The U.S. Department of Justice published a final order Thursday loosening federal restrictions on medical marijuana products that fall within the ambit of state-regulated programs or have approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2026 Law360 iOS App Law360 Android App Follow Law360 on Facebook Follow Law360 on LinkedIn Follow Law360 on Twitter

TOP NEWS

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DOJ Final Order Loosens Rules For State-Legal Medical Pot

By Sam Reisman

The U.S. Department of Justice published a final order Thursday loosening federal restrictions on medical marijuana products that fall within the ambit of state-regulated programs or have approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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Analysis

Cannabis Cos. Use Opponents' Playbook In Latest Ballot Fight

By Sam Reisman

A campaign to repeal the legalization of retail cannabis in Massachusetts via ballot initiative — the first campaign of its kind in the country — has triggered a legal action from cannabis business owners akin to the sort pushed by legalization opponents for years.

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Mich. High Court Fast-Tracks Appeal Over 24% Cannabis Tax

By Melanie Dorsey

The Michigan Supreme Court has ordered the state's intermediate appeals court to accelerate a closely watched constitutional challenge to the state's 24% cannabis tax that went into effect earlier this year, halting trial court proceedings as the appeal unfolds. 

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Trulieve Says Infringement Suit Doesn't Actually State A Claim

By Mike Curley

Cannabis company Trulieve Inc. has said a rival company's complaint against it lacks any factual basis to support the allegation Trulieve infringed the rival's patents, urging a Florida federal court to throw out the suit.

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POLICY & REGULATION

Brief

DOJ Says Medical Pot Shift Shouldn't Affect Gun Rights Case

By Sam Reisman

Despite an order from the U.S. Department of Justice loosening federal restrictions on medical marijuana, the Trump administration signaled Thursday that it does not intend for the changes to cannabis regulation to apply retroactively.

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LITIGATION

Solar Co. Again Seeks To Toss Colo. Hemp Growers' Suit

By Zach Dupont

A solar company claims that Colorado's economic loss rule bars a negligence claim from a pair of hemp growers that claim a broken irrigation line caused nearly $200 million in damages to their hemp farm, according to a motion to dismiss filed in Colorado federal court Thursday.

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Scotts Miracle-Gro Gets Sales Channel 'Stuffing' Suit Trimmed

By Katryna Perera

An Ohio federal judge has trimmed claims from a securities class action against Scotts Miracle-Gro and several of its executives claiming they misled investors about the lawn and garden care company's inventory levels, debt covenant compliance and financials.

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EXPERT ANALYSIS

Series

Officiating Football Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Though they may seem to have little in common, officiating football has sharpened many of the same skills that define effective lawyering in management-side labor and employment: preparation, judgment, composure, credibility and ability to make difficult decisions in real time, says Josh Nadreau at Fisher Phillips.

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

The 2026 Lawyer Satisfaction Survey: Where Do You Stand?

How is your work-life balance? Are you content with your compensation and opportunities for advancement at work? Take the 2026 Law360 Lawyer Satisfaction Survey and share your thoughts.

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Bar Complaint Calls Out EEOC Chair's Law Firm DEI Letters

By Grace Elletson

A legal advocacy group asked the Virginia State Bar to investigate whether U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea Lucas violated ethics rules by declining to investigate LGBTQ+ bias complaints and sending letters demanding information from law firms on their diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

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Analysis

Judge Albright Changed The Landscape Of Patent Litigation

By Dani Kass

U.S. District Judge Alan Albright of the Western District of Texas became infamous in 2019 when he drew repeated chastising from the Federal Circuit for hoarding patent cases, but in the wake of his plans to step down, attorneys say the judge's biggest legacy has become his efficient, common sense approach to litigation.

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'Cheap' Judge OKs $19.5M Snap Deal Fees But 'No Bentleys'

By Craig Clough

After warning counsel who negotiated a $65 million securities settlement with Snap that he is "notoriously cheap," and in a tentative order gave a "haircut" to their $19.5 million fee request, a California federal judge talked himself out of the trim at a hearing Thursday but quipped, "No Bentleys."

