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Cannabis

  • August 13, 2025

    Colo. Dispensary Says Weed Regulator Made Invalid Rule

    The owners of a cannabis company told a state judge on Tuesday that an industry bulletin posted about them by Colorado's marijuana regulator was "quasi-legislative" and created new enforcement rules in the industry without approval.

  • August 13, 2025

    Cannabis' Social Equity Efforts In Doubt After 2nd Circ. Ruling

    A Second Circuit decision Tuesday, finding that the Constitution's dormant commerce clause applies to the federally illegal marijuana industry, further constricts states' ability to implement programs intended to award so-called social equity licenses favoring those harmed by past cannabis prohibition, experts told Law360.

  • August 13, 2025

    Calif. Firm Says Pot Co. Co-Owners Stiffed On Buyout Deal

    A California firm is suing its former business partners in state court, alleging that they failed to pay up on a partnership withdrawal agreement and still owe more than $280,000 for the firm's 15% share of a cannabis business.

  • August 12, 2025

    Vape Interests Defend Suit Against NC E-Cigarette Law

    A group of vaping industry interests are fighting to keep alive their federal lawsuit that seeks to stop North Carolina's ban on many types of e-cigarettes, saying the state is interfering with the federal government's intentional approach to regulating the industry.

  • August 12, 2025

    Reynolds Asks Justices To Eye Patent Damages In $95M Case

    R.J. Reynolds has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a $95 million verdict against it for infringing Altria vape patents, saying the Federal Circuit is flouting high court precedent that patent damages can only be based on the value of the patented features.

  • August 12, 2025

    2nd Circ. Rules Dormant Commerce Clause Covers Marijuana

    A split Second Circuit panel on Tuesday ruled that, despite marijuana's federal illegality, the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from privileging their own residents when awarding licenses to cannabis businesses.

  • August 12, 2025

    Maryland Says It's Immune To Hemp Cos.' Challenge To Regs

    The state of Maryland and its regulators are urging a federal court to toss hemp companies' challenge to a state regulation requiring licenses for intoxicating hemp-derived products, saying the claims are blocked by sovereign immunity under the 11th Amendment.

  • August 11, 2025

    Consumers Say Vape Makers Can't Escape Price-Fixing Suit

    Buyers of cannabis vape brand CCell are pushing back on two bids seeking to dismiss their consolidated proposed consumer class action in California federal court accusing the Chinese manufacturers and U.S. distributors of organizing a price-fixing scheme, saying the companies' interpretation of antitrust law creates a legal loophole.

  • August 11, 2025

    Canadian CEO Nabs Partial Win In Border Dispute

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security cannot end a lawsuit accusing it of retaliating against the Canadian CEO of a cannabis harvesting equipment company, a Washington federal judge ruled, rejecting government arguments that the case is totally moot because it lifted its initial deportation order against the executive, noting that the government hasn't restored his trusted traveler status.

  • August 11, 2025

    Judge Rules NYC Can Enforce Kava Cafe Shutdowns

    A Manhattan federal judge has ruled that New York City public health and safety officials were within their authority to issue shutdown orders to restaurants that served kava, a federally unregulated psychoactive plant derivative.

  • August 08, 2025

    Colo. Conviction Axed Over Man's 'Rambling' Midtrial Speech

    A man who was allowed to go on an incoherent rant before a jury while wearing prison clothes and was subsequently sentenced to 12 years in prison for growing marijuana will get a new trial, a Colorado state appeals court said, finding that his unsworn ramblings undoubtedly deprived him of a fair hearing.

  • August 08, 2025

    LA Judges Tosses Suit Over $5.7M Pot Loss In Fire

    A Los Angeles cannabis entrepreneur must pay the legal fees of his neighbor, whom he sued for $5.7 million on claims that the defendant allowed his property to become a fire hazard through lax safety standards and by allowing transient people to live there, resulting in an inferno which destroyed millions of dollars worth of cannabis flower.

