On January 7, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit found that Virginia’s hemp product restrictions do not violate federal law. The ruling is the latest defeat for the Virginia hemp industry’s efforts to overturn...more
1/15/2025
/ Agribusiness ,
Appeals ,
Cannabis Products ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Dormant Commerce Clause ,
Farm Bill ,
Hemp ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Foods ,
Plant Based Products ,
Preemption ,
Regulatory Authority ,
State and Local Government ,
Virginia
In May, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to transfer cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), a change that could significantly affect current...more
7/25/2024
/ Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Guidance ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Schedule I Drugs ,
State and Local Government ,
THC
The principle of open government is foundational to a healthy democracy, and the availability of government records upon request from the public is one of its chief cornerstones.
Originally published in Law360 - January 5,...more
4/5/2024
/ Attorney-Client Privilege ,
Cannabis Products ,
Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Discovery ,
Exemptions ,
FOIA ,
Interagency Guidance ,
Marijuana ,
Motion for Summary Judgment ,
Records Request ,
Redacted Documents
The principle of open government is foundational to a healthy democracy, and the availability of government records upon request from the public is one of its chief cornerstones. In the U.S., the primary mechanism by which...more
12/13/2023
/ Attorney-Client Privilege ,
Cannabis Products ,
Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
FOIA ,
Government Agencies ,
Legalization ,
Marijuana ,
Motion for Summary Judgment ,
Public Interest ,
Public Records ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State Attorneys General ,
Transparency
While many individuals are excited about the proliferation of state laws providing for medical and recreational use of marijuana across the country, inconsistencies in these state laws have made it difficult for employers to...more
10/24/2023
/ Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Drug Testing ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Popular ,
Recreational Use ,
Schedule I Drugs ,
State Labor Laws ,
THC ,
Wage and Hour
On August 9, a lawsuit was filed in Connecticut that aims to stop all legal cannabis activity in the state and declare the state’s 2021 legalization framework as unconstitutional. The complaint, filed by a local homeowners...more
9/26/2023
/ Anti-Commandeering ,
Cannabis Products ,
Connecticut ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
Legalization ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Preemption ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
It has been widely reported and confirmed publicly that, on August 29, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recommending that cannabis be moved from...more
9/5/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Dispensaries ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Research ,
Recreational Use ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Research and Development ,
Schedule I Drugs
The Senate recently passed the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (the Act) by a voice vote after the House of Representatives passed the bill with strong bipartisan support (325-95) last July. The Act...more
FDA has hired Norman Birenbaum, an experienced cannabis policy expert, as a senior public health advisor at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). The move signals the agency may soon develop a regulatory...more
Certain states where cannabis (or marijuana) is legal have long been getting away with a practice that has been declared unconstitutional in almost all other contexts: giving their residents preferential treatment over...more
On April 27, the Virginia Senate voted to send SB 591, which would have effectively eliminated the delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) product market in Virginia, back to committee, killing the bill for this year’s legislative...more
In the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (also known as the 2018 Farm Bill), did Congress authorize hemp producers to handle “hot” hemp — cannabis byproducts that surpass the legal limit of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinols...more
On October 13, the Supreme Court of Minnesota barred an employee from getting reimbursed for medical marijuana treatment for a work-related injury. Although the employee was entitled to reimbursement from her employer under...more
It is widely known that trafficking in controlled substances is a crime under federal law. Traffickers and would-be traffickers be warned, however, that if you do choose to make income from trafficking in Schedule I or II...more
The Biden administration and Democratic majorities in both the Senate and House could implement significant changes to federal tobacco and cannabis policy over the next two years. For tobacco, the change in party control of...more