Cannabis

  • February 16, 2024

    Drugs, Sex, Antisemitism Top Complaint Against Calif. Judge

    A California state judge is facing an ethics complaint that accuses him of using a cannabis oil vape pen, pantomiming "something similar to a lap dance" on a woman married to a local public defender and repeatedly calling another public defender an antisemitic slur during a camping trip.

  • February 16, 2024

    ADA Does Not Protect Medical Pot Use, Vt. Court Says

    A Vermont transit worker can't pursue a civil rights lawsuit against his employer who terminated him after he tested positive for marijuana, a Vermont federal judge has ruled, saying the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn't protect people with disabilities treated with medical marijuana.

  • February 16, 2024

    The Congressman Who Reps Cannabis Reform On Capitol Hill

    Rep. Earl Blumenauer speaks to Law360 about the prospects for Congress enacting marijuana reform, why he supports moving cannabis to Schedule III and some of the drug policy triumphs and setbacks in his home state of Oregon.

  • February 15, 2024

    Colo. Cannabis Co. Says It Was Stiffed On $1.4M Seed Bill

    A Colorado-based supplier of feminized cannabis seeds is claiming that an Oregon farming company and the private investment bank that backed it have skipped out on a $1.4 million bill, according to a complaint filed in Boulder County District Court.

  • February 15, 2024

    What Rescheduling Pot Would Mean For Criminal Justice Reform

    While federal drug enforcers mull a recommendation from health regulators to loosen restrictions on marijuana, criminal justice reformers are warning that rescheduling the drug would not realize President Joe Biden's campaign promise to decriminalize marijuana.

  • February 15, 2024

    8 Men Get Jail Time In $2M Hemp Wine Pump-And-Dump Ploy

    Ohio federal prosecutors have announced the convictions of eight men charged with participating in a pump-and-dump scheme meant to boost the Global Resource Energy Inc. stock price, which purportedly planned to offer hemp-infused wine.

  • February 14, 2024

    Energy Co. Says Tribal Court Being Used To Duck $12M Award

    Merit Energy Operations is asking a federal district court to block two Wyoming tribes from using the tribal judicial system to vacate a $12.6 million arbitration award against them, saying the move is a blatant attempt to escape the ultimate result in the case.

  • February 14, 2024

    SEC Says Bankruptcy Doesn't Stop Crowdfunding Fraud Case

    Securities regulators are urging a Michigan federal judge to allow them to press on with their claims against the alleged mastermind behind a $2 million crowdfunding scheme — who has since quietly changed his name and allegedly bilked his attorney — arguing that his recent bankruptcy filing shouldn't pause proceedings.

  • February 14, 2024

    Hemp Seller's Suit Over Ga. Sheriff's Raid Sent To State Court

    A lawsuit alleging a Georgia sheriff illegally seized legal cannabis products from a hemp extract company has been sent back to state court after a district judge said a federal probe into the business did not justify keeping the case in his court.

  • February 14, 2024

    Juul Gets More Antitrust Claims To Arbitration

    A California federal judge has sent two more claims against Juul to arbitration and dismissed a request for an injunction to block Altria's already-unwound investment in the company.

  • February 14, 2024

    Atty For Ex-Trump Official Accused Of Leaking Deposition

    The plaintiff in a federal fraud suit against a former Trump administrative State Department official and a Philadelphia attorney wants the defendants' attorney sanctioned and tossed from the case after the attorney allegedly shared depositions marked confidential with a third-party witness.

  • February 14, 2024

    Ex-Atty Can't Delay Prison Amid Pot Bribe Appeal, Judge Says

    A Boston federal judge on Wednesday shot down a former Massachusetts attorney's request to put off his 24-month prison sentence while appealing his conviction for bribing a local police chief to boost his client's retail cannabis application.

  • February 13, 2024

    Md. Cannabis Regulators Urge Court Not To Halt Licensure

    Maryland's cannabis regulators urged a federal judge to reject an out-of-state entrepreneur's bid to halt the lottery for social equity cannabis licenses on claims it's unconstitutional, saying she doesn't have standing because she didn't actually apply and wouldn't have qualified anyways.

  • February 13, 2024

    Samsung Echoes LG Chem In Vape Battery Arguments

    Samsung told a Houston appellate court Tuesday that it shouldn't be held liable for injuries a man incurred after a lithium-ion battery exploded in his pocket, saying the case fell outside the scope of recent battery explosion cases state courts have been wrangling with, despite making substantially similar arguments to the panel.

  • February 13, 2024

    Cannabis Site Co. Moves To Ax 'Rambling' Securities Suit

    Decentral Life and its licensees asked a Colorado federal judge Monday to toss an investor's "rambling and incomprehensible" securities fraud suit accusing them of making false statements to trick him into investing more than $1.7 million, arguing most of his allegations fail under the federal pleading requirements.

  • February 13, 2024

    Mass. Attys Welcome New Guardrails On Trial Time Limits

    Massachusetts attorneys largely welcomed a recent decision by the state's high court blessing time limits in certain situations in civil trials, citing the ruling's helpful guidance and limitations that will likely make ticking clocks less common in state courts than their federal counterparts.