  • August 08, 2025

    Vape Maker Must Arbitrate Claims Of Distributor Misconduct

    A California federal judge has ordered the owners of a Hong Kong vape maker to arbitrate their claims accusing a competitor of trying to "usurp" their place in the market, concluding that an underlying arbitration agreement was applicable despite the competitor's founder not signing the pact.

  • August 08, 2025

    LAPD Wins Bid To Withhold 'Embarrassing' Body Cam Footage

    The public will not get to see body-camera footage allegedly showing a Los Angeles police officer destroying an MRI machine after his rifle was pulled into its magnetic field during a raid on an X-ray clinic that was wrongly assumed to be a cannabis grow site, a California federal court ruled, seeking to avoid "embarrassing" the officers named in the civil suit.

  • August 08, 2025

    NY Court Tosses Challenge To Crackdown On Illicit Pot Shops

    A New York state judge has dismissed a constitutional challenge to a crackdown on unregulated marijuana sellers, finding that city and state officials acted within their authority when they targeted the self-described cannabis club that brought the petition.

  • August 08, 2025

    NY Cannabis Sellers Urge Lawmakers To Fix Regulation Flap

    New York cannabis retailers facing the revocation of their licenses due to a recent destabilizing shift in regulatory interpretation are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature to take immediate action to ensure the continuity of their businesses.

  • August 08, 2025

    Massachusetts Sheriff Charged With Extorting Cannabis Shop

    Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins was arrested Friday morning in Florida on extortion charges related to his demand for a stake in a cannabis dispensary — and a refund when his shares lost value — federal prosecutors announced.

  • August 07, 2025

    Class Action Over Kratom Extract Is Resolved

    Consumers have agreed to drop a proposed class action against online Missouri hemp retailer CBD American Shaman LLC that accused it of deceptively marketing a concentrated kratom alkaloid, known as 7-OH, as a safe "natural" product while concealing its opioid-level addictiveness.

  • August 07, 2025

    Calif. Sheriff Says Criminal Law Enforceable On Tribal Land

    A California sheriff is asking a federal judge to dismiss the latest complaint from the Round Valley Indian Tribes and three members alleging law enforcement illegally raided cannabis growers, saying criminal laws can still be enforced on tribal land.

  • August 07, 2025

    Kratom Buyers Take Addictiveness Suit To 9th Circ.

    A proposed class of kratom buyers is appealing to the Ninth Circuit after their claims that Thang Botanicals and FTLS Holdings LLC misled them about the addictive qualities of kratom products were dismissed with prejudice.

  • August 06, 2025

    RJ Reynolds Keeps Trial Win In Cancer Death Suit, Panel Says

    A Massachusetts intermediate-level appeals court on Wednesday affirmed RJ Reynolds' trial win in a suit accusing it of causing a man's lung cancer, saying a new trial was not warranted as the trial judge did not unfairly exclude certain evidence.

  • August 06, 2025

    Bong Maker Warned Of Sanctions After Repeated Errors

    A Texas federal judge said Tuesday he's issued his last warning to a California-based bong maker which has filed nearly five dozen trademark infringement cases against head shops in North Texas, saying sanctions will come if the company keeps making the same procedural mistakes.

  • August 06, 2025

    US Asks High Court To Decide If Drug Users Can Have Guns

    The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve "a four-way circuit conflict" over whether it is legal to prevent users of drugs including marijuana, which has been legalized in some fashion in the vast majority of states, from possessing firearms.

  • August 06, 2025

    Pa. House Bill Seeks To Legalize, Tax Adult-Use Cannabis

    Pennsylvania would legalize adult-use cannabis and impose a tax on its sale and cultivation under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.

  • August 05, 2025

    Cannabis Co. Can't Blame Defaults On Neglectful Attorney

    A defunct Los Angeles dispensary and its operators cannot undo default entries issued against them by investors who seek more than $325,000, a California state judge has ruled, rejecting the company's attempt to pin the loss on their attorney who "lost track" of the case.

