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Cannabis
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July 29, 2024
Legalization Org Taps Cannabis Atty As New Treasurer
The pro-legalization advocacy organization Marijuana Policy Project announced Monday that a preeminent member of the cannabis bar had been tapped as the group's newest treasurer.
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July 29, 2024
Mich. Man Fights LA Bid To Toss Pot License Lottery Suit
A Michigan man who owns several cannabis retailers is pushing back on a bid by Los Angeles to throw out his suit challenging its social equity license lottery.
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July 26, 2024
Alaska Passengers' Safety Reg Stance Baffles Wash. Judge
A Washington state judge on Friday called out Alaska Airlines passengers' "absurd" suggestion that there was a hole in federal aviation standards that could allow states to set their own rules for when pilots can allow people into the cockpit.
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July 26, 2024
Erroneous Background Check Cost Man HSN Job, Suit Says
A company that sells background checks to employers was hit with a federal lawsuit accusing it of incorrectly telling the Home Shopping Network that an applicant had a felony charge for distributing narcotics equivalent to cocaine, methamphetamine or fentanyl, when he was actually charged with selling marijuana.
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July 26, 2024
Broncos Throw Flag On Ex-Player's THC Discrimination Bid
The NFL and the Denver Broncos are looking to sidestep a former team member's disability discrimination lawsuit claiming the league and team unfairly fined him $532,500 for using THC to treat an injury, arguing that the collective bargaining agreement they signed preempts state law.
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July 26, 2024
Hemp Exporter's Lost-Product Claims Fail At 4th Circ.
A hemp exporter lost a bid for payment for lost products at the Fourth Circuit on Friday when the court ruled that the Montreal Convention precludes claims that a transportation company was liable for the destruction of more than a ton of product by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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July 26, 2024
Cannabis Litigation To Watch: Delta-8 And Residency Rules
In the first half of 2024, a series of lawsuits taking aim at state hemp restrictions and another set of suits challenging purported residency criteria in state cannabis licensure programs were briefed in multiple appellate courts across the country.
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July 25, 2024
Edible Cannabis Co. Can't Revive RFID Tag Case
A Colorado state judge has said he won't let a company that makes edible cannabis continue to challenge the state's mandated use of radio frequency identification tracking tags, concluding that a senior enforcement official's statement at a rulemaking hearing was not a final action the company could appeal.
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July 25, 2024
Iowa Hemp THC Law Remains In Force As Injunction Bids Fail
Iowa's hemp law that imposed new restrictions on hemp-derived THC consumables can continue uninterrupted, after a federal judge on Thursday rejected two bids by the hemp industry seeking to block the statute on claims that it was unconstitutionally vague.
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July 25, 2024
Pot Rescheduling Could 'Compromise' Transit Drug Testing
Federal traffic investigators are urging the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to tread carefully should it move forward with rescheduling marijuana, saying any policy change must allow for drug testing of airline pilots, truck drivers and other "safety-sensitive" transportation jobs.
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July 25, 2024
Tobacco Products Co. Hits Wash. Pot Business With TM Suit
Wholesaler BBK Tobacco & Foods LLP has hit a Washington state cannabis company with a complaint in Arizona federal court that alleges it is infringing the "Juicy" trademark BBK uses for a variety of smoking and smoking-related products.
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July 25, 2024
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Touts State's Pot Law As Equity Model
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday spoke to a conference of cannabis attorneys and touted his state's recreational marijuana market as a model for equity in business ownership and criminal justice reform that other jurisdictions could follow.
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July 24, 2024
PE Firm Ran $37M Ponzi-Like Cannabis Scheme, SEC Says
A California private equity fund ran a Ponzi-like scheme, using much of $37 million raised from investors to pay other shareholders instead of putting the money into cannabis companies, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission told a California federal court this week.
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July 24, 2024
Conn. Cannabis Co.'s Income Loss Not Covered, Insurer Says
An insurer said it has no obligation to cover a cannabis company's business income loss stemming from a February 2020 fire, telling a Connecticut federal court that the loss was not caused by a suspension of operations but rather damage to marijuana plants that aren't covered.
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July 24, 2024
LG Unit Seeks Exit From Georgia Exploding Battery Suit
Atlanta-based LG Chem America Inc., a subsidiary of Korean company LG Chem Ltd., is asking a Georgia state judge to end its involvement in litigation by a man who claims he was injured when a lithium-ion battery cell exploded in his pocket.
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July 24, 2024
Ex-Marijuana Store Worker Settles Retaliation Suit
An Atlantic City, New Jersey, marijuana dispensary has settled a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by an ex-employee who claimed the business's managers wouldn't turn down the loud music that was triggering her PTSD.
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July 24, 2024
Hemp Cos. Get Stay Of DEA Subpoenas Seeking Records
A Texas federal judge on Wednesday stayed enforcement of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration subpoenas seeking financial and other records from a group of hemp and vape sellers, who had argued earlier this week that the subpoenas were overbroad and unlinked to any federal investigation.
