In July 2025, a bipartisan coalition of 32 state and territorial attorneys general (AG) sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging the passage of the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act. Their letter...more
8/6/2025
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banks ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Dispensaries ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Legalization ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Retail Market ,
State Attorneys General
On July 17, the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture hosted a closed-door roundtable briefing focused on the regulatory gray areas surrounding hemp-derived cannabinoid products. The session, convened in response to ongoing...more
7/22/2025
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Farm Bill ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Cultivation ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Marijuana ,
Patient Access ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State Attorneys General
On May 27, the Texas Legislature sent Senate Bill 3 (SB3) to Gov. Greg Abbott for signature, marking a potentially seismic shift in the legal landscape for hemp-derived cannabinoid products in the state. If signed into law –...more
6/18/2025
/ Agribusiness ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Doing Business ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Manufacturers ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Foods ,
Pending Legislation ,
Plant Based Products ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Retail Market ,
Retailers ,
Texas
On May 14, Colorado Attorney General (AG) Phil Weiser announced that the state reached a settlement with MC Global Holdings, LLC, its associated companies, and owners (collectively MC) to resolve allegations that MC’s...more
6/4/2025
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Colorado ,
False Advertising ,
Hemp ,
Manufacturers ,
Marketing ,
Misrepresentation ,
Penalties ,
Regulatory Violations ,
Retail Market ,
Settlement Agreements ,
State Attorneys General
On April 21, Indiana Attorney General (AG) Todd Rokita issued a letter to state legislators addressing the pressing issue of legal loopholes surrounding intoxicating hemp-derived products containing delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC,...more
4/25/2025
/ Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State Attorneys General ,
State Legislatures ,
THC
METRC, Inc., the predominant provider of seed-to-sale tracking software used by state regulatory bodies overseeing legal cannabis markets across the U.S., faces serious allegations detailed in a recent lawsuit filed in...more
4/23/2025
/ California ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Oregon ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Violations ,
Retaliation ,
Seeds ,
Software ,
Tracking Systems ,
Whistleblowers ,
Wrongful Termination
On February 3, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) issued two public health and safety advisories regarding potentially contaminated marijuana products sold by two separate licensees in Massachusetts....more
3/26/2025
/ Agribusiness ,
Contamination ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Plant Based Products ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
State and Local Government ,
Testing Requirements
In a February 19 complaint filed in Arizona state court, Texas-based payment processer Switch Commerce LLC argued that multistate cannabis operator Trulieve Cannabis Corp. and its affiliates should be responsible for a...more
3/17/2025
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
ATMs ,
Banks ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Fraud ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Payment Processors ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Retail Market ,
Retailers ,
Visa Inc
The Virginia General Assembly has once again advanced legislation to establish a regulated market for recreational marijuana sales. Virginia is unique in that it allows personal possession of cannabis but bans retail sales...more
2/26/2025
/ Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dispensaries ,
Marijuana ,
Plant Based Products ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Recreational Use ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Virginia
Last year, we wrote about the former Missouri governor’s efforts to curb the availability of intoxicating hemp products to Missouri consumers by executive order. There are now several proposed bills in the Missouri...more
2/13/2025
/ Advertising ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Licensing Rules ,
Marijuana ,
Plant Based Products ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Legislatures
On January 22, lawmakers in Colorado introduced SB25-076, (the act) which aims to address concerns surrounding the availability of intoxicating products (including regulated cannabis products) within the state, especially to...more
2/11/2025
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Colorado ,
Licensing Rules ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
The Texas legislative session kicked off on January 14, and cannabis policy is set to be a major topic of debate. The state, known for its conservative stance on many issues, is at a crossroads with its cannabis laws, facing...more
Marijuana legislation is continuing to evolve in the new year across jurisdictions throughout the U.S. Below, we dive into a brief survey of notable changes to marijuana legislation across the U.S. during the first three...more
1/24/2025
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Controlled Substances ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Recreational Use ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
Hearings on the merits of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) proposed cannabis rescheduling, initially set to begin this month, have been cancelled. The preliminary hearing period has been littered with accusations that the...more
1/16/2025
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Appeals ,
DEA ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Deregulation ,
Government Agencies ,
Legalization ,
Marijuana ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Schedule I Drugs
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
With power changing hands in Washington, D.C., what can marijuana industry members expect from the 119th Congress? Two GOP proposals from the 118th Congress may foreshadow the likely path for federal marijuana legalization....more
12/11/2024
/ Agribusiness ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
Legalization ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Plant Based Products ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Recreational Use ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government
In the fifth episode of our 12 Days of Regulatory Insights podcast series, Nick Ramos is joined by Jean Smith-Gonnell, the leader of the firm's Cannabis Industry practice, to discuss significant regulatory updates in the...more
The Colorado Attorney General’s (AG) Office recently entered into a settlement agreement with Bee’s Knees Enterprises, LLC, dba Bee’s Knees CBDs, addressing allegations of violations of the Colorado Consumer Protection Act...more
12/2/2024
/ Agribusiness ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Misrepresentation ,
Plant Based Products ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Statutory Violations ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
This year’s election saw no shortage of surprises at the federal, state, and local levels, and Colorado Springs, CO was no exception. Although the results have yet to be officially certified, it appears that voters have...more
11/26/2024
/ Agribusiness ,
Ballot Measures ,
Cannabis Products ,
Colorado ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dispensaries ,
Local Ordinance ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Foods ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Plant Based Products ,
Recreational Use ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government
In a pivotal ruling issued on October 15, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision to deny a motion filed by Lucas and Alisa Sirois, a Maine couple accused of operating an illegal...more
11/12/2024
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
En Banc Review ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment ,
Statutory Violations
The interplay between the unintentional federal legalization of intoxicating hemp-derived products under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) and state regulatory frameworks is increasingly testing the...more
In recent years, federal and state governments have taken action to make marijuana research easier. These actions are a step in the right direction, and researchers operating in the marijuana space must be aware of the...more
10/4/2024
/ Agribusiness ,
Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Final Rules ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Plant Based Products ,
Recreational Use ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Research and Development ,
Scientific Research ,
State and Local Government ,
THC
On September 14, Virginia’s Attorney General (AG) Jason Miyares issued a letter to the registered agent of the Good Vibes Shop, a Radford, VA store, for selling tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products without proper labeling and...more
10/4/2024
/ Cannabis Products ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Distributors ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Hemp ,
Legalization ,
Licenses ,
Manufacturers ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Product Labels ,
Recreational Use ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Retailers ,
THC ,
Virginia
On August 1, Missouri Governor Michael Parson issued Executive Order 24-10 (the EO), a bold move aimed at addressing consumer safety concerns surrounding unregulated psychoactive cannabis products. The EO sparked a legal...more
When Minnesota legislators passed House File 4065 in 2022 — legalizing the sale of certain hemp-derived THC edibles and beverages — few could have predicted that a multimillion-dollar THC-infused beverage market would result....more
9/5/2024
/ Beverage Manufacturers ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana-Infused Edibles ,
Plant Based Products ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
THC