Expert Analysis

  • Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing

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    Recent instances in which attorneys filed briefs containing artificial intelligence hallucinations offer a stark reminder that effective revision isn’t just about superficial details like grammar — it requires attorneys to critically engage with their writing and analyze their rhetorical choices, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • DOJ May Rethink Banning Firearms For Marijuana Users

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    In light of various federal circuit court decisions and an executive order from President Donald Trump, U.S. Department of Justice enforcement policy now may be on the verge of changing decidedly in favor of marijuana users' gun rights, and could foreshadow additional marijuana-friendly reforms, says Jacob Raver at Dentons.

  • 9th Circ. Has Muddied Waters Of Article III Pleading Standard

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    District courts in the Ninth Circuit continue to apply a defunct and especially forgiving pleading standard to questions of Article III standing, and the circuit court itself has only perpetuated this confusion — making it an attractive forum for disputes that have no rightful place in federal court, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Series

    Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Teaching Yourself Legal Tech

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    New graduates often enter practice unfamiliar with even basic professional software, but budding lawyers can use on-the-job opportunities to both catch up on technological skills and explore the advanced legal and artificial intelligence tools that will open doors, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.

  • How AI May Reshape The Future Of Adjudication

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    As discussed at a recent panel at Texas A&M, artificial intelligence will not erase the human element of adjudication in the next 10 to 20 years, but it will drive efficiencies that spur private arbiters to experiment, lead public courts to evolve and force attorneys to adapt, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.

  • When Legal Advocacy Crosses The Line Into Incivility

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    As judges issue sanctions for courtroom incivility, and state bars advance formal discipline rules, trial lawyers must understand that the difference between zealous advocacy and unprofessionalism is not just a matter of tone; it's a marker of skill, credibility and potentially disciplinary exposure, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • Series

    Volunteering At Schools Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Speaking to elementary school students about the importance of college and other opportunities after high school — especially students who may not see those paths reflected in their daily lives — not only taught me the importance of giving back, but also helped to sharpen several skills essential to a successful legal practice, says Guillermo Escobedo at Constangy.

  • Attacks On Judicial Independence Tend To Manifest In 3 Ways

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    Attacks on judicial independence now run the gamut from gross (bald-faced interference) to systemic (structural changes) to insidious (efforts to undermine public trust), so lawyers, judges and the public must recognize the fateful moment in which we live and defend the rule of law every day, says Jim Moliterno at Washington and Lee University.

  • Prior Art Ruling Highlights Importance Of Detailed Elaboration

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    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent decision in Ecto World v. RAI Strategic Holdings shows that when there is a possibility for discretionary denial, and the examiner has potentially overlooked prior art, patent owners should elaborate on as many of the denial factors as possible, says Frank Bernstein at Squire Patton.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Appreciating Civil Procedure

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    If you’re like me, law school’s often complex and theoretical approach to teaching civil procedure may have contributed to an early struggle with the topic, but when seen from a practical perspective, new lawyers may find they enjoy mastering these rules, says Chloe Villagomez at Foster Garvey.

  • Calif. Bar Exam Fiasco Shows Why Attys Must Disclose AI Use

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    The recent revelation that a handful of questions from the controversial California bar exam administered in February were drafted using generative artificial intelligence demonstrates the continued importance of disclosure for attorneys who use AI tools, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • In 2nd Place, Va. 'Rocket Docket' Remains Old Reliable

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    The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia was again one of the fastest civil trial courts in the nation last year, and an interview with the court’s newest judge provides insights into why it continues to soar, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • How Attorneys Can Become Change Agents For Racial Equity

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    As the administration targets diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and law firms consider pulling back from their programs, lawyers who care about racial equity and justice can employ four strategies to create microspaces of justice, which can then be parlayed into drivers of transformational change, says Susan Sturm at Columbia Law School.

  • Series

    Running Marathons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After almost five years of running marathons, I’ve learned that both the race itself and the training process sharpen skills that directly translate to the practice of law, including discipline, dedication, endurance, problem-solving and mental toughness, says Lauren Meadows at Swift Currie.

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