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Cannabis

  • May 20, 2025

    Stewart Revives E-Cig Patent Row, Clarifying PTAB Denials

    The acting head of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has revived a company's Patent Trial and Appeal Board challenge to an electronic cigarette patent, issuing a precedential decision that provides guidance on discretionary denials when a patent challenger relies on prior art previously furnished to an examiner. 

  • May 20, 2025

    Connecticut House Passes Psilocybin Decriminalization Bill

    Connecticut's House of Representatives on Monday narrowly approved a bill to decriminalize possession of small amounts of psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychoactive mushrooms, sending the bill to the state Senate. 

  • May 20, 2025

    Former Hemp Worker Brings Paraquat Suit Against Syngenta

    A Colorado man formerly employed in the hemp industry alleged in a new federal lawsuit that his exposure to the herbicide paraquat while at work is responsible for his Parkinson's disease.

  • May 20, 2025

    Pot Company Can't Salvage 'Neobank' Fraud Suit, For Now

    An Oregon federal judge dismissed all claims against two executives of defunct cannabis-focused neobank Left Coast Financial Solutions in a lawsuit brought by CBD distributor Killa Bees Distribution LLC over $127,000 in allegedly inaccessible deposits, but gave the company one last chance to fix its complaint.

  • May 19, 2025

    Calif. Landowners Seek Review Of 7th Amendment Precedent

    A group of Northern California landowners has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case arguing that the constitutional right to a jury trial should apply in instances of local law enforcement issuing civil penalties for alleged illicit marijuana growing.

  • May 19, 2025

    Legalizers Wary Of Neb. Gov.'s Picks To Oversee Medical Pot

    Nebraska's governor has announced appointments to lead the state's new voter-approved medical marijuana program, but the campaign behind the legalization effort criticized the picks as an insincere effort to implement a law that state leaders have opposed.

  • May 19, 2025

    Vape Makers, Sellers Want NC E-Cigarette Law Stayed For Suit

    A group of vaping industry entities including a trade group, electronic cigarette makers and sellers urged a North Carolina federal judge to temporarily block enforcement of a new state regulation of their market while they pursue their challenge to the statute, which they argued is preempted by federal law.

  • May 16, 2025

    Pot Farm Can't Challenge Colo. Regulators' Alleged Inaction

    A Colorado state judge has dismissed a cannabis farm's suit alleging that state regulators haven't sufficiently cracked down on illegal operators, saying the farm isn't challenging a final agency action that is subject to judicial review.

  • May 16, 2025

    Ala. Medical Pot Co. Claims Regulator Retaliation Over Suits

    A prospective Alabama medical cannabis business has filed a federal lawsuit against state medical marijuana regulators, alleging that officials violated the company's First Amendment rights by refusing to award it a license after it raised the alarm about irregularities and delays.

  • May 16, 2025

    Appellate Ruling Merits New Shot At Sales Regs, Distiller Says

    A New York distillery and two Washington whiskey drinkers are asking a federal judge to reconsider the Washington state liquor board's win in a challenge to rules requiring a physical in-state presence to sell online, saying they never got to analyze the circuit ruling on which the decision was based.

  • May 16, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Reopen Ex-Police Officer's Religious Bias Suit

    The Ninth Circuit refused to revive a former police officer's lawsuit claiming an Arizona town fired him because it believed he was a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, saying his allegations weren't detailed enough to stay in court.

  • May 16, 2025

    Trucking Co. Worker Says Tobacco Surcharge Violates ERISA

    An employee of Marten Transport Ltd. is suing the trucking company in Wisconsin federal court, alleging that a tobacco surcharge in its health plan violates federal antidiscrimination law.

  • May 15, 2025

    DEA Says State-Legal Pot Fuels Transnational Crime

    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said in a report made public Thursday that state-level legalization of marijuana has resulted in a flood of cannabis beyond what those markets require and, despite state regulation, international crime syndicates have largely taken control of the entire American marijuana trade, both legal and not. 

  • May 15, 2025

    FTZ Holding Can't Stop Duty Refund Clock, Trade Court Rules

    The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled Thursday that a cigarette distributor waited too long to seek out duty refunds on its product, explaining that products being held for several years in a foreign-trade zone did not prevent the statutory clock from running.

  • May 15, 2025

    Curaleaf And Ex-VP In Settlement Talks, Court Told

    Curaleaf has tentatively agreed to drop a lawsuit against a former executive it accused of stealing confidential records to share with a rival cannabis firm, according to a notice filed in Florida federal court.

