which provides a mechanism for industry and academia to access and research cannabis,...more
In late 2018, my esteemed partner, Whitt Steineker, recruited me to join the firm’s newly formed Cannabis Industry team. Around that time, groups in Mississippi were actively seeking signatures to get a ballot initiative in...more
On July 21, 2022, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) formally filed the much-anticipated Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act...more
On May 24th, Governor Daniel McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act (the “Act”) into law, making the Ocean State the 19th state to legalize cannabis for adult-use. While adult-use retail sales will not launch in the...more
What promises to be the first of a litany of legal interpretations of the new Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act (MMCA), Attorney General Lynn Fitch released an official attorney general’s opinion on April 15, 2022, regarding...more
Municipalities in Mississippi are electing to opt out of allowing medical cannabis establishments to operate under the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act or, at a minimum, are holding public hearings to explore that option or...more
Hope soared with the possibility of federal cannabis reform in 2021. And for good reason – the induction of a new, more liberal administration, rapid state-level legalization, broad support by Americans, and growing...more
On February 2, 2022, Governor Tate Reeves signed into law the much-anticipated Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act (“MMCA”) which legalizes the use of marijuana for medical purposes in the state. Mississippi is the 37th state to...more
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed legislation legalizing medical cannabis on February 2, 2022. Known as the “Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act”, the law permits the use of medical cannabis to treat certain debilitating...more
Gov. Tate Reeves signed the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act into law yesterday, making Mississippi the 37th state to adopt a medical marijuana program. The 445-page law is dense, and we previously summarized its...more
Yesterday, just after 5 p.m., the Mississippi House voted 104-14 to approve an amended version of the Medical Cannabis Act that the Senate approved earlier this week. The three amendments to the Senate’s version of the act...more
If 2021 was the appetizer, expect 2022 to be the main course for cannabis laws in Ohio. Three separate efforts were launched in 2021 to expand upon Ohio’s existing medical marijuana program....more
Despite leadership of both chambers of the Mississippi legislature agreeing on the text of a bill for a Mississippi medical marijuana program a few months back, Governor Tate Reeves did not call a special session before the...more
The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which would prohibit financial institutions from being penalized for doing business with marijuana companies, was stripped from the National Defense Authorization Act...more
Earlier this week, leadership from both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature agreed to a draft bill for a Mississippi medical marijuana program. Lawmakers have asked Gov. Tate Reeves to call them into special session on...more
Alabama became the 36th state to allow cannabis for medical use when Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Compassion Act on May 17, 2021. The act establishes a process through which applicants will...more
In an industry already rife with significant regulatory complexities, cannabis issuers face another challenge familiar to many small and emerging businesses raising capital: The regulatory minefield posed by hiring...more
As the cannabis industry has matured, investor enthusiasm has been tempered by financial results that have fallen short of projected figures. The industry continues to face retail regulatory hurdles, particularly in Ontario....more
When Canada’s Cannabis Act and supporting regulations came into force on October 17, 2018, Canada became the first major world economy to establish a legal framework at the federal level for the adult recreational use of...more
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced last week it had sent warning letters to three companies advertising cannabidiol products with unproven claims that their products were able to treat or cure serious ailments...more
On June 25, 2019, Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker signed into law the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (aka the Cannabis Act), which is set to go into effect on January 1, 2020, joining 10 states (Alaska, California,...more
The trend of states legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana use continues to gain momentum. Unfortunately for employers, this also means having to wade through an ever-growing patchwork of marijuana laws across the...more
As of July 2, 2019, New Jersey has extended workplace protections to employees and healthcare practitioners engaging in activities authorized by New Jersey’s “Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act” (the “Act”),...more