We have long suspected that North Carolina may be the next great cannabis market. In describing North Carolina as “the sleeping giant of the South,” we wrote recently:
From Murphy to Manteo, North Carolina is a state that...more
1/26/2023
/ Cannabis Products ,
Dispensaries ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Licenses ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
North Carolina ,
Patients ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
Suppliers
If you give me an opportunity to quote George Harrison, I’m going to do it. In “Taxman,” he wrote:
Should five percent appear too small Be thankful I don’t take it all ‘Cause I’m the taxman -
I suspect “The Quiet One”...more
Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind” is an anthem to love and growing old. Among its many great lines is “wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then.” Can you tell I recently turned 40?
But I write today not about what I...more
1/19/2023
/ Alabama ,
Applications ,
Banks ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Deadlines ,
Insurance Industry ,
Licenses ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Real Estate Market ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government
Lost for many in the avalanche of news about the midterms, voters in five states went to the polls last month to vote on proposals allowing adult-use cannabis, often referred to as recreational cannabis.
Originally...more
I’m not proud of it, but I’m the resident cynic amongst the editorial staff here at Budding Trends when it comes to federal marijuana reform. And after all, someone has to temper the frivolous whims of others. But we’re...more
1/5/2023
/ Banking Reform ,
Banking Sector ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Farm Bill ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Legalization ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Proposed Legislation ,
SAFE Act
Like many sports fans, we’re suckers for next-season predictions immediately following the prior season (even when Notre Dame is inexplicably ranked in the Top 10). At the time of this writing, applications have just been...more
Lost for many in the avalanche of news about the midterms, voters in five states went to the polls last month to vote on proposals allowing adult-use (often referred to as “recreational”) cannabis....more
I was relieved to learn that Albert Einstein never actually said that “[i]nsanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” because it seems like a really bad idea to start a blog post...more
Let’s face it: Being a lawyer is not a career for everyone. Or most people with a desire for a satisfying life. Being a cannabis lawyer is for a narrower slice of us. It’s certainly not something I envisioned doing as I sat...more
Yesterday, President Joe Biden made two historic announcements which he described as steps to “end” the federal government’s “failed approach” to marijuana. First, he is issuing mass pardons for federal convictions of simple...more
10/7/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Cannabis Products ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Deregulation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Presidential Pardons ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Wrongful Conviction
Welcome to the second installment of the Editors’ Roundtable, in which our editors – Whitt Steineker, Jay Wright, Hunter Robinson, and Slates Veazey – discuss cannabis issues in the news and take a stab at where the cannabis...more
10/5/2022
/ Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Dispensaries ,
Hemp Cultivation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
State and Local Government
I’ll never forget when the Alabama Legislature and governor approved a medical cannabis regime. We wrote about it with great fervor at the time. In some ways, it feels like yesterday. In others, a lifetime ago. As has been...more
The changes in the cannabis industry in Southeastern United States represent some of the most surprising and remarkable changes in the history of the industry...
Originally published by Bloomberg Law....more
9/15/2022
/ Alabama ,
Arkansas ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Florida ,
Georgia ,
Louisiana ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
North Carolina ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Tennessee
The United States Supreme Court once famously wrote that “[l]iberty finds no refuge in a jurisprudence of doubt.” There is perhaps no area of the law where doubt rules more than the cannabis industry, and perhaps no corner of...more
Last week, following a six-week notice and comment period, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission voted to approve the previously released proposed rules. This is an important step in keeping the program on the timetable set...more
The overturning of Roe v. Wade, combined with a largely unknown workers' compensation case presented to the U.S. Supreme Court — for which certiorari was recently denied — reveal the Biden administration's position on...more
8/5/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Cannabis Products ,
Certiorari ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ,
Law Enforcement ,
Recreational Use ,
Reimbursements ,
Roe v Wade ,
SCOTUS ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
When people learn that you are a cannabis attorney, there are a range of reactions. Nervous laughter bordering on incredulity may be most common. Another common reaction is the sentiment that investing in cannabis is a...more
This is the first in what we hope will be a regular feature where our editors – Whitt Steineker, Jay Wright, Hunter Robinson, and Slates Veazey – discuss cannabis issues in the news and take a stab at where the cannabis...more
When our Cannabis Industry team started this blog, we promised to deliver pop culture references and thought leadership. This one should deliver. Growing up, I was a big fan of Alicia Silverstone. My earliest recollection was...more
The leaked opinion overturning Roe, combined with a largely unknown workers’ compensation case pending before the Supreme Court, reveal the Biden administration’s position on cannabis: The Biden administration doesn’t care...more
Only three months – 90(ish) days – until the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission is scheduled to begin accepting applications for licenses. It was a year ago when this all started. And like raising children, the days pass...more
6/1/2022
/ Agribusiness ,
Alabama ,
Applications ,
Cannabis Products ,
Legalization ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Licenses ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
State and Local Government
When Neil Young wrote that “Southern change gonna come at last,” he wasn’t talking about cannabis— but he might as well have been in light of the recent and extraordinary developments in the cannabis industry in the southern...more
5/16/2022
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Dispensaries ,
Healthcare ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
When we last examined marijuana reform at the federal level earlier this year, we warned that perfect can be the enemy of good. Our point was that we should not forego meaningful federal cannabis reform by holding out for...more
Cannabis operators (from marijuana to hemp-derived products such as CBD) often get the sense they are one of the central targets of the federal government’s reach. But they are not in the same league lately as the COVID-19...more
4/25/2022
/ Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare ,
Hemp ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Marketing ,
Warning Labels
The Mississippi Department of Revenue (MDOR) released information on Friday, April 15, regarding the licensing and operations of dispensaries under the medical cannabis regime in Mississippi. We feel like a broken record, but...more
4/22/2022
/ Alcohol Beverage Control ,
Applications ,
Business Licenses ,
Business Plans ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Dispensaries ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Proposed Regulation ,
State and Local Government