Mitigating and Addressing Litigation Risks for Cannabis Businesses
Cannabis M&A: Pain Points and Opportunities
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Cannabis Companies and the Corporate Transparency Act
Intellectual property considerations for launching new cannabis products
Unpacking the current cannabis regulatory landscape and how it impacts your business
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Inside a Top MSO with Jushi's EVP of Legal Affairs Matt Leeth
Managing Employee Compliance in Highly Regulated Industries — Hiring to Firing Podcast
If Cannabis Is Reclassified, What Will Happen to the Marketplace? – Diagnosing Health Care
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Farmers First According to Humboldt Trim Company
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: THC Infused Beverages: Cantrip's Journey Through the Hemp-Derived Looking Glass
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Cannabis Investing in the U.S. - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Catalyst Cannabis Takes on the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration Over Cannabis Excise Taxes
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Cannabis Banking from the Inside: An Interview with Salal Credit Union
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: The ‘CannaBoies' Lawsuit and Why it Matters
Budding Regulations: Navigating the Cannabis Regulatory Landscape — Regulatory Oversight Podcast
Chronic Payments: Unraveling the Complexities of Cannabis Banking — Payments Pros: The Payments Law Podcast
The Presumption of Innocence Podcast: Episode 27 - Blazing Trails: Cannabis Law in the Garden State
Cannabis and Bankruptcy Laws
A Changed Legal Landscape? Analyzing California’s New Cannabis Laws
Obtaining a Recreational Marijuana License from Your Local Municipality
This is an exciting time for cannabis entrepreneurs as the US government is poised to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III drug in a move that recognizes cannabis’ medical and therapeutic uses and may open the door for new...more
As the prospect of federal rescheduling of cannabis looms, some in the industry are seemingly attempting to preserve their spot in line at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A recent Trademark Trial and Appeal...more
Due to federal illegality, the cannabis industry has long been plagued by federal agencies taking a variety of different enforcement approaches to cannabis businesses. From the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to the National...more
Federal trademark registration is typically unavailable for goods and services related to the sale of cannabis. But a combination of federal copyright registration and state trademark registration for these goods and...more
Based on recent events, it seems likely marijuana will be rescheduled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) sometime this year. While many industry experts have discussed the impacts in recent months, many questions still...more
Republic Technologies (NA) LLC (“Republic”) filed an application to register the proposed mark 4:20 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). Republic amended its goods twice during prosecution of the...more
A Texas appellate court recently upheld a decision to prevent a ban on the sale of delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products in the state. Tex. Dep’t of State Health Servs. v. Sky Mktg. Corp., No. 03-21-00571-CV, 2023 BL...more
Apologies for the cannabis puns in the title, but they are required by law. Okay, you are correct. That is not true. But it is true that trademark protection is important for individuals in the cannabis industry. Earlier this...more
In our previous post, we discussed how a cannabis business can take steps to avoid potential trademark infringement claims. In this release, we will discuss how a cannabis business can use trademarks for brand protection –...more
The September 2021 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses a recent non-precedential Trademark Trial and Appeal Board decision regarding intent-to-use applications covering CBD products currently...more
The June 2021 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses recent litigation surrounding copyright registration invalidation and implications of the increase in trademark application filings at the USPTO....more
In an industry that runs on innovation and differentiation, a cannabis brand’s identity is among its most valuable—and most prone to copying—assets. It’s a common myth that cannabis industry brands cannot get trademark...more
Cannabis is a rapidly growing industry; in 2019, overall sales of cannabis products legal under state law were estimated to be worth $13.6 billion, with an expected increase to $29.7 billion by 2025. While marijuana remains a...more
Cannabis sales in America are an economic force, legal reported sales exceeded 10 billion in 2019. Eleven states allow legal recreational use (like alcohol for those over 21) and legal for medical use in an additional 23...more
The cannabis industry is growing in leaps and bounds, but entrepreneurs interested in developing cannabis companies – as well as business people interested in investing in them – must make certain that they know what they are...more
While the country wrestles with the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government and many state governments recently made key determinations that could shape the future of the cannabis, hemp, and CBD industries for years to...more
On January 1, 2020, the recreational use of marijuana will be legal under Illinois law. With the formal enactment of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, it is expected that numerous new companies will be gearing up to enter...more
INTRODUCTION - Cannabis is a rapidly evolving field with 33 states and the District of Columbia having passed laws broadly legalizing some form of medicinal or recreational use. ...more
While many states have legalized or decriminalized cannabis products, the federal government still considers these products to be illegal. Thus, as people are often surprised to learn, federal trademark protection for these...more
In our previous post, we touched on some of the interesting issues related to the enforcement of cannabis patents through litigation. In this post, we turn to an alternative to litigation to discuss some of the unique...more
Products containing cannabidiol (“CBD”), a compound derived from cannabis, are part of a growing market that some analysts have projected will reach over $2.3 billion by 2022. CBD products—from gummy bears and pet products to...more
In a case affecting the fast-growing legal cannabis industry, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB” or “Board”) affirmed the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (“USPTO”) refusal to register two trademarks for...more
The past several years arguably have been some of the best for the cannabis industry since marijuana was originally criminalized in the early 20th century. ...more
The continuing internal tension between various agencies and offices of the U.S. federal government over how to address the (seemingly) unstoppable growth of the marijuana industry in light of current federal law has been a...more
Brand owners seeking to register cannabis-related trademarks take note: the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently issued guidance regarding the effects of the 2018 Farm Bill on the registration of trademarks for...more