Weed in the Workplace: What’s the Tea in L&E?
Cannabis Law Now Podcast - From Law Firm to Board Room: The Journey of a Cannabis Entrepreneur
The Impact of the Horn Case on RICO - RICO Report Podcast
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Cannabis and Hemp Federal and State Advocacy in 2025
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: New York Cannabis: Ups, Downs, and In Between
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Local Government and Cannabis Enforcement — What Matters and Why
12 Days of Regulatory Insights: Day 5 - Cannabis Chronicles — Regulatory Oversight Podcast
Florida Medical Cannabis Business Licensing Process: What Happens Next for MMTC Applicants?
Bringing Your Cannabis Brand to New York
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: Building a Lasting Cannabis Brand with Tiffany Chin from Death Row Cannabis
Cannabis & Psychedelics On the 2024 Ballot
Cannabis Rescheduling: Timeline, Tax Strategies & 280E
Cannabis Law Now Podcast: 2024 Cannabis Industry Pitfalls on Blast
Mitigating and Addressing Litigation Risks for Cannabis Businesses
Cannabis M&A: Pain Points and Opportunities
Managing Labor and Employment Complexities in Cannabis Businesses
Work This Way: A Labor & Employment Law Podcast - Episode 29: Weed in the Workplace with Christy Rogers of Maynard Nexsen
Intellectual property considerations for launching new cannabis products
Unpacking the current cannabis regulatory landscape and how it impacts your business
Managing Employee Compliance in Highly Regulated Industries — Hiring to Firing Podcast
Last year, the case of BBK Tobacco & Foods LLP v. Central Agriculture Inc. made headlines in the trademark world when the Ninth Circuit held that district courts have jurisdiction to alter or cancel trademark applications. ...more
Trademark law protects businesses’ brand identities and helps prevent consumer confusion. The U.S. trademark system operates at both federal and state levels. Federal registration through the United States Patent and...more
In the United States, the intellectual property rights system for plants is multifaceted, encompassing utility patents, plant patents, trademarks, and Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Certificates. These mechanisms offer...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
What was hinted at in the fall of 2023 appears to be heading towards reality as reports circulate that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has agreed to reschedule marijuana—or cannabis, as most in the industry...more
In an industry known for its fast-paced changes, 2024 will be no different for cannabis. For all those with an eye on the industry, the number one question remains, is this the year for rescheduling? The answer is, maybe. And...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
While licensing agreements between brands and license holders are typical in mature cannabis jurisdictions, what is uncommon is the requirement that said brands become licensed solely for the purposes of entering into...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
Welcome to your quarterly rundown of the latest legal, policy, and market happenings in the cannabis and hemp industry. The Cresco and Columbia Care Fallout: How Credit Monitoring Could Have Prevented It - The Cresco and...more
Over a decade has passed since recreational cannabis began to see legalization at the state level. Yet cannabis businesses continue to grapple with protecting their brands, as trademark protection at the federal level remains...more
Unlock the Future of Cannabis Innovation at INCBA’s Global Cannabis IP Symposium at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Join INCBA for this groundbreaking two-day event dedicated to intellectual property in cannabis. Gain...more
A recent lawsuit alleging trademark infringement by AmerikanWeed illustrates the importance of protecting intellectual property in the cannabis industry. Complaint at 9-10, Palmer, et al. v. Komm et al., No. 21-2-13589-3 SEA...more
Recently, we published an article regarding the increasing viability of cannabis related patents. See here. Sadly, the story is the opposite for federal trademarks. Last month, National Concessions Group, Inc. (“NCG”) was...more
Federal bans, lack of knowledge, and misinformation all stifle IP protection in the cannabis industry. Previously, one of our colleagues attended MJBizCon in Nevada and noted that “there is so much more to be done to bring...more
The following post explores the bioavailability and efficacy of various cannabis products, followed by a brief overview of the legal protection afforded to each as an intellectual property asset....more
The state of intellectual property is in flux within the cannabis industry. On the eve of MJBizCon, below is a brief inventory of where the law stands on cannabis-related issues for branding and technology....more
In the first federal appellate ruling on delta-8 THC, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals deemed the substance legal—at least for purposes of trademark protection—concluding that if “Congress inadvertently created a loophole...more
Thank you for reading the April 2022 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we discuss two ongoing administrative legal challenges to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's policies on...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
[co-author: Richa Patel, Summer Associate] The July 2021 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses fluid trademarks and the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. Plus, check out the answer key...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
The cannabis industry is booming and as it continues to grow, new cannabis-related businesses are forming in various sectors of industry and new plant varieties, products and techniques are developed daily. Protecting...more
Examining attorneys at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) are citing a recent 2020 decision by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) to support the position that trademarks for many products (particularly...more