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
On February 28, the Virginia General Assembly passed House Bill No. 698, which would legalize sales of recreational marijuana at retail in the Commonwealth. It now heads to the desk of Governor Glenn Youngkin, where its...more
3/5/2024
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Licenses ,
Licensing Rules ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Plant Based Products ,
Recreational Use ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government ,
Virginia
Recently enacted Pennsylvania Senate Bill 773 (SB773) introduces several amendments intended to expand opportunities and increase competition among existing cannabis licensees in Pennsylvania. The bill seeks to support...more
1/23/2024
/ Agribusiness ,
Business Licenses ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Competition ,
Dispensaries ,
Licensing Rules ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Monopolization ,
Multistate Corporations ,
Pennsylvania ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform
In the latest episode of Payments Pros, hosts Keith Barnett and Carlin McCrory are joined by Jean Gonnell and Agustin Rodriguez, co-leaders of Troutman Pepper’s Cannabis practice, to discuss the legal complexities that...more
On October 2, the Virginia Board of Pharmacy posted a general notice indicating that it had voted to rescind the request for applications (RFA) for a Pharmaceutical Processor license in Health Service Area I. The RFA will now...more
10/11/2023
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
CCA ,
Dispensaries ,
HSA ,
Licensing Rules ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Patient Access ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Virginia
State attorneys general (AG) are continuing their push for cannabis banking reform, underscoring the need for action to promote public health and safety in legal cannabis markets. On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of 22 state...more
9/28/2023
/ Agribusiness ,
Banking Reform ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
State Attorneys General
The Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to mark up a new version of the SAFE Banking Act, now known as the “Secure And Fair Enforcement Regulation Banking Act” or the SAFER Banking Act (SB 2860). The revised bill addresses...more
On September 12, the New York Cannabis Control Board (CCB) approved final regulations governing the adult-use cannabis industry in New York, marking a long-awaited moment for industry participants and state regulators alike....more
9/26/2023
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Deregulation ,
Dispensaries ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Licenses ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
New York ,
Real Party in Interest ,
Recreational Use ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government
On August 18, 2023, a New York Supreme Court judge has enjoined New York cannabis regulators from further processing, approving, or investigating any new or pending applications for a state conditional adult-use retail...more
8/24/2023
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Dispensaries ,
Dormant Commerce Clause ,
Licensing Rules ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Motion To Enjoin ,
New York ,
NY Supreme Court ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Separation of Powers ,
State and Local Government ,
Veterans
California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta is asking the Los Angeles County Superior Court to enter a civil forfeiture order allowing the state to collect unpaid taxes and fees from an unlicensed marijuana business by seizing...more
Florida-based cannabis inventory tracking vendor Metrc LLC is asking a Colorado state court to toss a dispensary’s lawsuit challenging its process for charging so-called “support fees” as violative of state anti-trust and...more
8/9/2023
/ Cannabis Products ,
Colorado ,
Consumer Protection Act ,
Dispensaries ,
Florida ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Popular ,
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Tracking Systems
The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission’s first and only executive director is supposedly planning to leave the agency, which is in the midst of implementing the state’s new cannabis equity law, enacted in August 2022....more
8/4/2023
/ Administrative Resignation ,
Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Dispensaries ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State and Local Government
On November 3, Judge Gary L. Sharpe of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York issued a preliminary injunction, blocking cannabis regulators from issuing marijuana retail licenses for five geographic...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 July 21, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), a comprehensive bill to decriminalize, regulate, and tax cannabis, was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ),...more
It was the best of times… the passage of the Virginia Cannabis Control Act (CCA) in 2021 was celebrated by many as the first bill in the South to legalize adult-use cannabis. It was also heralded as the success of a...more
While cannabis legalization moves full steam ahead through much of the Northeast, the southeastern U.S. has been notably slow to uptake major reforms. These states haven’t made major headlines for their progressive cannabis...more
There are many unique challenges to consider when it comes to opening or investing in a cannabis business. Residency requirements, or prohibitions on licensure of nonresidents, are one that may soon see their end. In other...more
Hearty divers in Alaska seeking their fortune and humpback whales mating off of Maui have been the subject of reality shows, documentaries, and federal oversight — each capturing various levels of danger and excitement both...more
Last year, voters in Montana, Arizona, New Jersey, South Dakota and Mississippi approved ballot measures to legalize marijuana in their states. It appears Virginia will continue this state legalization trend in 2021. In a...more