The proposed rescheduling of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of U.S. cannabis policy but may bring few practical changes to...more
8/8/2024
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Final Rules ,
Legalization ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Plant Based Products ,
Proposed Rules ,
Recreational Use ,
Schedule I Drugs ,
State and Local Government
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
Only one day after reports surfaced that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will proceed with rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), Senators Charles Schumer...more
5/29/2024
/ Cannabis Products ,
Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Legalization ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Schedule I Drugs ,
Tax Liability ,
Tax Reform
Earlier this month, the office of the Attorney General of Connecticut announced that the state had reached a settlement with HighBazaar over allegations that the organization allowed the unlicensed sale of cannabis, and the...more
5/28/2024
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Cease and Desist Orders ,
Connecticut ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Injunctions ,
Licensing Rules ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Retail Market ,
State Attorneys General ,
Vendors
Just before the close of the Colorado legislature’s 2024 session, lawmakers approved a bill aimed at streamlining several deficiencies in the state’s regulation of marijuana businesses. While not all the bill’s intended fixes...more
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
In the grand experiment of American democracy, it is often said that states serve as laboratories, testing policies that challenge the status quo without risking the stability of the whole. Oregon, known in recent years for...more
3/19/2024
/ Controlled Substances ,
Criminal Liability ,
Drug & Alcohol Abuse ,
Legalization ,
Opioid ,
Oregon ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
One of the most interesting aspects of marijuana law and policy in the U.S. is its tendency to strike at our most foundational democratic principles. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court held, in Gonzales v. Raich, that Congress...more
2/21/2024
/ Agribusiness ,
Article III ,
Commerce Clause ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dispensaries ,
Gonzales v Raich ,
Interstate Commerce ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Merrick Garland ,
Recreational Use ,
SCOTUS ,
Standing ,
State and Local Government ,
Transacting Intrastate Business
Whether you believe that cannabis legalization has occurred too quickly or too slowly, one thing is certain: recent developments herald a potentially seismic shift in federal cannabis policy in the U.S. Reflecting on our...more
2/7/2024
/ Cannabis Products ,
Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Healthcare ,
Legalization ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Schedule I Drugs
With rapid technological advances, expanded regulatory oversight, and constantly shifting market dynamics, owning and operating a business in the modern world has become an increasingly difficult challenge. Chief among the...more
1/10/2024
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Commercial Bankruptcy ,
Dispensaries ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Receivership ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has drawn criticism for heavily redacting a recommendation letter to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) concerning the rescheduling of cannabis. HHS said the...more
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
In the latest episode of Regulatory Oversight, Troutman Pepper RISE attorneys Jean Gonnell and Cole White are joined by AGA's Bruce Turcott, legal editor of the Cannabis Law Deskbook, to discuss the evolution of cannabis...more
The cannabis industry has witnessed significant growth in recent years, marked by the legalization of medical and/or recreational marijuana in 38 states, Washington D.C., and three territories. Alongside this expansion comes...more
11/15/2023
/ Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Colorado ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Goods or Services ,
Innovative Technology ,
Inventory ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Retail Market ,
Tracking Systems
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
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
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
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