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Cannabis
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May 14, 2024
California Pot Worker's Suit Alleges Slurs, Unpaid Overtime
A former worker for a cannabis cultivator and distributor is suing his former employer in California state court, saying he was fired in retaliation for reporting a work environment rife with racial discrimination.
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May 13, 2024
US Tells DC Circ. Ayahuasca Church's Settlement Inapt
Federal regulators are telling the D.C. Circuit to ignore a recent settlement that will allow a Phoenix-based church to continue using ayahuasca in its ceremonies, saying it has nothing to do with the Iowa-based ayahuasca church challenging the IRS's refusal to give it tax-exempt status.
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May 13, 2024
Alaska House Passes Bill To Levy 7% Marijuana Retail Tax
Alaska would update its marijuana tax regime by levying a 7% tax on sales and phasing out the current $50 per ounce excise tax as part of a bill passed by the state House of Representatives.
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May 13, 2024
Medical Pot Patient Drops Discrimination Suit Against US Steel
A former U.S. Steel Corp. employee who says he was wrongly fired for using medically licensed marijuana off the job has quietly dropped his race and disability discrimination suit against the company, according to a filing in Pennsylvania federal court.
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May 10, 2024
NY Gov. Orders Shakeup Of Cannabis Regulatory Agency
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced an overhaul of the state's embattled cannabis regulatory agency, unveiling an investigative audit that showed how "inexperienced" leaders "wasted valuable time and resources," and then declaring $5 million in one-time grants would be awarded to a select group of applicants who took a financial hit by the licensing delays.
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May 10, 2024
Texas Man Gambled Away Hemp Biz Investments, SEC Claims
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed suit in Colorado against a Texas man and his purported hemp industry investment businesses, alleging he spent over half of nearly $1.3 million raised from investors over three years on sustaining a lifestyle involving full-time gambling.
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May 10, 2024
NJ State Police Settle Suit Over Expungements Backlog
The New Jersey State Police agreed to speed up the processing of expungements to resolve the Office of the Public Defender's proposed class claims over a backlog of judicial orders that numbered 46,000 as of October, Attorney General Matt Platkin and Public Defender Jennifer N. Sellitti said in a joint statement Friday.
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May 10, 2024
Tobacco Wholesaler Must Post $1.4M Bond Pending IP Appeal
A cigarette rolling paper wholesaler must post a more than $1.4 million bond while the company appeals its portion of a larger $2.3 million verdict for selling counterfeit papers, a Georgia federal judge has ruled.
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May 09, 2024
Skadden-Led Firm Nets $250M In May's Second SPAC Listing
GP-Act III Acquisition Corp., a Skadden-led special-purpose acquisition company backed by multiple private investment firms, began trading on Thursday after completing a $250 million initial public offering, marking the second SPAC listing this month in an otherwise battered market.
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May 09, 2024
Judge Halts DEA's Hearing On Proposed Psychedelics Ban
An administrative law judge with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has ordered the agency to cancel a June 10 hearing on its proposal to ban two psychedelic substances while a researcher's federal lawsuit challenging the agency's actions plays out in court, according to an order made public Thursday.
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May 09, 2024
Man Says LG Chem Can't Duck NC Courts In Battery Suit
A man suing South Korea-based LG Chem Ltd. over an exploding lithium-ion battery is urging a North Carolina federal district court to find that it has jurisdiction over the company, saying LG has sufficient ties to the state through its marketing and selling of the batteries, even if it doesn't sell directly to customers.
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May 09, 2024
4th Circ. Mulls Scope Of Farm Bill In Virginia Hemp Fight
A Fourth Circuit panel on Thursday pushed attorneys for the state of Virginia and a group of hemp companies and customers to define precisely how much power states have to restrict the production and sale of intoxicating products derived from federally legal hemp.
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May 08, 2024
In Final Memo, Blumenauer Eyes Path Forward For Cannabis
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., a longtime champion of cannabis reform in Congress who plans to retire this year, is calling marijuana reform a "winning issue" for policymakers and outlined numerous actions both legislators and federal agencies can take to move the issue forward.
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May 08, 2024
Cannabis Law Firm Accused Of $5M Error In Pot Shop Deal
A cannabis retailer has sued Vicente LLP in Massachusetts state court, alleging the law firm negligently drafted an amendment to a purchase agreement that prevented the company from recovering nearly $5 million in damages when the deal fell through.
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May 08, 2024
CBD Retailer Wants To Avoid Privacy Suit
CBD retailer Charlotte's Web Inc. has urged a California federal judge to toss a woman's suit accusing it of secretly recording conversations of those who visit its website, saying the lead plaintiff didn't even use the allegedly wiretapped chat functions and therefore can't have been harmed.
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May 08, 2024
Vape Fluid Co. Urges Justices To Take Up FDA Challenge
Lotus Vaping Technologies LLC is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its appeal of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's denial of its application to market bottled flavored e-cigarette fluids, saying the case provides an appropriate vehicle to examine the FDA's policies.
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May 07, 2024
GOP Reps. Want IP Enforcers To Get Tougher On Infringers
Republican lawmakers complained at a Tuesday congressional hearing about the Biden administration's move to end the controversial Trump-era "China Initiative" aimed at curbing suspected economic espionage and questioned administration officials over how diligently they have pursued intellectual property cases on behalf of U.S. manufacturers, retailers, movie studios and vape companies.
