Cannabis

  • September 09, 2024

    Meta Wants Mike Huckabee's Fake CBD Ad Suit Tossed

    Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. asked a Delaware federal judge to throw out former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's suit alleging it allowed false advertisements claiming he endorsed CBD gummies on its popular social media platform, arguing the claims are clearly barred by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

  • September 09, 2024

    NJ Court Won't Rush UAW's Smoking Law Case Appeal

    The New Jersey Appellate Division rejected the United Auto Workers' emergency bid to overturn the dismissal of its suit alleging a law excluding casino workers from secondhand smoking protections violates the state constitution, according to a Friday order.

  • September 09, 2024

    Ore. Seeks Dismissal Of Psilocybin Disabilities Suit

    Oregon's health regulator has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging aspects of the state's pioneering regulated psilocybin treatment program, saying that the program's illegality under federal law makes the lawsuit untenable.

  • September 06, 2024

    Payroll Co. Didn't Pay For Cannabis Client Referrals, Suit Says

    The founder of a now-closed payroll and human resources provider that largely served the cannabis industry claims he was never compensated for selling its client list to a Colorado rival, Comploy Inc., and is now demanding $161,000 and interest.

  • September 06, 2024

    Calif. Gov. Targets Hemp Intoxicants With Emergency Ban

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced emergency regulations banning products derived from industrial hemp that contain any intoxicating cannabinoids, and setting an age minimum of 21 years to purchase hemp products.

  • September 06, 2024

    Three Defendants Settle SEC's $14M Pot Co. Securities Suit

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has reached settlements with three defendants who allegedly misappropriated $14 million in investment funds intended for a cannabis enterprise, with the three agreeing to pay back a total of more than $4 million in disgorgements and interest and $3 million in civil penalties.

  • September 05, 2024

    Lawmakers, AGs Urge Justices To OK Denial Of E-Cig Apps

    A coalition of state attorneys general and a group of Democratic Congress members are backing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in its fight to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision striking down the denials of applications to market flavored vapes.

  • September 05, 2024

    Colo. Cannabis Co. Manager Stole $150K, Suit Claims

    The two marijuana entrepreneurs behind the Euflora chain are once again back in court, with one of them accusing the other of stealing at least $150,000 from their enterprise, possibly to cover unpaid loans and taxes, according to a lawsuit filed in Colorado state court, which claimed the alleged theft comes after a string of erratic behavior.

  • September 05, 2024

    Attys' Group Urges Justices To Back Trucker's CBD RICO Suit

    The American Association for Justice is urging the Supreme Court to side with a trucker whose racketeering claims against CBD companies allege their false advertisements cost him his job, arguing that the plain text of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act allows his claims of injury to "business or property."

  • September 04, 2024

    4th Circ. Sets Legal Hemp Standard In THC Firing Case

    A split Fourth Circuit panel on Wednesday set a standard for the legality of hemp products, although it still found that a real estate company worker claiming she was illegally fired for testing positive for a THC substance didn't back her disability bias claims.

  • September 04, 2024

    Mich. Voters Can't Advance Pot Initiatives, Panel Rules

    A Michigan state appeals court sided with four cities Tuesday to block ballot initiatives that would have created regulatory schemes for the licensing and zoning of cannabis businesses, finding state law limits citizens' say and gives the power to write marijuana regulations only to cities.

  • September 04, 2024

    1st Circ. Unsure If Texts In Pot Bribe Case Crossed State Lines

    A First Circuit panel on Wednesday expressed skepticism that the simple sending of an iMessage through an Apple cellphone satisfies the element of wire fraud requiring interstate communication, entertaining a Massachusetts attorney's challenge to his convictions for seeking to bribe a police chief to win a local marijuana license.

  • September 03, 2024

    R.J. Reynolds Stresses Reason To End $95M Royalties To Altria

    Tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds is pushing hard on a bid to end $95 million in royalty payments it owes to the parent company of Philip Morris after a patent infringement verdict, emphasizing to a North Carolina federal court that its deal with Juul to license vape pen technology can in fact be enforced retroactively.