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Paul Clement, Abbe Lowell To Argue For Firms In EO Appeals

By Lauren Berg

Four BigLaw firms and a national security attorney informed the D.C. Circuit on Thursday that heavyweight litigators Paul D. Clement of Clement & Murphy PLLC and Abbe David Lowell of Lowell & Associates PLLC will present their arguments against the Trump administration's appeal seeking to reinstate executive orders that were deemed unconstitutional.

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Another 'Inventing Anna' Attorney Gets Disbarred

By Emily Sawicki

A New York state appeals court has accepted the resignation of a New York City attorney amid a misconduct investigation, reportedly leaving high-profile socialite scammer Anna Sorokin without legal counsel while facing fee claims from her former lawyer, according to a Thursday notice by opposing counsel.

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DOJ Watchdog To Review Handling Of Epstein Files

By Courtney Bublé

The U.S. Department of Justice watchdog announced Thursday that it will be reviewing the department's release of the Epstein files after much bipartisan pushback that it has been slow and error-ridden.

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Ex-DA's Defamation Claims Tied To Menendez Work Risk Toss

By Rae Ann Varona

A Los Angeles County prosecutor-turned-public defender fought uphill Thursday to pursue defamation claims against a former colleague who criticized her advocacy for the release of Erik and Lyle Menendez, with a California state court judge saying that alleged comments like calling the attorney a "quisling" — or traitor — were nonactionable opinions.

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ICE Courthouse Arrest Policy Faces New Stay Bid After Error

By Adrian Cruz

Civil rights groups suing the U.S. government to block immigration courthouse arrests asked a New York federal judge to stay the enforcement of the arrest policy, arguing that government attorneys have retracted their original position on the legality of the arrests.

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Immigration Board Says Judge Glossed Over Inconsistencies

By Tom Lotshaw

An immigration judge failed to address and explain inconsistencies before finding a Cameroonian man credible and granting him withholding of removal protection, the Board of Immigration Appeals said in a decision designated as precedential.

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Ex-EEOC Official Accuses Agency Of 'Ironic' LGBTQ+ Bias

By Hailey Konnath

A former U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission director sued the agency in California federal court Thursday, alleging it forced him, a queer and transgender man, to participate in the "erasure" of LGBTQ+ individuals, a move his attorney called "ironic" for the agency tasked with upholding antidiscrimination laws.

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COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

African Communities Together

American Civil Liberties Union

Apple Inc.

Last Prisoner Project

Make the Road New York

Marijuana Policy Project

McKinstry Co.

Michigan Cannabis Industry Association

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

New York Civil Liberties Union

Smart Approaches to Marijuana

Snap Inc.

Tesla Inc.

The AES Corp.

The Kraft Heinz Co.

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co.

Trulieve

Virginia State Bar

LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Baker Botts

Barrack Rodos

Bienert Katzman

Bird Marella

Bracewell LLP

Bradley Arant

Brand Law Firm P.A.

Clement & Murphy

Cooley LLP

Emery Celli

Fish & Richardson

Fisher & Phillips

Honigman LLP

Jenner & Block

Jones Day

Katz Banks

Koskoff Koskoff

Lehotsky Keller

Lowell & Associates

McConaughy & Sarkissian

McKool Smith

Miller Barondess

Monument Legal Group

Munger Tolles

Older Lundy

Paul Weiss

Perkins Coie

Quinn Emanuel

Saxena White

Scheef & Stone

Shegerian & Associates

Strauss Troy

Susman Godfrey

Venable LLP

Williams & Connolly

WilmerHale

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Clayton County, Georgia

Colorado Supreme Court

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Executive Office for Immigration Review

Executive Office of the President

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Florida Supreme Court

Food and Drug Administration

Judicial Conference of the United States

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Michigan Department of Treasury

Michigan Supreme Court

Mississippi Supreme Court

Nebraska Supreme Court

New York State Unified Court System

New York Supreme Court, New York County

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

State of Michigan

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court

United States District Court for the District of Colorado

United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio