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Cannabis

  • August 18, 2025

    Cannabis Interests Challenging Federal Pot Ban Get Extension

    The U.S. Supreme Court has said that marijuana companies challenging the federal ban on cannabis can have until October to submit their petition for a writ of certiorari.

  • August 18, 2025

    DEA Asks Health Officials To Review Psilocybin Rescheduling

    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has transmitted a request to loosen federal restrictions on psilocybin, the main compound in psychoactive mushrooms, to federal health officials for a scientific and medical analysis, according to emails reviewed by Law360.

  • August 18, 2025

    RI, Wash. Say 2nd Circ. Dormant Commerce Pot Ruling Is Inapt

    Officials from Rhode Island and Washington state have said in separate letters to federal circuit courts that the Second Circuit's determination last week that the Constitution's dormant commerce clause applied to marijuana should not affect their pending appeals in related cases.

  • August 15, 2025

    Mich. Bank Keeps Arbitration Win Against Scammed Law Firm

    A marijuana industry-focused law firm must pay its bank nearly $373,000, a deficit sustained after a Nigerian scammer tricked the firm into cashing fraudulent Canadian checks, a Michigan appeals court ruled, rejecting arguments that the bank had a duty to protect the firm "from its own mistakes."

  • August 15, 2025

    Smoke Shop Tells Panel It's Owed Defense Over Fatal Crash

    A North Carolina smoke shop urged a state appeals court to find that its insurer must defend it in a lawsuit alleging that an individual who consumed nitrous oxide products from the shop caused a fatal auto collision, noting it has already disputed underlying allegations of negligence.

  • August 15, 2025

    Vape Cos. Urge 4th Circ. To Halt NC E-Cigarette Law

    A coalition of vaping interests is urging the Fourth Circuit to find that a North Carolina law prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is blocked by federal policy.

  • August 15, 2025

    La. Eyes Pause On Suit While Congress Mulls Future Of Hemp

    Louisiana officials on Thursday asked a federal judge to pause a lawsuit challenging the state's hemp law while Congress considers the future of federal hemp policy.

  • August 15, 2025

    LA Judge Upholds $2M Award In Cannabis Investment Battle

    A Los Angeles state court judge upheld a $2.25 million judgment against the manager of a medical marijuana collective accused of defrauding an investor, chastising him for "never even" attempting to bring in key evidence that would allegedly help his case.

  • August 14, 2025

    Insurer Avoids Bad Faith Claims In $2M Vandalism Case

    A California state court dismissed a property owner's claims that its insurer refused in bad faith to cover nearly $2 million in vandalism losses after its tenant, a cannabis cultivator, ended its lease, but found the owner's breach of contract claim can still proceed to trial.

  • August 14, 2025

    Maryland Budtenders Win Class Cert. In Curaleaf Tip Suit

    Budtenders who work for Curaleaf Inc.'s Maryland dispensaries scored conditional class certification in their lawsuit accusing the company of taking their tips and paying them to managers in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

  • August 14, 2025

    Hemp Sellers Can Challenge NY Raids Outside Court

    An administrative law judge has ruled that a group of hemp sellers can raise constitutional challenges in administrative proceedings over raids they say were illegally conducted by New York's Office of Cannabis Management.

  • August 13, 2025

    NYC Pot Shops Can't Revive Suit Over Marijuana Crackdown

    A federal judge will not reconsider his decision to end a lawsuit filed by more than two dozen companies that claim their due process rights were violated when New York City closed some of their stores on claims they were unlicensed cannabis operations, saying they brought nothing new for the court to ponder.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Skillful Persuasion

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    In many ways, law school teaches us how to argue, but when the ultimate goal is to get your client what they want, being persuasive through preparation and humility is the more likely key to success, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

  • Litigation Inspiration: How To Respond After A Loss

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    Every litigator loses a case now and then, and the sting of that loss can become a medicine that strengthens or a poison that corrodes, depending on how the attorney responds, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Legal Considerations Around Ibogaine As Addiction Therapy

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    Recent funding approval in Texas pertaining to the use of ibogaine for the potential treatment of substance use disorders signals a growing openness to innovative addiction treatments, but also underscores the need for rigorous compliance with state and federal requirements and ethical research standards, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

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    The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Feds' Shift On Reputational Risk Raises Questions For Banks

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    While banking regulators' recent retreat from reputational risk narrows the scope of federal oversight in some respects, it also raises practical questions about consistency, reputational management and the evolving political landscape surrounding financial services, say attorneys at Smith Anderson.

  • Series

    Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator

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    Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Navigating Client Trauma

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    Law schools don't train students to handle repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences, but for litigators practicing in areas like civil rights and personal injury, success depends on the ability to view cases clinically and to recognize when you may need to seek help, says Katie Bennett at Robins Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding

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    As courts increasingly confront cases involving hidden litigation finance contracts, the jurisprudence of four former U.S. Supreme Court justices establishes a constitutional framework that risks erosion by undisclosed financial interests, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery

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    E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.

  • Series

    Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

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    Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

  • ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

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    The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Canadian Suit Offers Disclosure Lesson For US Cannabis Cos.

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    A Canadian class action asserting that Aurora Cannabis failed to warn consumers about the risk of developing cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome may spawn copycat filings in the U.S., and is a cautionary tale for cannabis and hemp industries to prioritize risk disclosure, says Ian Stewart at Wilson Elser.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

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