Cannabis

  • June 03, 2024

    Court Tosses Challenge To Wash. Pot Licensure Plan

    A Washington federal judge has tossed a challenge to the residency restrictions of the state's cannabis social equity program, saying that the dormant commerce clause argument advanced by an out-of-state litigant is unpersuasive since pot is federally illegal.

  • June 03, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Delaware's Court of Chancery pushed out tons of decisions last week, along with a second round of new rules and letters of concern over pending changes to the state's corporate law code. The court's docket was as busy as ever, with new cases involving Tesla CEO Elon Musk, FTX cryptocurrency claims, and more. In case you missed it, here's the latest from Delaware's Chancery Court.

  • June 03, 2024

    Ex-Conn. Dispensary Supervisor Drops Transgender Bias Suit

    A former supervisor at a Branford, Connecticut, cannabis dispensary has withdrawn her claims that her colleagues targeted her for being transgender and tried to get her in trouble at work by falsely claiming she was high on the job, targeting that allegedly led to her termination.

  • June 03, 2024

    Calif. Justices Free Woman From Misdemeanor Pot Charges

    The California Supreme Court has thrown out misdemeanor cannabis-related charges against an 85-year-old woman, finding the trial court was within its discretion to consider her lack of knowledge of the unlicensed operation happening in her building.

  • June 01, 2024

    Blockbuster Summer: 10 Big Issues Justices Still Must Decide

    As the calendar flips over to June, the U.S. Supreme Court still has heaps of cases to decide on issues ranging from trademark registration rules to judicial deference and presidential immunity. Here, Law360 looks at 10 of the most important topics the court has yet to decide.

  • May 31, 2024

    Vape Co. Can't Toss Breeze Smoke's Claims In IP Row

    An Illinois federal judge has rejected vape pen maker Midwest Goods' bid to throw out counterclaims that it infringed competitor Breeze Smoke's trade dress and a design patent, while also denying a bid from Breeze Smoke for a preliminary injunction.

  • May 31, 2024

    DC Circ. Judge Ponders NLRB Jurisdiction Over 'Criminal' Biz

    The D.C. Circuit determined that the National Labor Relations Board lacked enough evidence to find a cannabis company illegally fired a pro-union employee, with one judge questioning the board's jurisdiction over a "criminal enterprise."

  • May 31, 2024

    LA Renews Bid To Toss Mich. Man's Pot Equity Licensing Suit

    The city of Los Angeles is once again asking a California federal court to dismiss a Michigan man's challenge to the residency requirement of its social equity cannabis license program, saying the Constitution's dormant commerce clause doesn't apply.

  • May 31, 2024

    FDA Seeks Fines Over Elf Bar E-Cigarette Sales

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said that it is seeking civil money penalties from nine stores and one online retailer for selling Elf Bar e-cigarettes, after previously warning them about sales of unauthorized tobacco products.

  • May 30, 2024

    9th Circ. Says Cannabis Co. Can Retry Suit Over Lamp Fire

    A Washington cannabis company whose Spokane Valley growing facility was burned down, allegedly due to faulty indoor grow lamps, will get one last shot at suing the company which made the lights, the Ninth Circuit ruled, warning the cannabis company to be "mindful" when filing.

  • May 30, 2024

    Colo. Justice Says Outside Watchdog Key For Judicial Ethics

    A Colorado Supreme Court justice said Thursday that third-party oversight of judges' conduct was crucial to maintaining the public's trust in the legal system, speaking as part of an American Bar Association panel that touched on recent controversies, including those involving U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and his wife.

  • May 30, 2024

    Chancery Rejects Do-Over Of THC-Drink Co. Legal Fee Fight

    Two directors of a cannabis-infused drink startup who sued the Minnesota-based company for unpaid legal fees will not get a second chance to argue that they deserve more than what the court already awarded, Delaware's Court of Chancery said Thursday.

  • May 30, 2024

    Minn. Gov. Signs Law For Earlier Cannabis Industry Launch

    Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has signed a bill that imposes a number of changes to the state's marijuana law, including provisions that could allow social equity cannabis applicants to start cultivating the plant for the new market by the end of the year.

