News & Analysis as of August 3, 2025

Trump Administration

+ Follow

Medical Marijuana refers to the use of marijuana to treat or alleviate symptoms of certain illnesses. A growing number of states permit individuals to use marijuana on the recommendation of a physician. Despite state laws to the contrary, Federal law still prohibits the use or possession of marijuana. The conflict between state and federal law on this issue has created interesting enforcement issues and significant legal hurdles for medical marijuana providers. less -

Reefer Madness: Congressional Proposal Would Keep Marijuana Schedule I, Prevent Most Prosecutions of Marijuana Use

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP on 7/22/2025

What. Are. We. Doing. Here? The latest from Capitol Hill is a doozy: A congressional committee has approved a spending bill that contains provisions to block the Justice Department from rescheduling marijuana. The...more

The Week in Weed: June 2025

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on 6/6/2025

Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, Texas is the center of gravity in the hemp world. The First Circuit rules against cannabis businesses. ...more

Understanding the Trump Administration’s Stance on Cannabis and Hemp Policy

Vicente LLP on 4/16/2025

The legal status of cannabis and hemp in the United States remains uncertain, which makes the executive branch’s policy stance on these issues extremely pertinent to the future of these industries. Cannabis remains federally...more

Trump v. Biden: CANNABIS LEGALIZATION

Cozen O'Connor on 10/23/2020

With the 2020 presidential election just days away, the future of cannabis legalization will likely rest on the shoulders of whoever is sitting in the Oval Office on January 20, 2021. So where do Donald Trump and Joe Biden...more

Trump Budget Removes Medical Marijuana Protections

Husch Blackwell LLP on 2/14/2020

President Trump is back at it again with his most recent inconsistent stance on marijuana. “As part of his recently released fiscal year 2021 budget plan, Trump proposed ending an existing policy that protects state medical...more

In the Weeds: Momentum Builds in Congress to Lift Federal Restrictions on Marijuana

K&L Gates LLP on 6/29/2018

Forty-six states currently have marijuana legalization laws. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana, while seventeen states have allowed access to certain strains for some medical...more

Providing Banking Services to the Legal Marijuana Industry: Mitigating Risks to Maximize Potential Rewards

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP on 5/29/2018

Since 1996, when California became the first state to legalize marijuana (at the time, for medicinal purposes only), 28 additional states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana to some extent. Public support...more

Window On Washington - Vol. 2, Issue 20

Clark Hill PLC on 5/22/2018

Outlook for This Week in the Nation's Capital - Farm Bill Re-vote? Last week’s vote on the farm bill failed after the Freedom Caucus refused to support the measure. A roll call vote on the motion to reconsider was postponed...more

It’s High Time to Update Your Marijuana Policies

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP on 4/20/2018

The legalization of recreational use of marijuana in several states, including California, has left many employment policies vague and confused. This article offers insights to questions every employer should be asking in...more

Your Comprehensive Guide to 2018 Proposed California Legislation

Fisher Phillips on 2/28/2018

February 16 was the deadline to introduce new bills in the California Legislature. By that date, nearly 2,200 bills were introduced. While that may seem like a staggering amount of legislative proposals (especially for a...more

2018 Health Law Predictions

Saul Ewing LLP on 2/14/2018

2017 was a year in contrasts for the health care delivery system. Congress and President Trump made several attempts to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act. Controversy about marijuana continued as more states...more

Ethical Considerations For Attorneys in Light of the Rescission of the Cole Memorandum

Farrell Fritz, P.C. on 2/2/2018

As discussed in our January 5th blog post, the Cole Memorandum was rescinded by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on January 4th of this year. The Cole Memorandum had served to formally announce the DOJ’s policy that it would...more

New Fed Cannabis Policy Hits California Local Government - Potential Fiscal Impacts and Confusion

Best Best & Krieger LLP on 1/15/2018

Just days after the sale of recreational cannabis became legal in California, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a new policy regarding cannabis-related activities that is causing confusion for local governments — and...more

Rescission of Medical Marijuana Memoranda

Dickinson Wright on 1/12/2018

Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a one-page memorandum on January 4, 2018 (the “Sessions Memo”) rescinding both the Cole and Ogden Memoranda which essentially established a Department of Justice (“DOJ”) prosecutorial...more

DOJ Memo Clouds Marijuana Industry's Future

Holland & Knight LLP on 1/10/2018

• The marijuana industry that was expected to generate roughly $40 billion in economic impact nationwide by 2021 is at a crossroads given a recent move by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to eliminate certain protections...more

Sessions Memorandum Sends Shockwaves Through Cannabis Industry

Lowndes on 1/9/2018

On January 4, 2018, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memorandum (the “Sessions Memo”) on marijuana enforcement which rescinded the existing Obama-era Cole Memorandum....more

Will the Justice Department's Attack on Marijuana Impact New Jersey Employers?

FordHarrison on 1/9/2018

On January 4, 2018—just days after California began selling recreational marijuana and became poised to become the largest legal market for the drug in the U.S.—the Department of Justice changed tactics on marijuana...more

Attorney General Sessions' Rescission of DOJ Marijuana Guidance Signals Uncertainty for the Marijuana Industry

Stinson LLP on 1/8/2018

On January 4, 2018, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions officially rescinded all of the prior Obama-era Department of Justice (DOJ) marijuana-related guidance, including the so-called “Cole Memo.” That guidance had provided...more

Chronic Dispute: What The Sessions Marijuana Memo Means For Employers

Fisher Phillips on 1/8/2018

Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a one-page memorandum on December 4th, rescinding Obama-era guidance that had allowed states to legalize medical and recreational marijuana with marginal federal interference, eliminating...more

U.S. Attorney General Reverses Policy on Legal Marijuana

Husch Blackwell LLP on 1/8/2018

On January 4, 2018, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded, effective immediately, previous enforcement priorities of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on marijuana, including the Cole Memo. The move creates uncertainty...more

DOJ Reverses Course on Marijuana Enforcement

Holland & Knight LLP on 1/8/2018

The U.S. Department of Justice released a memorandum on December 4th, directing all U.S. Attorneys to use their prosecutorial discretion to enforce the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970 with respect to the cultivation,...more

Rescission of the Cole Memorandum and Consequences for the Marijuana Industry

Farrell Fritz, P.C. on 1/8/2018

While marijuana is legal for medical and, in some instances recreational, use under the laws of 29 states plus the District of Columbia, under federal law it remains illegal....more

Trump Administration Rescinds Obama Era Marijuana Policy: What Does It Actually Mean?

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP on 1/8/2018

On January 4th, United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo reversing federal marijuana enforcement policy, effective immediately. The decision moves the federal government away from its all but directed...more

Cannabis Chaos: Justice Department Revokes Obama-Era Guidance on Marijuana Enforcement

McDermott Will & Emery on 1/6/2018

On January 4, 2018, Attorney General Jefferson B. Sessions announced, in a memorandum to all US Attorneys, the immediate revocation of five Obama Administration policies on federal marijuana enforcement, including Guidance...more

Sessions Changes the US DOJ’s Position on Prosecutorial Discretion Involving Marijuana in States Permitting Use – But is that a...

Fisher Phillips on 1/5/2018

As predicted by Politico, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and other sources, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions today rescinded the 2013 Cole Memorandum “Guidance Regarding Marijuana Enforcement,” which has...more

35 Results

View per page

Page: of 2

Medical Marijuana › Department of Justice (DOJ) › Trump Administration

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"