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July 23, 2024
Knives Out For Another Pro-Agency Landmark After Chevron
Only weeks after U.S. Supreme Court conservatives took a hatchet to the judicial deference shown to federal agencies, right-leaning lawyers are imploring the justices to rock the administrative law realm again by gutting a New Deal-era precedent at the heart of the modern regulatory system.
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July 23, 2024
Cooperator In Cannabis Bank Fraud Case Dodges Prison
A U.K. national who testified against two businessmen accused of fooling banks into processing federally illicit transactions worth $150 million for California cannabis delivery company Eaze Technologies Inc. on Tuesday was spared from serving any time in prison.
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July 23, 2024
Cannabis Industry Stakeholders Weigh In On Rescheduling
As the period for public comment on the Biden administration's proposal to reclassify marijuana came to a close Monday, anti-legalization activists, marijuana industry advocates and state cannabis regulators each submitted their thoughts on the potential policy shift.
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July 23, 2024
The Biggest Trademark Rulings Of 2024: A Midyear Report
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a California attorney's arguments that registering "Trump Too Small" as a trademark constituted speech protected by the First Amendment, and a split Ninth Circuit concluded district courts have the power to cancel trademark applications during litigation. Here's a look at some of the most notable trademark decisions so far this year.
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July 23, 2024
Senate Dems Roll Out Bill To Codify Chevron Deference
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led a group of Democratic senators Tuesday in introducing a bill to codify the now-defunct doctrine of Chevron deference after it was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last month.
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July 23, 2024
4 Firms Guide SPAC Mergers Targeting AI, Cannabis Sectors
An AI-powered startup that vows to combat "disinformation" and a medical cannabis developer have agreed to go public by merging with special purpose acquisition companies through separate deals unveiled this week, guided by four law firms and a law office.
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July 23, 2024
Disney Cruise Can't Pause Suit As It Awaits Arbitration Ruling
A Florida federal judge won't let Disney Cruise Line postpone filing a required case management report until after the court rules on the company's pending motion to compel arbitration in a case over an ex-employee who was fired for testing positive for marijuana use.
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July 23, 2024
Wyoming Hemp Regulations Not Preempted By 2018 Farm Bill
A Wyoming federal judge won't block enforcement of a newly enacted law regulating hemp-derived intoxicating products, saying the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp products doesn't preempt the regulation.
Expert Analysis
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Cannabis Ruling Lights Path For Bankruptcy Protection
A recent Massachusetts bankruptcy appellate court ruling in Blumsack v. Harrington leaves the door open for those employed in the cannabis industry to seek bankruptcy relief where certain conditions are met, but rescheduling marijuana as a Schedule III drug may complicate matters, say Jane Haviland and Kathryn Droumbakis at Mintz.
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This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener
As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.
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Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease
This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.
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Series
Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.
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Considerations For Evaluating IP Risks In Cannabis M&A
Due to the patchwork of state cannabis laws in the U.S., investors and businesses acquiring intellectual property must assess whether a trademark portfolio possesses any vulnerabilities, such as marks that are considered attractive to children or third-party claims of trademark infringement, say Mary Shapiro and Nicole Katsin at Evoke Law.
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9th Circ. TM Ruling Expands Courts' Role In Application Cases
The Ninth Circuit’s recent ruling in BBK Tobacco v. Central Coast Agriculture is the first time a federal appeals court has explicitly authorized district courts to adjudicate pending trademark applications, marking a potentially significant expansion of federal courts' power, says Saul Cohen at Kelly IP.
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For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill
A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.
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Opinion
Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea
A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.
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4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best
As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.
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3 Health Insurance Paths For Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Ahead of potential U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals for psychedelics as insured treatments, attorneys at Husch Blackwell review pathways for these drugs to achieve coverage as treatments for complex mental health conditions.
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Series
Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer
Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.
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Fears About The End Of Chevron Deference Are Overblown
While some are concerned about repercussions if the U.S. Supreme Court brings an end to Chevron deference in the Loper and Relentless cases this term, agencies and attorneys would survive just fine under the doctrines that have already begun to replace it, say Daniel Wolff and Henry Leung at Crowell & Moring.
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Series
NJ Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1
Early 2024 developments in New Jersey financial regulations include new bills that propose regulating some cryptocurrency as securities and protecting banks that serve the cannabis industry, as well as the signing of a data privacy law that could change banks’ responsibility to vet vendors and borrowers, say attorneys at Chiesa Shahinian.
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Former Minn. Chief Justice Instructs On Writing Better Briefs
Former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea, now at Greenberg Traurig, offers strategies on writing more effective appellate briefs from her time on the bench.
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Stay Interviews Are Key To Retaining Legal Talent
Even as the economy shifts and layoffs continue, law firms still want to retain their top attorneys, and so-called stay interviews — informal conversations with employees to identify potential issues before they lead to turnover — can be a crucial tool for improving retention and morale, say Tina Cohen Nicol and Kate Reder Sheikh at Major Lindsey.