  • May 30, 2024

    Conn. Judge Axes Pot Dispensary Permit Challenge

    A collection of Stamford, Connecticut, citizens has no right to appeal a court-approved settlement between the city's zoning board and a cannabis company, which allows Sweetspot Stamford LLC to operate a retail dispensary, a state court judge has ruled.

  • May 30, 2024

    Pa. Court Blocks State's Recall Over Cannabis Vape Additives

    The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court has permanently blocked the state Department of Health from enforcing a 2022 recall of medical cannabis products containing certain additives, on the grounds that the department's reversal on the additives' approval was a "de facto regulation" that was enacted without the proper procedures.

  • May 29, 2024

    Pot Co. Must Face Calif. City's Counterclaims In License Battle

    A California cannabis company and entrepreneur can't escape counterclaims that they failed to pay fees associated with a commercial license to sell in the city of Baldwin Park — the same municipality whose officials they claim helped swindle him out of nearly $1 million — a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

  • May 29, 2024

    Pot Co. Stiiizy Accused Of Marketing Unsafe High-THC Wares

    California cannabis giant Stiiizy has been accused of marketing dangerous high-potency THC products to young people, allegedly resulting in cannabis-induced psychosis in one user who brought a product liability and fraud suit Wednesday in Northern California state court.

  • May 29, 2024

    3 More Burns & Levinson Attys Join Blank Rome In Boston

    Less than one month after Blank Rome LLP announced it had opened its Boston office with 25 corporate and finance attorneys from Burns & Levinson LLP, another three Burns & Levinson partners have joined the firm.

  • May 29, 2024

    Anheuser-Busch, Tilray Fight Beer Sale Injunction Bid

    Anheuser-Busch InBev and Tilray Brands Inc. want a New York federal court to deny an injunction to a distributor alleging they are interfering with its contract to exclusively export craft beers, saying the contract is unenforceable and the potential harm is only speculative.

  • May 28, 2024

    Wash. Justices Doubt Atty's Response In Disbarment Case

    Washington State justices were skeptical Tuesday of an appeal from an attorney facing disbarment who asserts that he did nothing wrong in response to misconduct allegations including that he embezzled from investors in a failed venture to build a cannabis industrial park.

  • May 28, 2024

    Smoke Co. Says Colo. Rival Stepping All Over 'Juicy' TM

    The maker of Juicy Jays and Raw rolling papers said a Colorado cannabis company is stepping on its branding, using its well-established product names to sell prerolled joints and marijuana concentrates to deceive consumers, according to a federal lawsuit.

  • May 28, 2024

    Juul Gets PTAB To Examine Rival's Vape Patents

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has sided with Juul Labs Inc. in a trio of decisions over electronic vape technology, refusing to review one of its patents while granting the company's challenges to two patents owned by another business.

  • May 28, 2024

    NC Pot Distributor Must Arbitrate Spat With 'Amazon Of Hemp'

    A cannabis distribution company has to arbitrate its case against an online retailer over a distribution agreement that went south, the North Carolina Business Court has ruled, finding the contract contained an "expansive" arbitration clause that includes the claims at issue.

  • May 28, 2024

    Calif. Judge Cops To Ethics Charges, Agrees To Step Down

    A California judge censured and barred for multiple ethics violations, including drug use, inappropriate personal relationships with attorneys and making inappropriate comments, including antisemitic remarks, about litigants and attorneys, has resigned as of Monday.

  • May 28, 2024

    Davis Wright Recruits Kelley Drye FDA Practice Chair In DC

    Davis Wright Tremaine LLP said Tuesday that the head of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP's Food and Drug Administration practice group has joined the firm as an advertising and food and drug law partner in Washington, D.C.

Expert Analysis

  • Blunders That Made 'Bakked' Cannabis TM Go Up In Smoke

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    The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s recent denial of National Concessions Group’s application to register the mark “BAKKED” illustrates mistakes that cannabis companies must be wary of in pursuing federal registration as examiners may look beyond the four corners of an application, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Level Up Lawyers' Business Development With Gamification

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    With employee engagement at a 10-year low in the U.S., there are several gamification techniques marketing and business development teams at law firms can use to make generating new clients and matters more appealing to lawyers, says Heather McCullough at Society 54.

