Cannabis

March 31, 2025
Justices Decline Chance To Clarify Medical Pot Protections

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal arguing that congressional spending legislation bars federal prosecutors from bringing cases against state-compliant medical marijuana operations.
March 31, 2025
Calif. Pot Co. Seeks Receivership, Blames Merger 'Disaster'

A cannabis producer in California has moved to enter receivership in state court, disclosing more than $173 million in liabilities and saying a 2023 merger with its parent company proved to be a "financial disaster."
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.

Expert Analysis

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Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.
5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
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Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.
How DOGE's Bite Can Live Up To Its Bark

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Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.
Looking Back At 2024's Noteworthy State AG Litigation

State attorneys general across the U.S. took bold steps in 2024 to address unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children's internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
Opinion

No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.
5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.
7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.
E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.
Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.
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Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
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Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.