  • September 03, 2024

    Minn. AG Asks Cos. To Stop Selling Illicit Vapes

    Minnesota's attorney general wants a promise from players in the tobacco and vape product industry that they will no longer pedal e-cigarette or nicotine pouches not approved by the federal government, warning that "consequences" will follow should they not comply.

  • September 03, 2024

    UAW Loses Bid To Include Casinos In NJ Smoking Ban

    A New Jersey state court judge on Friday tossed the United Auto Workers' complaint claiming a law excluding casino workers from secondhand smoking protections violates the state constitution, reasoning that the law doesn't inhibit the employees' right to pursue safety.

  • September 03, 2024

    Pot Co. Stiiizy Hit With New Lawsuit Over High-Potency Wares

    California cannabis giant Stiiizy has been accused again of marketing dangerous, high-potency THC products to young people, allegedly resulting in cannabis-induced psychosis in a user who brought a product liability and fraud suit in Los Angeles state court.

  • August 30, 2024

    Missouri Ban On Some Psychoactive Foods To Hit Sept. 1

    Missouri Gov. Mike Parson's ban on consumables "containing psychoactive cannabis products" will go into effect Sunday, according to an announcement by state health regulators.

  • August 30, 2024

    Nebraska Expected To Vote On Medical Marijuana Legalization

    Medical marijuana advocates have met the requirements to put a legalization question before Nebraska voters on Election Day this November, the secretary of state announced Friday.

  • August 30, 2024

    NY Hemp Shops Seek Halt Of 'Military Style' Raids

    A quintet of hemp product retailers have alleged that New York state and city officials unlawfully targeted their businesses as part of an effort to crack down on unregulated marijuana sellers.

  • August 30, 2024

    Inaccurate TransUnion Report Ended Job Chances, Suit Says

    A TransUnion unit that sells background checks was hit with a federal lawsuit in Texas accusing it of wrecking an applicant's employment prospects at Chick-fil-A by incorrectly reporting he had misdemeanor convictions for cannabis possession.

  • August 29, 2024

    Trucker Urges Justices To Back Wide RICO Scope In CBD Case

    A commercial truck driver who alleges he lost his job after consuming products containing THC is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm a Second Circuit ruling that the civil racketeering statute applies to personal injuries when they upset a person's employment.

  • August 29, 2024

    NFL, Broncos Say Player's THC Suit Belongs In Arbitration

    The NFL and Denver Broncos said a former player's revised discrimination lawsuit can't avoid arbitration because claims that he was unfairly fined more than $532,000 for using prescribed THC to treat medical conditions still fall under a collective bargaining agreement.

  • August 29, 2024

    5th Circ. Says Pot Use Doesn't Bar Gun Ownership

    The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday ruled that a federal law barring firearm possession by marijuana users is unconstitutional specifically as it pertains to a nonviolent user who was not actively intoxicated at the time of her encounter with law enforcement.

  • August 28, 2024

    Mich. Pot Co. Says Court Can Hear Suit Against IP Atty

    A Michigan cannabis company can maintain its lawsuit against an attorney and his wife who it claims badmouthed it on social media, a federal judge ruled, after the business showed the court has jurisdiction over the couple.

  • August 28, 2024

    'Smoking-Gun' Flaw Found In New Ark. Hemp Law, Say Cos.

    In a legal fight over a recent Arkansas state law restricting hemp-derived intoxicants, the hemp companies who brought the challenge told a federal judge Wednesday they found "smoking-gun evidence" from regulators showing the 2023 law is unconstitutionally vague.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy

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    With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.

  • Series

    Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.

  • Cannabis Ruling Lights Path For Bankruptcy Protection

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    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.

  • This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener

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    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.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    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.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • Considerations For Evaluating IP Risks In Cannabis M&A

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    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.

  • 9th Circ. TM Ruling Expands Courts' Role In Application Cases

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    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.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    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.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    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.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    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.

  • 3 Health Insurance Paths For Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

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    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.

  • Series

    Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • Fears About The End Of Chevron Deference Are Overblown

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    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.

  • Series

    NJ Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    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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