  • Mallory Ruling Leaves Personal Jurisdiction Deeply Unsettled

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    In Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway, a closely divided U.S. Supreme Court recently rolled back key aspects of its 2017 opinion in Daimler AG v. Bauman that limited personal jurisdiction, leaving as many questions for businesses as it answers, say John Cerreta and James Rotondo at Day Pitney.

  • Series

    NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Compliance Updates In Q2

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    Among the most significant developments from last quarter, New York regulators and policymakers focused on advancing changes to the supervisory framework for banks after the failure of Signature Bank and continued efforts to keep the Empire State at the forefront of digital asset industry regulation, says Will Giles at Cravath.

  • NY, NJ Regs Give Clarity To Cannabis Investors, Ancillaries

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    Proposed laws and regulations in New York and New Jersey would clarify some previously murky legal waters, thus expanding the ability of investors, lenders and ancillary service providers to work with marijuana business in these states, say David Waxman and Heidi Urness at McGlinchey Stafford.

  • 5 Ways Firms Can Rethink Office Design In A Hybrid World

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    As workplaces across the country adapt to flexible work, law firms must prioritize individuality, amenities and technology in office design, says Kristin Cerutti at Nelson Worldwide.

  • New Law Will Upend Washington's CBD Industry

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    Though many questions remain on a Washington law set to go into effect this month that will require retailers to obtain licensure to sell federally legal CBD, the statute’s economic impacts are sure to be enormous, says Jack Scrantom at Harris Bricken.

  • Opinion

    Bar Score Is Best Hiring Metric Post-Affirmative Action

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling striking down affirmative action admissions policies, law firms looking to foster diversity in hiring should view an applicant's Multistate Bar Examination score as the best metric of legal ability — over law school name or GPA, says attorney Alice Griffin.

  • FDA Trends Show Compliance Priorities For Supplement Cos.

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    Several recent developments at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration affecting dietary supplements provide practical insight into why companies should focus their compliance and risk management operations on the fundamentals, says Nicholas Diamond at Jackson Walker.

  • Ghosting In BigLaw: How To Come Back From Lack Of Feedback

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    Junior associates can feel powerless when senior colleagues cut off contact instead of providing useful feedback, but young attorneys can get back on track by focusing on practical professional development and reexamining their career priorities, says Rachel Patterson at Orrick.

  • Novel NLRB Action Highlights Aggressive Noncompete Stance

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    While a first-of-its-kind noncompete complaint filed by the National Labor Relations Board general counsel against a Michigan cannabis processor recently resulted in a private settlement, the action shows how broadly the general counsel views her authority over such covenants and how vigorously she intends to exercise it, say Erik Weibust and Erin Schaefer at Epstein Becker.

  • Steps To Success For Senior Associates

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Adriana Paris at Rissman Barrett discusses the increased responsibilities and opportunities that becoming a senior associate brings and what attorneys in this role should prioritize to flourish in this stressful but rewarding next level in their careers.

  • Cannabis Seed Importation Carries CBP Enforcement Risks

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    Though cannabis seed importation may be arguably legal, potential importers — such the recent MMJ-Global Cannabis partnership to bring cannabis THC products into the U.S. — risk action from U.S. Customs and Border Protection until the agency issues an official ruling on cannabis seed admissibility, say Adams Lee and Vince Sliwoski at Harris Bricken.

  • Legal Profession Must Do More For Lawyers With Disabilities

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    At the start of Disability Pride month, Rosalyn Richter at Arnold & Porter looks at why lawyers with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in private practice, asserting that law firms and other employers must do more to conquer the implicit bias that deters attorneys from seeking accommodations.

  • Opinion

    Appellate Funding Disclosure: No Mandate Is Right Choice

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    The Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules' recent decision, forgoing a mandatory disclosure rule for litigation funding in federal appeals, is prudent, as third-party funding is only involved in a minuscule number of federal cases, and courts have ample authority to obtain funding information if necessary, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

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