  • May 15, 2025

    Judge Recuses After Atty's Conviction Partially Overturned

    The Boston federal judge who oversaw the trial of an attorney charged with bribing a Massachusetts police chief to secure a local marijuana license recused himself from the case Thursday, after the First Circuit vacated most of the convictions and ordered the lawyer to be resentenced on the remaining guilty finding.

  • May 15, 2025

    5th Circ. Says Samsung Must Face Battery Suit In Texas

    A divided Fifth Circuit panel has revived a man's claims against South Korea-based Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. in a suit over an exploding e-cigarette battery, finding the company's marketing to industrial companies in Texas is enough of a connection to the state to grant jurisdiction.

  • May 14, 2025

    'Toys R Us' Blows Smoke At 'Vape R Us' Over Similar Marks

    Toys 'R' Us' parent company Wednesday filed suit in Connecticut federal court, accusing a vape business named Vape R Us of copying and tarnishing Toys R Us trademarks and using the marks to trick customers into believing they're shopping somewhere owned or endorsed by the toy store chain.

  • May 14, 2025

    RJ Reynolds Can Keep Trial Win In Engle Case, Court Says

    A Florida appeals court on Wednesday affirmed a verdict in favor of R.J. Reynolds in an Engle progeny suit over a longtime smoker's death, saying counsel's failure to use all their juror challenges invalidates an argument that a juror was unfairly selected.

  • May 14, 2025

    Canadian Pot Gear Exec Fights Feds' Bid To Exit Border Suit

    The Canadian CEO of a cannabis agricultural equipment company claims federal authorities have again illegally denied him entry into the United States, despite the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's recent assurance it had revoked a previous removal order while seeking to dodge his lawsuit in Seattle federal court.

  • May 14, 2025

    Hydroponics Giant, Former Exec. Settle Firing Suit

    A Michigan entrepreneur who claims a hydroponics giant improperly fired him and withheld at least $800,000 in executive compensation has agreed to a deal that will end his breach of contract lawsuit, with a Colorado federal judge signing off on the permanent dismissal on Wednesday.

  • May 14, 2025

    10th Circ. Wary Of Hemp Interests' Challenge To Wyoming Law

    A Tenth Circuit panel on Wednesday appeared skeptical that a Wyoming state law regulating hemp-derived intoxicating products was preempted by the federal law legalizing hemp nationwide.

  • May 14, 2025

    Vape Co. Stopped From Using 'Breeze' Name

    A Michigan federal judge has blocked a New Jersey company from marketing products with the name "Breeze" in a trademark dispute with a competitor in the vaping industry.

  • May 14, 2025

    Monitor Says Okla. Pot Agency Fired Her For Blowing Whistle

    A former contract monitor for the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority is suing the agency, alleging she was wrongly fired and had her file marked "no rehire," preventing her from finding other government work, in retaliation for reporting on a conflict of interest.

  • May 13, 2025

    Pot Payment Co. Wants Court To Enforce $1.3M Deal

    A Boulder, Colorado, fintech company said its former business associates in a failed joint venture to create a cannabis payment system cannot be trusted to pay the $1.3 million settlement meant to end all claims of fraud, urging a Nevada federal court to step in and force them to follow through.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

  • Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

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    Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.

  • An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

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    As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.

  • Series

    Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

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    In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.

  • When US Privilege Law Applies To Docs Made Outside The US

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    As globalization manifests itself in disputes over foreign-created documents, a California federal court’s recent trademark decision illustrates nuances of both U.S. privilege frameworks and foreign evidentiary protections that attorneys must increasingly bear in mind, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Notable 2024 Trademark Cases And What To Watch In 2025

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    Emerging disputes between established tech giants and smaller trademark holders promise to test the boundaries of trademark protection in 2025, following a 2024 marked with disputes in areas ranging from cybersquatting to geographic marks, says Danner Kline at Bradley Arant.

  • Ring In The New Year With An Updated Employee Handbook

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    One of the best New Year's resolutions employers can make is to update their employee handbooks, given that a handbook can mitigate, or even prevent, costly litigation as long as it accounts for recent changes in laws, court rulings and agency decisions, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • What 2024 Trends In Marketing, Comms Hiring Mean For 2025

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    The state of hiring in legal industry marketing, business development and communications over the past 12 months was marked by a number of trends — from changes in the C-suite to lateral move challenges — providing clues for what’s to come in the year ahead, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.

  • Opinion

    6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School

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    Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.

  • How Landlords Can Navigate Cannabis-Related Leases

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    As the cannabis industry continues to rapidly grow, landlords should consider a variety of lease terms and operational details that may help mitigate uncertainty involving federal laws, zoning restrictions and tax implications, says Kyla Baker at Holland & Knight.

  • Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware

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    Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out

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    In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

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