  • February 13, 2024

    Ex-Atty Appealing Pot Bribe Conviction Says Prison Can Wait

    A former Massachusetts attorney convicted over an alleged cannabis licensing quid pro quo told a Boston federal judge Tuesday that multiple close-call legal issues warrant a delay of his 24-month prison sentence until the First Circuit decides his forthcoming appeal.

  • February 13, 2024

    Officer Says He Was Denied Work Due To Race, Med. Pot Use

    A Connecticut police officer who was injured in training says he was wrongfully denied disability retirement and was unable to secure administrative work after injuring his neck, experiencing discrimination based on his race and ethnicity as well as his physical disability.

  • February 13, 2024

    Pot Distributor Accuses 'Amazon Of Hemp' Of Breaking Contract

    A cannabis distribution company and a family farm are suing online retailer Mood Product Group LLC in North Carolina state court, saying Mood violated a distribution contract and took confidential information in a bid to cut its partners out of the supply chain.

  • February 13, 2024

    Detroit Judge Staves Off Ethics Charge Over Lying Witness

    Michigan's judicial watchdog fully dismissed Monday an ethics complaint against a Detroit judge alleging he facilitated perjury from a confidential informant while he was a prosecutor, though two commissioners said there was evidence to support that he lied about knowing the informant's true motivations.

  • February 12, 2024

    Tilray Slammed For 'Secret' Bid To Undo Exec's $4M Award

    A former Tilray executive accused the company of "cloak-and-dagger" legal maneuvering on Monday as she urged a federal judge to let stand her $4 million arbitration victory against the company, arguing that Tilray didn't even wait for her award to be finalized in Minnesota before running to a Washington court to void it.

  • February 12, 2024

    NC High Court Snapshot: Philip Morris Fights Tax Credit Limit

    North Carolina's top court will return in February from an extended hiatus to weigh whether a home healthcare company was correctly ejected from the state's Medicaid program, and if regulators were right to limit state export tax credits for tobacco giant Philip Morris.

  • February 12, 2024

    9th Circ. Urged To Halt Washington State Pot Licensing

    A Michigan resident and a California lawyer vying for one of Washington state's social equity cannabis licenses are urging the Ninth Circuit to block regulators from issuing the licenses because their program allegedly discriminates against out-of-state players.

  • February 12, 2024

    Cannabis Fintech Withheld $500K In $7.5M Deal, Suit Says

    A Washington state-based fintech firm that provides payment solutions to cannabis retailers failed to pay the final $500,000 in a $7.5 million deal to buy a rival company, according to a breach-of-contract suit filed in Seattle federal court.

  • February 12, 2024

    Cannabis Co. Says Conn. Wrongly Denied Social Equity Status

    A Connecticut cannabis retailer is appealing the denial of its application for one of the state's equity joint venture licenses, saying the Social Equity Council went against state law when it found that the company's co-owner no longer qualified as a social equity applicant.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 New Calif. Laws Employers Need To Know

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    Now is a good time for employers to evaluate personnel rules to keep pace with California’s newly adopted employee protections, which go into effect early next year and include laws regarding reproductive loss leave, cannabis use, workplace violence prevention and noncompete agreements, say attorneys at Farella Braun.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: South Korea

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    Numerous ESG trends have materialized in South Korea in the past three years, with impacts ranging from greenwashing prevention and carbon neutrality measures to workplace harassment and board diversity initiatives, say Chang Wook Min and Hyun Chan Jung at Jipyong.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Regulatory Shift May Offer Lifeline To NY's Cannabis Industry

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    Recent developments may help to open up the regulatory log jam and increase the number of licensed dispensaries in New York state, and can eventually allow the licensed cannabis market to win out over unlicensed dispensaries, say attorneys at Davis+Gilbert.

  • Why Hemp-Synthesized Intoxicants Need Uniform Regs

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    State laws regulating hemp-synthesized intoxicants are a patchwork with little consistency between any given state, and without the adoption of a uniform regulatory framework, producers and consumers alike will need to be very cautious, say Dylan Anderson and Seth Goldberg at Duane Morris.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: The UK

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    Following Brexit, the U.K. has adopted a different approach to regulating environmental, social and governance factors from the European Union — an approach that focuses on climate disclosures by U.K.-regulated entities, while steering clear of the more ambitious objectives pursued by the EU, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

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    Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.

  • Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys

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    Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.

  • State Regs Sow Discord Between Cannabis, Hemp Industries

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    Connecticut, Maryland and Washington are the latest states choosing to require intoxicating hemp products to comply with the states' recreational marijuana laws, resulting in a widening rift between cannabis and hemp as Congress works on crafting new hemp legislation within the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill, say attorneys at Wilson Elser.

  • Series

    Playing In A Rock Cover Band Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing in a classic rock cover band has driven me to hone several skills — including focus, organization and networking — that have benefited my professional development, demonstrating that taking time to follow your muse outside of work can be a boon to your career, says Michael Gambro at Cadwalader.

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