Cannabis

  • June 06, 2024

    Mass. Pot Regulators Hear Pleas To Address Islands' Shortage

    Massachusetts cannabis regulators on Thursday acknowledged they have "some work to do" during a meeting and listening session on Martha's Vineyard, where enforcement of a federal ban on transporting the drug over water is wreaking havoc on the island's supply chain.

  • June 05, 2024

    Cannabis Co. Protests $4M Award, Asserting Arbitrator Error

    Cannabis company Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. urged a New York federal court Tuesday to upend a nearly $4 million arbitration award to an entrepreneur whose business merged with the Canadian company, asserting that the winnings, specifically attorney fees, should have been reduced by 98%.

  • June 05, 2024

    Samsung Escapes Illinois Suit Over Exploding Vape Battery

    An Illinois state appeals court has freed South Korea-based Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. from a suit alleging it sold a lithium-ion battery that exploded in a man's pocket, finding the man failed to provide any evidence that the company directed its wares at Illinois.

  • June 05, 2024

    NY Cannabis Head Looks Ahead Following Critical Audit

    The chair of New York's cannabis regulatory body told stakeholders Wednesday at a marijuana business expo that the agency was working to streamline its operations following an investigative audit ordered by the governor's office that blasted the office for inefficiencies.

  • June 05, 2024

    Santa Barbara Gets Bulk Of Pot Farm Raid Suit Tossed

    A California federal judge has thrown out the bulk of a cannabis farmer's suit alleging that members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office illegally raided his farm and destroyed his property, leaving only a judicial deception claim to go forward.

  • June 04, 2024

    FDA Advisers Rebuff Bid To Treat PTSD With MDMA

    A panel of public health experts on Tuesday dealt a blow to a historic effort to regulate MDMA therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, saying although the positive effects shown in clinical trials are promising, the proposal was hindered by too many confounding factors.

  • June 04, 2024

    Recreational Marijuana To Be On SD Ballot For 3rd Time

    Recreational marijuana advocates have successfully put a measure on South Dakota's November ballot, giving state voters a third shot at legalizing the drug just two years after they declined to do so.  

  • June 04, 2024

    Vape Distributors Push To Exit NYC E-Cigarette Suit

    Two groups of e-cigarette distributors are urging a New York state court to toss claims from New York City alleging they're violating city laws by selling flavored e-cigarettes, saying that the law in question only applies to retail sales, not distributor-to-distributor sales.

  • June 04, 2024

    NM Cannabis Co. Says Insurers Can't Toss Medical Weed Row

    A group of insurers can't escape a proposed class action demanding they cover medical marijuana costs, a cannabis company and several of its patients said, telling a New Mexico federal court that medical cannabis is a medically necessary behavioral health service that must be covered.

  • June 03, 2024

    GAO Urges DEA To Streamline Religious Drug Use Requests

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a new report that the nation's drug enforcement agency needs to be more transparent about its process for reviewing religious exemption requests from churches that use controlled substances as sacraments.

  • June 03, 2024

    Missouri Judge OKs Cannabis Tax By Both City And County

    Both a city in Missouri and the county that surrounds it can collect a tax on marijuana dispensaries, a state circuit judge found.

  • June 03, 2024

    Court Tosses Challenge To Wash. Pot Licensure Plan

    A Washington federal judge has tossed a challenge to the residency restrictions of the state's cannabis social equity program, saying that the dormant commerce clause argument advanced by an out-of-state litigant is unpersuasive since pot is federally illegal.

  • June 03, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Delaware's Court of Chancery pushed out tons of decisions last week, along with a second round of new rules and letters of concern over pending changes to the state's corporate law code. The court's docket was as busy as ever, with new cases involving Tesla CEO Elon Musk, FTX cryptocurrency claims, and more. In case you missed it, here's the latest from Delaware's Chancery Court.

  • June 03, 2024

    Ex-Conn. Dispensary Supervisor Drops Transgender Bias Suit

    A former supervisor at a Branford, Connecticut, cannabis dispensary has withdrawn her claims that her colleagues targeted her for being transgender and tried to get her in trouble at work by falsely claiming she was high on the job, targeting that allegedly led to her termination.

  • June 03, 2024

    Calif. Justices Free Woman From Misdemeanor Pot Charges

    The California Supreme Court has thrown out misdemeanor cannabis-related charges against an 85-year-old woman, finding the trial court was within its discretion to consider her lack of knowledge of the unlicensed operation happening in her building.