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May 07, 2024
Canopy Growth Expands In US With Wana, Jetty Buys
Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth announced Tuesday that its U.S. division has exercised options to acquire two American companies as part of its goal to establish a domestic "brand-focused powerhouse" — acquisitions for which Canopy spent nearly $370 million.
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May 07, 2024
NY Officials Tout Crackdown On Illicit Cannabis Market
New York state cannabis regulators on Tuesday touted new legislative changes empowering them to more swiftly crack down on unregulated marijuana sales, the same day that New York City officials announced a program to step up enforcement against unlicensed retailers.
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May 07, 2024
LA Cannabis Co. Owes $216K In Taxes, City Says
Los Angeles has slapped a Venice cannabis shop with a lawsuit accusing it of shirking a more than $200,000 tax obligation, asking a state court for to force the dispensary to pay up.
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May 06, 2024
Alaska Man Gets 2 Years Over 'Bud And Breakfast' Scheme
An Alaska man has been sentenced to two years in prison and will have to pay more than $580,000 in restitution after duping investors into staking a purported plan to build a marijuana-themed hospitality center referred to as a "Bud and Breakfast."
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May 06, 2024
SEC Settles Insider Info Charges With CBD Co.'s Ex-Chairman
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has announced a settlement with the former chairman of Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. to resolve charges that he leaked inside information about the company's then-pending purchase of SugarLeaf Labs Inc. to a friend's wife.
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May 06, 2024
Full NC Court Asked To Review Panel's 'Double Odor' Pot Test
A man who pled guilty to cannabis-related charges after a traffic stop is asking for an en banc review of a North Carolina appeals panel's rejection of his argument that the evidence against him was unconstitutional.
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May 03, 2024
Criminal Defense Attys Push Biden For Cannabis Clemency
On the heels of the U.S. Department of Justice's announcement that it would recommend relaxing federal restrictions on marijuana, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers has urged President Joe Biden to grant clemency and compassionate release to those with federal nonviolent marijuana convictions.
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May 03, 2024
'Bud And Breakfast' Cannabis Scammer Gets 2 Years In Prison
An Alaska man who pled guilty to conspiracy stemming from a scam bilking investors out of $722,000 to fund a failed "Bud and Breakfast" tourist lodge and on-site marijuana grow was sentenced to two years in prison in Alaska federal court on Friday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Expert Analysis
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How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI
When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.
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NY Cannabis Licensing Row Compounds State Industry Woes
A New York trial court’s recent injunction, preventing state regulators from issuing any new cannabis retail licenses, is the latest setback in a program rollout riddled with legal challenges and other delays, and will likely have negative impacts on operators, applicants, consumers and the state economy, say Meaghan Feenan and William Wolfe at Harris Beach.
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How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth
Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.
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Series
ESG Around The World: Australia
Clive Cachia and Cathy Ma at K&L Gates detail ESG-reporting policies in Australia and explain how the country is starting to introduce mandatory requirements as ESG performance is increasingly seen as a key investment and corporate differentiator in the fight for global capital.
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In Ga., Promptness Is Key To Setting Aside Default Judgments
The Georgia Court of Appeals' recent vacating of a lower court's decision to set aside a default judgment against Samsung Electronics America is a reminder of the processes and arguments provided by Georgia's statutes for challenging default judgments — including the importance of responding quickly, says Katy Robertson at Swift Currie.
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Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics
X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.
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Opinion
Laws Based On Rapid Drug Tests Are Unscientific And Unfair
Given the widespread legalization of marijuana, states are increasingly implementing laws to penalize drivers under the influence of drugs, but the laws do more harm than good as the rapid tests they rely on do not accurately measure impairment, say Josh Bloom and Henry Miller at the American Council on Science and Health.
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Avoid Telehealth Pitfalls In A Post-Pandemic Environment
As federal and state governments roll out various changes to regulation of telehealth services, health practitioners should remain vigilant and ensure that necessary professional standards — such as proper note-taking and documentation — are not neglected in a remote environment, say attorneys at Kaufman Borgeest.
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3rd Circ. Ruling Fine-Tunes The 'But It's Hemp' Defense
The Third Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Rivera decision, upholding the appellant’s conviction for marijuana possession, clarifies that defendants charged with trafficking marijuana have the burden of proving that the cannabis is actually federally legal hemp under the 2018 Farm Bill, say attorneys at McGlinchey Stafford.
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ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act
While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.
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Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era
As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.
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Conn. Regulators Are Coming For Unlawful Cannabis Sales
Regulatory and enforcement efforts against unlicensed cannabis sales in Connecticut have been ramping up this year, so it behooves retailers to prioritize compliance with all relevant statutes, lest they attract unwelcome scrutiny, says Eric Del Pozo at Shipman & Goodwin.
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Potential Marijuana Status Change Would Shift Industry Risks
Cannabis companies and their insurers should pay close attention to how the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' move toward marijuana reclassification plays out, and the potential for a shakeup in the landscape for cannabis regulation at the state and federal levels, says Ian Stewart at Wilson Elser.
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The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.
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What Big Tobacco's Cannabis Investments Mean For Market
The tobacco industry appears to be shoring up investments in the cannabis market, most recently with Philip Morris’ purchase of an Israeli cannabis tech company, pointing to a bright future for vaped and noncombustible products, and signaling that marijuana rescheduling may be on the horizon, say Slates Veazey and Whitt Steineker at Bradley Arant.