Cannabis

  • March 13, 2024

    Santa Barbara County Wants Pot Raid Suit Tossed Again

    The county of Santa Barbara is asking a California federal court to once again throw out a cannabis farmer's claim that his farm was illegally raided by the sheriff's office, saying the latest complaint still falls short of alleging facts to support the claims.

  • March 12, 2024

    Patent Deal Brings End To Philip Morris Import Ban

    The U.S. International Trade Commission has decided to pull its import ban on a line of Philip Morris heated tobacco products following a settlement of its patent fight with British American Tobacco, over the objections of the agency's own in-house lawyers.

  • March 12, 2024

    Reps Push Regulators For Answers On Marijuana Research

    A bipartisan pair of congress members on opposite sides of the cannabis legalization issue joined forces on Tuesday to blast federal agencies for not effectively implementing a bill whose stated purpose was to expedite research into marijuana's potential harms and benefits.

  • March 12, 2024

    Colo. Cannabis Brands Hit With $5.5M Creditor Suit

    BellRock, the cannabis company behind brands such as Mary's Medicinals and Dixie, was hit with a lawsuit seeking $5.5 million in defaulted loans, weeks after the company announced its chief executive's departure and that it is considering restructuring debt.

  • March 12, 2024

    Pot Co. Says Commerce Clause Meant To Stop 'Trade Wars'

    Cannabis company Peridot Tree WA Inc. is urging a Washington federal judge to reject a bid to dismiss its suit alleging the state's cannabis social equity licensing scheme violates the Constitution's dormant commerce clause, saying the court should find that it applies to cannabis businesses.

  • March 11, 2024

    Judge Blasts Instagrammer's Bid To Upend $1.6M Ruling

    A lifestyle brand headed by Instagram celebrity Dan Bilzerian could face sanctions should it continue to recycle arguments for why it shouldn't be forced to pay a $1.6 million judgment to a consulting firm it was accused of cheating, a Nevada federal judge warned in an order denying the brand's motion for reconsideration.

  • March 11, 2024

    DC Circ. Mulls Tax-Exempt Status For Ayahuasca Church

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Monday pushed counsel for an Iowa church that uses the psychedelic substance ayahuasca in its ceremonies to explain why the Internal Revenue Service erred in denying it tax-exempt status.

  • March 11, 2024

    CBD Co. Says Investors' Fraudulent Intent Claims Fall Short

    Canopy Growth Corp. is urging a New York federal court to throw out claims that it misled investors about the prospects of a sports nutrition subsidiary, saying the proposed class action fails to establish a motive for the alleged fraud or that the cannabis company was aware that any statements it made were false.

  • March 08, 2024

    CBD Shop Seeks Relief From Fees For Lost Trial Against Cops

    The owner of a shuttered CBD shop urged a Tennessee federal judge to free him from $35,000 in court costs for a trial he lost against the local cops who raided his shop, even though all of his products were legal, saying his net worth is in the red.

  • March 08, 2024

    Union Urges Affirming Reinstatement Award Over Pot Test

    An aircraft mechanics union has asked a Washington federal judge to back an arbitration board's decision ordering Alaska Airlines to reinstate a unionized worker who testified positive for marijuana, saying the award was properly based on the parties' labor contract.

  • March 08, 2024

    Colo. Dispensary And Tracking Vendor Settle Fee Suit

    A Colorado state judge has called off a trial between a dispensary chain and Metrc LLC, the company contracted by the state to track cannabis sales, after the two agreed to settle a lawsuit the retailer filed over monthly fees the vendor charged for its state-mandated services.

  • March 08, 2024

    Md. Pot Regulators Eye Win In Challenge To Social Equity Plan

    Maryland cannabis regulators on Friday asked a federal judge to toss a lawsuit alleging the state's social equity scheme unconstitutionally discriminates against out-of-state players, asserting that there is no such thing as a federally legal marijuana market.

  • March 08, 2024

    Colo. Judge Sends Pot Co. Receivership Dispute To Arbitration

    A member of a struggling cannabis cultivation and dispensary business alleging mismanagement by other owners must take its receivership battle to arbitration, after a Colorado state judge found that the company's operating agreement requires it.

  • March 08, 2024

    Hiller PC Says Ex-Atty Stole From Firm, Not The Reverse

    Boutique firm Hiller PC told a New York state judge that a suit by a former attorney alleging she was underpaid should be trimmed, arguing that unjust enrichment claims fail because she was actually stealing money from the firm, not the other way around.

  • March 08, 2024

    Longtime Cannabis Atty From Bressler Joins Fox Rothschild

    Fox Rothschild LLP announced that an experienced cannabis and financial services attorney who spent nearly two decades with Bressler Amery & Ross PC has moved to the firm's litigation practice as a partner in Morristown, New Jersey.

  • March 07, 2024

    Biden Blasts 'Hidden Fees' During State Of The Union

    During what could be his last State of the Union, President Joe Biden touted on Thursday night his administration's efforts to protect consumers by combating such issues as "junk fees" and price gouging.