  • June 01, 2024

    Blockbuster Summer: 10 Big Issues Justices Still Must Decide

    As the calendar flips over to June, the U.S. Supreme Court still has heaps of cases to decide on issues ranging from trademark registration rules to judicial deference and presidential immunity. Here, Law360 looks at 10 of the most important topics the court has yet to decide.

  • May 31, 2024

    Vape Co. Can't Toss Breeze Smoke's Claims In IP Row

    An Illinois federal judge has rejected vape pen maker Midwest Goods' bid to throw out counterclaims that it infringed competitor Breeze Smoke's trade dress and a design patent, while also denying a bid from Breeze Smoke for a preliminary injunction.

  • May 31, 2024

    DC Circ. Judge Ponders NLRB Jurisdiction Over 'Criminal' Biz

    The D.C. Circuit determined that the National Labor Relations Board lacked enough evidence to find a cannabis company illegally fired a pro-union employee, with one judge questioning the board's jurisdiction over a "criminal enterprise."

  • May 31, 2024

    LA Renews Bid To Toss Mich. Man's Pot Equity Licensing Suit

    The city of Los Angeles is once again asking a California federal court to dismiss a Michigan man's challenge to the residency requirement of its social equity cannabis license program, saying the Constitution's dormant commerce clause doesn't apply.

  • May 31, 2024

    FDA Seeks Fines Over Elf Bar E-Cigarette Sales

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said that it is seeking civil money penalties from nine stores and one online retailer for selling Elf Bar e-cigarettes, after previously warning them about sales of unauthorized tobacco products.

  • May 30, 2024

    9th Circ. Says Cannabis Co. Can Retry Suit Over Lamp Fire

    A Washington cannabis company whose Spokane Valley growing facility was burned down, allegedly due to faulty indoor grow lamps, will get one last shot at suing the company which made the lights, the Ninth Circuit ruled, warning the cannabis company to be "mindful" when filing.

  • May 30, 2024

    Colo. Justice Says Outside Watchdog Key For Judicial Ethics

    A Colorado Supreme Court justice said Thursday that third-party oversight of judges' conduct was crucial to maintaining the public's trust in the legal system, speaking as part of an American Bar Association panel that touched on recent controversies, including those involving U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and his wife.

  • May 30, 2024

    Chancery Rejects Do-Over Of THC-Drink Co. Legal Fee Fight

    Two directors of a cannabis-infused drink startup who sued the Minnesota-based company for unpaid legal fees will not get a second chance to argue that they deserve more than what the court already awarded, Delaware's Court of Chancery said Thursday.

  • May 30, 2024

    Minn. Gov. Signs Law For Earlier Cannabis Industry Launch

    Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has signed a bill that imposes a number of changes to the state's marijuana law, including provisions that could allow social equity cannabis applicants to start cultivating the plant for the new market by the end of the year.

  • May 30, 2024

    Conn. Judge Axes Pot Dispensary Permit Challenge

    A collection of Stamford, Connecticut, citizens has no right to appeal a court-approved settlement between the city's zoning board and a cannabis company, which allows Sweetspot Stamford LLC to operate a retail dispensary, a state court judge has ruled.

Expert Analysis

  • How Cannabis Cos. Are Adapting In Shifting Bankruptcy Arena

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    Recent bankruptcy cases show that federal courts have begun to demonstrate more openness to downstream businesses in the cannabis industry, and that even though receivership can be a viable option for those denied access to the bankruptcy system, it is not without its own risks and complexities, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Series

    Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance

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    Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories

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    The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Mexico

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    ESG has yet to become part of the DNA of the Mexican business model, but huge strides are being made in that direction, as more stakeholders demand that companies adopt, at the least, a modicum of sustainability commitments and demonstrate how they will meet them, says Carlos Escoto at Galicia Abogados.

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

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    In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • Ohio Voters Legalize Cannabis — What Comes Next?

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    This month, voters approved a citizen-initiated statute that legalizes marijuana for recreational use in Ohio, but the legalization timeline could undergo significant changes at the behest of the state's lawmakers, say Daniel Shortt and David Waxman at McGlinchey Stafford.

  • Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary

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    The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • 5 New Calif. Laws Employers Need To Know

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    Now is a good time for employers to evaluate personnel rules to keep pace with California’s newly adopted employee protections, which go into effect early next year and include laws regarding reproductive loss leave, cannabis use, workplace violence prevention and noncompete agreements, say attorneys at Farella Braun.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: South Korea

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    Numerous ESG trends have materialized in South Korea in the past three years, with impacts ranging from greenwashing prevention and carbon neutrality measures to workplace harassment and board diversity initiatives, say Chang Wook Min and Hyun Chan Jung at Jipyong.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • 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.

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