Legal Issues

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.

The California Supreme Court ruled that incarcerated individuals cannot possess cannabis under the state’s 2016 adult-use initiative, overturning a lower appellate court ruling.

A federal judge on Monday permanently blocked Capna Intellectual from using a product logo after a legal challenge by Kool cigarette brand owner ITG Brands.

Julio Jones and former Atlanta Falcons teammate Roddy White are being sued in connection with money laundering and fraud for the alleged harvesting and selling of over $3 million a month of cannabis on the unregulated market.

Helios Raphael Dayspring, the former owner of a California cannabis retailer, has been charged in federal court with bribery and failing to report millions of dollars in income to the Internal Revenue Service.

A Las Cruces, New Mexico business has reopened after receiving a cease-and-desist order from the state Cannabis Control Division for “gifting” cannabis to customers.

The Roanoke, Virginia Board of Commissioners voted to prohibit both medical and adult cannabis use from public housing managed by the city.

WellgreensCA, Inc. in San Diego, California pled guilty last week to illegally dumping a 55-gallon drum of waste ethanol.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal case brought by California cannabis companies seeking to challenge their severe tax bills under Section 280E due to delayed paperwork.

An appeal of Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code filed by California-based Harborside Health Center was rejected in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday.

A federal U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the firing of a Chicago-based former Postal Service employee after they appeared to make an illegal cannabis purchase in 2017.

New Jersey’s highest court ruled this week that a construction company must comp the monthly medical cannabis bill of an injured employee, upholding an appellate court ruling from last year.

Green Thumb Industries is reportedly the subject of a federal investigation over possible pay-to-play violations during the licensing process. The company called the allegations baseless and said it is unaware of any such investigation.