Given the explosive growth of cannabis products and the increasing number of states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal or adult use (nearly 40 at last count), employers across the country are asking whether they can...more
4/22/2022
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Drug Testing ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Section 301 ,
State and Local Government ,
Termination
I have a confession that may not make me very popular around these parts: I am a litigator. That means I am cynical, jaded, grumpy, and always see the worst in people and situations. And while that may make me a bad choice...more
4/22/2022
/ Agribusiness ,
Business Formation ,
Business Litigation ,
Business Strategies ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Documentation ,
Legal Representatives ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Recordkeeping Requirements
On April 8, the Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH) used a Friday news dump to release good news on the Mississippi medical cannabis front. We now have a clearer and fuller picture of how the state will regulate testing...more
4/14/2022
/ Advertising ,
Applications ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Comment Period ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dispensaries ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Marketing ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Proposed Regulation ,
State and Local Government ,
Testing Requirements ,
Work Permits
As the world turns in the new and exciting world of legal medical cannabis in Mississippi, momentum and progress coexist alongside impediments.
The Good -
Yesterday, the Mississippi Department of Health made two...more
4/7/2022
/ Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Governor Reeves ,
Legalization ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
When you do what we do, you get a lot of calls and a lot of questions. Many of the calls and questions are not fruitful. Quite honestly, some of the calls are from folks whose interest in and experience with cannabis is, we...more
Medical cannabis is on the way in Alabama. What does that mean for Alabama banks? The implications of this development are enormous for the financial services industry in Alabama, as each institution will soon have to...more
3/8/2022
/ Alabama ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banking Sector ,
Cannabis Products ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Risk Factors ,
Risk Management ,
SAFE Act ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
Time can move slowly in South Carolina – like the time it takes to turn a whole hog into a whole meal, or maybe to turn grain, yeast, and water into whiskey. When it comes to cannabis reform in South Carolina, however,...more
Aristotle, Confucius, Voltaire, and Shakespeare – each of them famously cautioned, in some fashion and in his own language, that perfect is the enemy of good. While we should strive for the best result, if the best result is...more
Alabama became the 36th state to allow cannabis for medical use when Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Compassion Act on May 17, 2021. The act establishes a process through which applicants will...more
8/27/2021
/ Alabama ,
Cannabis Products ,
Legalization ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Licenses ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Transport Rule
Alabama became the 36th state to allow cannabis for medical use when Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Compassion Act on May 17, 2021. The act establishes a process through which applicants will...more
8/27/2021
/ Alabama ,
Cannabis Act ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Governor Ivey ,
Laboratory Developed Tests ,
Licenses ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
State and Local Government
On July 14, 2021, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) unveiled a draft of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act.
The...more
The Mississippi Medical Marijuana program will not go forward – at least not at this time. On Friday, the Mississippi Supreme Court handed down its decision in the City of Madison’s challenge to Initiative 65, Mary Hawkins...more
In February a bill to legalize, regulate, and tax non-smokable medicinal cannabis passed through the Alabama Senate on a 21-10 vote. Progress on the bill slowed after moving to the House. The medical cannabis bill passed both...more
This is the final article in a three-part series focused on the intersection of the 2020 United States presidential election and cannabis policy. Each article has focused on the specific presidential candidates of the two...more
Mahatma Gandhi once said that “[i]t is health that is the real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver.” For the six sellers of CBD-containing products targeted by the Federal Trade Commission last week, health claims will...more
On November 3, 2020, Mississippi voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana for Mississippians with certain medical conditions. As we wrote back in February, the amendment will...more
This is the second article in a three-part series focused on the intersection of the 2020 United States presidential election and marijuana policy. Each article will focus on the specific presidential candidates of the two...more
This is the first article in a three-part series focused on the intersection of the 2020 presidential election and cannabis policy in the United States. Each article will focus on the specific presidential candidates of the...more
Tennessee’s hemp industry is growing fast, and you want in on the action. You have your big idea and a business plan ready. But at some point, you begin to wonder whether you should be thinking about any legal issues as you...more
9/9/2020
/ Banking Sector ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Corporate Entities ,
Employment Policies ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Funding ,
Hemp ,
Insurance Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Licenses ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Supply Contracts ,
Tax Planning
The relationship between the cannabis industry and intellectual property laws in the United States is unique and complicated, in many ways mirroring the nation’s collective views on the cannabis plant. This is unfortunate, in...more
8/7/2020
/ Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Dietary Supplements ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Popular ,
Trademark Application ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ,
Trademarks ,
USPTO
So, you want to start a hemp company. You have your big idea and a business plan ready. At some point, though, you begin to wonder whether you should be thinking about any legal issues as you get your company off the...more
7/22/2020
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Commercial Contracts ,
Emerging Growth Companies ,
Employment Practices Liability Coverage ,
Funding ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Cultivation ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Licenses ,
Manufacturers ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Retail Market ,
Suppliers
The cannabis industry is in flux. Part of that is healthy maturation and part is a result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) global pandemic that has impacted everyone.
Over the last year, falling valuations and volatile prices...more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a shot across the bow of the cannabidiol (CBD) industry on November 25. The FDA disclosed that it issued warning letters to 15 companies “for illegally selling products...more
11/27/2019
/ Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Dietary Supplements ,
FDA Warning Letters ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Labeling ,
Manufacturers ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Marketing ,
Product Labels
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Study Commission held its fourth and final meeting in Montgomery on November 7. As in the previous meetings, the meeting was organized around presentations from individuals representing different...more
Electronic cigarettes and vaping have been heralded by many as a safer alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes. A recent outbreak of illnesses allegedly related to vaping, however, has ignited public hysteria and will...more
10/10/2019
/ Cannabis Products ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Dispensaries ,
E-Cigarettes ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Manufacturer Liability ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Mass Tort Litigation ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Supply Chain ,
Tobacco ,
Vaping