  • March 07, 2024

    NY Cannabis License Scheme Not Discriminatory, State Says

    New York cannabis regulators have urged a federal judge to reject a bid seeking to temporarily halt the issuance of marijuana retail licenses by a company that claims the social equity program is biased against white male entrepreneurs, arguing that the company "fundamentally misunderstands" how the program works.

  • March 07, 2024

    Marijuana Store Retaliated After Complaint, Ex-Worker Says

    An Atlantic City, New Jersey, marijuana dispensary fired one of its employees after she requested that "loud music" being played in the shop be turned down because it triggered her post-traumatic stress, paranoia and anxiety, the ex-worker says in a discrimination lawsuit filed in New Jersey state court. 

  • March 07, 2024

    Hawaii Senate OKs Cannabis Legalization Bill

    The Hawaii Senate has approved a bill to legalize marijuana for adult nonmedical use and tax and regulate its sale, sending the proposal to the state House of Representatives for review.

  • March 07, 2024

    Sens. Tell Stores To Get Illegal E-Cigs Off Their Shelves

    Five U.S. senators on Thursday told the heads of major convenience store and gas station chains to stop sales of unauthorized flavored e-cigarette products, saying that their illegal sales pose a major threat to public health, especially children's.

  • March 07, 2024

    Pot Co. Worker Claims Retaliation For Spotting Bad Policies

    A Hollywood Boulevard-located cannabis dispensary, Pineapple Express, terminated one of its top-selling employees after he complained about the ways it was failing to follow California marijuana laws, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Court.

  • March 06, 2024

    Vape Co. Is Denied Atty Fees After Subsidiary Loses Case

    A vape and lifestyle brand headed by Instagram celebrity Dan Bilzerian that was hit with a $1.6 million judgment in a contract dispute can't get back its attorney fees, a Nevada federal judge has ruled, saying a party actually has to win money to recover expenses.

  • March 06, 2024

    Juul MDL Judge Asks Feds To Probe AI Fraud In $45.5M Deal

    A California federal judge Wednesday approved e-cigarette Juul investor Altria's $45.5 million settlement and counsel's $13.65 million fee request to resolve consumer claims in Altria's broader $235 million multidistrict settlement agreement, but said fraudulent claims submitted by AI and "click farms" are a "real problem" prosecutors should investigate.

  • March 06, 2024

    3rd Circ. Questions Who Can Sue Under NJ Cannabis Law

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday struggled to pinpoint whether workers can sue employers under a New Jersey law that protects them from punishment for cannabis use, while also expressing unease about accepting Walmart's assertion that state regulators possess broad enforcement authority.

  • March 06, 2024

    Senators Question Cherokee Tribe's Cannabis Co. Launch

    Both of North Carolina's U.S. senators are asking for an inquiry into the upcoming launch of a Cherokee tribe's cannabis dispensary, saying the matter raises important questions on how to keep the state's residents safe.

Expert Analysis

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Regulatory Shift May Offer Lifeline To NY's Cannabis Industry

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    Recent developments may help to open up the regulatory log jam and increase the number of licensed dispensaries in New York state, and can eventually allow the licensed cannabis market to win out over unlicensed dispensaries, say attorneys at Davis+Gilbert.

  • Why Hemp-Synthesized Intoxicants Need Uniform Regs

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    State laws regulating hemp-synthesized intoxicants are a patchwork with little consistency between any given state, and without the adoption of a uniform regulatory framework, producers and consumers alike will need to be very cautious, say Dylan Anderson and Seth Goldberg at Duane Morris.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: The UK

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    Following Brexit, the U.K. has adopted a different approach to regulating environmental, social and governance factors from the European Union — an approach that focuses on climate disclosures by U.K.-regulated entities, while steering clear of the more ambitious objectives pursued by the EU, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

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    Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.

  • Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys

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    Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.

  • State Regs Sow Discord Between Cannabis, Hemp Industries

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    Connecticut, Maryland and Washington are the latest states choosing to require intoxicating hemp products to comply with the states' recreational marijuana laws, resulting in a widening rift between cannabis and hemp as Congress works on crafting new hemp legislation within the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill, say attorneys at Wilson Elser.

  • Series

    Playing In A Rock Cover Band Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing in a classic rock cover band has driven me to hone several skills — including focus, organization and networking — that have benefited my professional development, demonstrating that taking time to follow your muse outside of work can be a boon to your career, says Michael Gambro at Cadwalader.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'

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    The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.

  • Opinion

    Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform

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    The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.

  • Landmark Ark. Ruling Is Welcome News For Hemp Industry

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    An Arkansas federal court's recent ruling in Bio Gen v. Sanders creates a road map for plaintiffs to attack state laws that restrict hemp, making it one of the most important cases to date addressing the 2018 Farm Bill and state laws regarding hemp, says Rod Kight at Kight Law.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Japan

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    Japan is witnessing rapid developments in environmental, social and corporate governance policies by making efforts to adopt a soft law approach, which has been effective in encouraging companies to embrace ESG practices and address the diversity of boards of directors, say Akira Karasawa and Landry Guesdon at Iwata Godo.

  • How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing

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    Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

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