Legal Issues

A federal court in California ruled that delta-8 THC is considered legal under the 2018 Farm Bill in a decision for the trademark case AK Futures LLC v. Boyd Street Distro LLC.

The New York Supreme Court determined that a $600 million lawsuit against Acreage Holdings and 30 other defendants can proceed.

A U.S. District Judge in Maryland granted a pretrial motion by federal prosecutors to exclude any mention of the fact that cannabis has been legalized in 18 states from Jonathan Wall’s upcoming drug trafficking case.

While a recent DEA letter appeared to suggest that cannabis material containing less than 0.3% THC is federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, legal experts still caution against sending seeds, clones, and other byproducts by mail.

A Florida judge ruled that Dr. Joseph Dorn didn’t violate state law when he approved two undercover police officers who were posing as PTSD patients for the state’s medical cannabis program.

U.S. officials have not had access to WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner since her February 17 arrest in Russia.

Oregon’s Jackson and Josephine counties will temporarily stop licensing new hemp growers after declaring a local state of emergency regarding cannabis.

The Florida Health Department is seeking to suspend a physician’s medical license after an investigation found he had violated state law when issuing medical cannabis cards.

Ascend Wellness Holdings is countering MedMen’s claims that they held undue influence with New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration during a legal fight about a company takeover.

The New York Office of Cannabis Management has sent cease-and-desist letters to businesses suspected of “gifting” cannabis which is not allowed under state law.

Felony charges of theft and commercial bribery related to hemp licenses were brought against Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s top political consultant Todd Smith.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office declined trademark applications by U.S. Software Inc. for its cannabis software POTIFY. The agency said the trademarks would have diluted trademarks held by the popular music streaming service Spotify.

Two executives for cannabis company CanaFarma Corp. are accused of defrauding investors out of at least $4 million.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of someone arrested with hemp CBD vape cartridges, claiming the state’s hemp law does not extend to liquid mixtures containing THC (even if under the 0.3% THC threshold).

The Securities and Exchange Commission is accusing the co-founders of a company that makes cannabis pill Idrasil of $2 million in securities fraud.

Florida lawmakers questioned the state’s medical cannabis program director last week about the multi-year delay in licensing at least one Black medical cannabis farmer, which was required under a 2017 law.

Federal prosecutors are seeking an 11-year sentence for the former mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts, Jasiel Correia, after he was found guilty of extorting cannabis businesses.

Illinois is holding another cannabis license lottery to include applicants that were erroneously denied opportunities in previous rounds due to what has been described as a clerical oversight.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating whether illegal influence played a role in how the state’s cannabis licenses were awarded after unsuccessful applicants accused successful applicants of corruption.

Theory Wellness in Massachusetts will pay almost $300,000 in restitution and penalties for violating state wage and hour laws.

A Texas man has been indicted on theft charges after allegedly bilking investors out of tens of thousands of dollars he said would be used to purchase a hemp license.

Leafly has filed a legal challenge against restrictions imposed by Florida’s Department of Health which banned Florida dispensaries from utilizing the website’s online ordering tools.

Two California cannabis companies are facing steep fines for breaking state environmental laws including multiple allegations of improper use of pesticides and herbicides, among other charges.