Cannabis

March 31, 2025
Disbarred Fraudster Gets 25 Years For $18M Hemp Scam

A disbarred attorney with a history of investor fraud was sentenced to 25 years in prison for a scheme in which he solicited more than $18 million from investors by claiming to own a hemp farm that didn't exist and overhyping an edibles company.
March 28, 2025
Cannabis Equipment Biz Can't Speed Up Canada Import Case

The U.S. Court of International Trade has ruled that a cannabis equipment company cannot expedite its case challenging the hurdles it faces importing from Canada, saying the business has not presented good cause to have the matter fast-tracked.
March 28, 2025
Pot Co.'s Challenge To DEA Admin Procedures Dismissed

A Rhode Island federal judge on Friday dismissed a cannabis company's challenge to the lawfulness of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration internal administrative law proceedings, finding that the company had failed to show how those procedures would harm it.
March 28, 2025
Nitrous Oxide Makers, Sellers Sued Over 'Whippet' Death

The estate of a woman who died after inhaling nitrous oxide as a recreational drug is suing makers and sellers of the canisters, alleging they are knowingly selling them to be used as "whippets."
March 28, 2025
Vape Co. Sued Over Burns From Exploding Battery

A North Carolina man is suing a Chinese vape company and its American affiliate in federal court, alleging that a vape they made and sold him exploded when the battery inside it short-circuited, leaving him with second- and third-degree burns.
March 27, 2025
Vaping Interests Take Challenge To FDA Rule To 5th Circ.

A coalition of vaping interests challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's marketing and recordkeeping regulations has taken the dispute to the Fifth Circuit after a lower district judge tossed the lawsuit, which claimed many in the industry were prohibited from seeking FDA approval for multiple products at once because of the high cost of applying.
March 27, 2025
Minn. Pot Regulators Submit Proposed Rules For Retail Sale

The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management, or OCM, has submitted draft rules for the retail sale of adult-use cannabis products to an administrative law judge for final approval.
March 27, 2025
Curaleaf Units Slam Pot Farm's Sanctions Bid In $32M Suit

Two Curaleaf units are pushing back on a Michigan farm's bid for sanctions following a $32 million verdict in its favor, saying the farm is the party dragging proceedings out by seeking sanctions over a disagreement on the law.
March 26, 2025
Sotomayor Urges Caution On Nondelegation Doctrine Revamp

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor cautioned her colleagues during oral arguments Wednesday against using a challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's administration of a broadband subsidy program as a way to resurrect the long-dormant nondelegation doctrine. Several conservative justices, however, seemed willing to disregard that admonition.
March 26, 2025
2 Class Actions Over Cannabis Cos.' Product Labels Dropped

The plaintiffs who were leading two proposed class actions in Illinois federal court alleging that cannabis companies have mislabeled their products to get around Illinois state law have dropped their cases.
March 26, 2025
RI Pot License Program Unconstitutional, 1st Circ. Told

A California lawyer who has brought constitutional challenges to state and local cannabis licensure programs across the country told the First Circuit on Tuesday that a lower district judge erred in dismissing an action against Rhode Island marijuana regulators.
March 26, 2025
Fla. Appeals Court Upholds Fees For Medical Pot Businesses

Florida's intermediate appellate court on Wednesday affirmed that the state's Department of Health acted within its authority when it enacted rules requiring medical marijuana dispensaries to pay more than a million dollars in license renewal fees every other year.
March 26, 2025
Medical Pot Center Not Exempt From 2017 Michigan Sales Tax

A Michigan appeals panel has rejected a medical cannabis provisioning center's argument that it was exempt from sales tax in 2017, saying it is not entitled to the same exemption as primary caregivers and could not rely on a 2011 nonbinding letter in its argument.
March 25, 2025
NC Justices Agree To Hear Traffic Stop Smell Test Appeal

The North Carolina Supreme Court has agreed to take up an appeal of a man's conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon after he argued that the smell of cannabis and cologne are not sufficient to justify searching his vehicle at a traffic stop.
March 25, 2025
Court Tosses Suit Alleging NY Pot Regulations Are Biased

A New York federal judge on Tuesday dismissed an action alleging that the Empire State's cannabis social equity licensure program discriminated against white men.
March 25, 2025
Va. Gov. Youngkin Blocks Recreational Cannabis Sales Again

Glenn Youngkin, the Republican governor of Virginia, on Monday once again vetoed lawmaker-approved legislation that would have taxed and regulated the sale of adult-use cannabis.
March 25, 2025
Lowenstein Sandler Can Pursue NJ Dispensary Fraud Claims

Lowenstein Sandler LLP on Tuesday secured a ruling enabling the firm to pursue claims that a cannabis dispensary committed a "fraud on the court," with a New Jersey state judge rejecting the business' attempt to preclude those claims in the firm's $800,000 suit over unpaid legal fees.
March 25, 2025
No Easy Out In $5M Mich. Dispensary Flip-Flop Suit

A Michigan federal court has refused to hand a win to either party in developer American 5 LLC's suit alleging a Michigan township improperly revoked its permit for a marijuana dispensary, finding that the parties hadn't resolved whether the permit was the developer's to begin with.
March 25, 2025
DEA Seeks Exit From Hemp Group's Suit Over Raid

Federal drug enforcers have asked a Texas federal judge to release them from a hemp industry trade group and retailer's lawsuit challenging the legality of a raid on a smoke shop, saying that the enforcement actions at issue were conducted by local authorities.
March 25, 2025
Ariz. AG Warns Cops, Retailers About Illegal THC Sales

Arizona's attorney general has sent letters to both retailers and law enforcement over the sale of THC products by unlicensed shops, clarifying that such sales are illegal and giving them a month to prepare for enforcement by the attorney general's office.
March 24, 2025
Justices Asked To Weigh Mississippi Ban On Medical Pot Ads

The owner of a Mississippi medical marijuana company has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a First Amendment challenge to the state's ban on cannabis advertisements, which was recently upheld by the Fifth Circuit.
March 24, 2025
Neb. AG Sends 35 Cos. Cease Letters Over THC Sales

The Nebraska attorney general has sent cease and desist letters to 104 retail locations in Omaha saying they are selling products with THC beyond the state's legal limits.
March 24, 2025
NYC Shops' Suit Over Pot Crackdown Tossed

A New York federal judge has thrown out a suit by 27 businesses alleging that New York City violated due process by shutting some of them down as illegal cannabis operations, saying not only did the shops have the opportunity to be heard in an impartial hearing, but several of them were allowed to reopen following those hearings.
March 21, 2025
DHS Again Seeks To Toss Pot Cos.' Wrongful Seizure Suit

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Friday again asked a New Mexico federal court to throw out a suit from eight cannabis companies alleging their products, cash and vehicles were wrongly seized at checkpoints.
March 21, 2025
Rudick Law Grows Cannabis, Psychedelic Practice With Hire

Woman-owned cannabis firm Rudick Law Group has announced it is expanding into New Orleans and Santa Fe, New Mexico, with the hiring of a former prosecutor it said will bring expertise in cannabis and psychedelic medicine law to the firm.

Expert Analysis

Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

Excerpt from Practical Guidance

Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.
Series

Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron.
E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.
Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.
Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.
Series

Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.
How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.
How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment

Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.
Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.
Opinion

Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.
The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.
Series

Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.
Opinion

Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.
How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.
Series

Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.