Mitigating and Addressing Litigation Risks for Cannabis Businesses
Cannabis M&A: Pain Points and Opportunities
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Cannabis Companies and the Corporate Transparency Act
Intellectual property considerations for launching new cannabis products
Unpacking the current cannabis regulatory landscape and how it impacts your business
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Inside a Top MSO with Jushi's EVP of Legal Affairs Matt Leeth
Managing Employee Compliance in Highly Regulated Industries — Hiring to Firing Podcast
If Cannabis Is Reclassified, What Will Happen to the Marketplace? – Diagnosing Health Care
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Farmers First According to Humboldt Trim Company
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: THC Infused Beverages: Cantrip's Journey Through the Hemp-Derived Looking Glass
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Cannabis Investing in the U.S. - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Catalyst Cannabis Takes on the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration Over Cannabis Excise Taxes
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Cannabis Banking from the Inside: An Interview with Salal Credit Union
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: The ‘CannaBoies' Lawsuit and Why it Matters
Budding Regulations: Navigating the Cannabis Regulatory Landscape — Regulatory Oversight Podcast
Chronic Payments: Unraveling the Complexities of Cannabis Banking — Payments Pros: The Payments Law Podcast
The Presumption of Innocence Podcast: Episode 27 - Blazing Trails: Cannabis Law in the Garden State
Cannabis and Bankruptcy Laws
A Changed Legal Landscape? Analyzing California’s New Cannabis Laws
Obtaining a Recreational Marijuana License from Your Local Municipality
This is an exciting time for cannabis entrepreneurs as the US government is poised to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III drug in a move that recognizes cannabis’ medical and therapeutic uses and may open the door for new...more
As the prospect of federal rescheduling of cannabis looms, some in the industry are seemingly attempting to preserve their spot in line at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A recent Trademark Trial and Appeal...more
In an industry known for its fast-paced changes, 2024 will be no different for cannabis. For all those with an eye on the industry, the number one question remains, is this the year for rescheduling? The answer is, maybe. And...more
Federal trademark registration is typically unavailable for goods and services related to the sale of cannabis. But a combination of federal copyright registration and state trademark registration for these goods and...more
Based on recent events, it seems likely marijuana will be rescheduled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) sometime this year. While many industry experts have discussed the impacts in recent months, many questions still...more
Republic Technologies (NA) LLC (“Republic”) filed an application to register the proposed mark 4:20 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). Republic amended its goods twice during prosecution of the...more
A Texas appellate court recently upheld a decision to prevent a ban on the sale of delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products in the state. Tex. Dep’t of State Health Servs. v. Sky Mktg. Corp., No. 03-21-00571-CV, 2023 BL...more
While licensing agreements between brands and license holders are typical in mature cannabis jurisdictions, what is uncommon is the requirement that said brands become licensed solely for the purposes of entering into...more
Apologies for the cannabis puns in the title, but they are required by law. Okay, you are correct. That is not true. But it is true that trademark protection is important for individuals in the cannabis industry. Earlier this...more
Welcome to your quarterly rundown of the latest legal, policy, and market happenings in the cannabis and hemp industry. The Cresco and Columbia Care Fallout: How Credit Monitoring Could Have Prevented It - The Cresco and...more
In our previous post, we discussed how a cannabis business can take steps to avoid potential trademark infringement claims. In this release, we will discuss how a cannabis business can use trademarks for brand protection –...more
On May 3, 2023, the federal Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (the “TTAB”)—the entity responsible for handling disputes over the issuance of trademarks on a nationwide level—issued a precedential opinion in In re National...more
The state of intellectual property is in flux within the cannabis industry. On the eve of MJBizCon, below is a brief inventory of where the law stands on cannabis-related issues for branding and technology....more
Although commercial use of a trademark alone triggers rights in a mark, wise business owners endeavor to take advantage of the added benefits and protections conveyed by federal registration. One of the most important...more
Looking to start a cannabis business in New York? To help you prepare, VS’s New York team created an eight-part series of VS Insights to assist in navigating the path to applying for a New York cannabis business license....more
So, you decided to start a cannabis business in New York. With the release of more license categories on the horizon, it’s an exciting and hectic time. To help you prepare, VS’s New York team created an eight-part...more
Thank you for reading the April 2022 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we discuss two ongoing administrative legal challenges to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's policies on...more
When Fame is the Name of the Game - As of the third quarter of 2021, Swedish music streaming company SPOTIFY boasted 381 million monthly active users worldwide – significantly more than the population of the entire United...more
Happy New Year! We’re excited to share the January 2022 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter in a newly updated format. This month’s articles discuss the Pantone Color Institute's 2022 Color of the Year –...more
The September 2021 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses a recent non-precedential Trademark Trial and Appeal Board decision regarding intent-to-use applications covering CBD products currently...more
Why would a small cannabis dispensary choose to plaster the fictional character Borat on its billboard – without asking permission? This misjudgment resulted in a $9 million lawsuit; but it’s not an isolated incident. In...more
In the June 2021 issue of MarkIt to Market®, Watching the PotTM featured a cannabis-themed crossword puzzle. Here we provide the "Cannandrum: Can You 'Hash' It Out?" answer key. We hope you enjoyed solving this puzzle!...more
On July 14, 2021, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, together with Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden and Senator Cory Booker, released a discussion draft of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (the...more
[co-author: Richa Patel, Summer Associate] The July 2021 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses fluid trademarks and the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. Plus, check out the answer key...more
Cannandrum: Can You "Hash" It Out? With summer now underway, please enjoy this cannabis-themed crossword puzzle! Stay tuned for the answers in next month's issue of MarkIt to Market®....more