A hard lesson was learned after cannabis was discovered in a suitcase at the airport: the government does not have to prove cannabis is marijuana to convict you of trafficking in marijuana. A new case recently clarified that the legal burden shifts and requires the accused to produce evidence that
Continue Reading Hemp in Your Suitcase Can Get You Convicted of Trafficking in Marijuana
According to reporting from Kyle Jaegar of Marijuana Moment, the federal government aims to finish its review of marijuana’s current legal status by the end of 2023, based on remarks from the head of the U.S. Department of Health of Human Services (HHS), Secretary Xavier Becerra. Becerra told Marijuana
Continue Reading Federal Legalization of Marijuana May Be Closer Than You Think
For financial institutions who engage in marijuana-related banking services, the primary compliance challenge remains the disconnect between federal and state law, as it is still illegal to manufacture, distribute, or dispense marijuana under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Continue Reading Marijuana & Banking: What’s the Hold Up? Part 2 – Compliance Challenges
While States Continue to Regulate Employers’ Right to Refuse to Hire, Discipline, or Terminate Employees Based on Their On- and Off-Duty Marijuana Use, Some Legal Tools Remain for Maintaining Drug-Free Employees and Workplaces.
Continue Reading Use of Cannabis by Workers in Safety-Sensitive Positions
This is the second installment in a three-part series exploring issues in cannabis and bankruptcy. In this episode, we’ll dive into bankruptcy protections available to businesses, including a case in which the Bankruptcy Court rejected a categorical prohibition for all debtors with any connection to marijuana.
Continue Reading Podcast: Cannabis and Bankruptcy, Ep. 2: Considerations for Businesses
The increasing number of states legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medical use raises critical questions regarding if and how insurance coverage should be made available with respect to auto or other general property and casualty insurance claims involving damages or injuries that occur when a person is under the influence of marijuana.
Continue Reading Ohio Appellate Decision Tackles Excluded Coverage For Marijuana Use
It’s no secret that pockets of the cannabis industry are experiencing financial distress, and this is generating fear and concern for marijuana licensees and their lenders as well.
Continue Reading Podcast: Cannabis and Bankruptcy, Ep. 1: Considerations for Individuals
Exciting news for New Yorkers came on March 28, 2023, when the Second Circuit Court of Appeals entered an Order in the Variscite NY One case, lifting the injunction that prevented the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) from issuing Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses in several New York State
Continue Reading Court Lifts Injunction on NY Cannabis Licenses, Clearing Path for More Dispensaries
Today, nearly four-fifths of the United States have regulated medical marijuana markets. Nearly half of the United States, consisting of twenty-one states along with Washington, D.C. and Guam, have acted to legalize recreational adult-use marijuana. However, the possession, distribution, and sale of marijuana remains illegal under federal law, which means any contact with money that can be traced back to state-legal marijuana operations could still be considered money laundering and expose a bank to significant legal, operational, and regulatory risk.
Continue Reading Marijuana & Banking: What’s the Hold Up? Part 1 – Conflicting Legal Landscapes
Recently an individual employed by Trulieve Inc., who was responsible for grinding and handling cannabis at Trulieve’s cultivation site in Massachusetts, died due to asthma-related complications following exposure to “occupational quantities of whole and ground cannabis,” according to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hazard letter issued in June 2022. Under a settlement agreement with OSHA, Trulieve agreed to study the potential hazards of ground marijuana dust.
Continue Reading Employers Subject to Workplace Safety Laws Despite Marijuana’s Illegal Status