This would be a good time to review the branding protection avenues available to cannabis business owners, and to discuss celebrity branding. There are three main ways a brand owner can establish trademark rights: By using the mark in connection with their goods or services (legally) in commerce; By registering the mark with the United
Three years after Thailand became the first Asian nation to decriminalize cannabis, its groundbreaking policy may collapse under political turmoil. The recent exit of the pro-cannabis Bhumjaithai Party from the ruling coalition, has left prohibitionists in control. Political instability threatens everything Thailand’s Parliament faces potential dissolution amid calls for Prime Minister Paetongtarn’s removal following a
In the never-ending loop of federal marijuana reform debates, one crucial fact keeps getting overlooked: the Attorney General (AG) has the power to reschedule marijuana. Right now. No act of Congress. No HHS review. No rulemaking marathon. Just a signature. Under 21 U.S.C. § 811(d)(1), the AG can unilaterally reschedule marijuana to better align U.S.
You may have seen this article or some other article yesterday or today, covering the Ontario Supreme Court’s recent certification of a national class action lawsuit against Aurora Cannabis. The defendant entities are all part of the same conglomerate, with Aurora Cannabis Inc. being the parent. You can view their vast array of cannabis products
Running a cannabis business is difficult and many people fail. These ventures bottom out for myriad reasons, although owners tend to blame federal law issues first of all. It’s true that federal law creates a tough environment for cannabis businesses (tax issues, market saturation, geographic constraints, etc.), but federal prohibition also has kept big money
We’re proud to share that attorney Jason Adelstone will be a featured panelist at this year’s Cannabis Law Institute (CLI 2025), hosted by the International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA). Taking place June 12–13, 2025 at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, CLI 2025 is widely recognized as the leading annual conference for cannabis
Time for another Oregon cannabis roundup. Time to cover some important legislative and OLCC updates, specifically. Legislative updates Senate Bill 558 Governor Tina Kotek signed this bill into law last week, on May 28th. There are some key differences to the law signed by Kotek and the version of SB 558 that I previewed in
In yet another setback for hemp and marijuana-adjacent businesses, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has quietly reintroduced a policy that effectively disqualifies most of them from critical federal loan programs. The updated policy, effective June 1, has far-reaching consequences for small businesses operating in compliance with state law (and for some, in compliance with
In fall of 2023 I wrote about the lawsuit to end federal prohibition that wouldn’t really end federal prohibition. Last July, a federal district court ruled against Canna Provisions et al. in that case. On Wednesday, May 27th, the First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s ruling. The First Circuit decision means the
In cannabis contract negotiations, it’s common for the parties to execute an early-stage document called a letter of intent (“LOI”). An LOI may also be called a term sheet; naming it one over the other has no legal significance. I love these little agreements and today I will tell you why. LOIs are used in
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