Last week at the International Asian Hemp Expo in Thailand, I witnessed the remarkable energy and potential of a country that has boldly positioned itself at the forefront of cannabis reform in Asia. The conversations I had with operators, policymakers, and international stakeholders revealed extraordinary innovation and entrepreneurship, while also highlighting opportunities to strengthen Thailand’s
Minnesota is the latest state to develop a secondary market for cannabis license sales. I’d call the Minnesota market “robust”, except that the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) hasn’t issued all that many licenses in the first place. Still, one source recently estimated “at least 80” licenses recently posted for sale. It’s a real thing.
This Wednesday, November 5, Harris Sliwoski attorney Jason Adelstone will present at AIHEF 2025 on the future of Thailand’s cannabis industry. Jason will discuss how a well-regulated Thai cannabis sector could become a leading medical supplier and a major catalyst for reform across Asia. At the same time, Thailand’s current approach of rescheduling cannabis without
We continue to represent myriad buyers and sellers of OLCC marijuana licenses. At any given time, we are running 10-12 of these transactions, and sometimes more, as we have for many years. Recently, there have been a few changes worth noting, particularly as to the OLCC protocols. I’ll touch briefly on other market dynamics, too.
The lower-potency hemp edible licensing window is open, through October 31st Last month, I gave a big picture status update on cannabis licensing in Minnesota, highlighting the application window for lower-potency hemp edible (LPHE) licensing. LPHE products are a very hot market in Minnesota, and have been for a while. The LPHE application window opened
Yesterday late afternoon, Oregon cannabis wholesaler Jefferson Packing House (JPH) filed another dormant commerce clause (DCC) challenge to protectionist state cannabis laws. You can view the complaint here. I say “another” DCC challenge because JPH prosecuted DCC litigation in late 2022; and also because several DCC cannabis lawsuits have been filed in recent years, with
On October 8th, voters of Caye Caulker will make history as they head to the polls for Belize’s first-ever community cannabis referendum. This grassroots initiative, spearheaded by the “Legalize It Caye Caulker” campaign led by village councilor Ilya Rosado, asks voters whether the Government of Belize should establish a regulated, taxable cannabis industry on the
Thailand’s political landscape shifted decisively on September 5, 2025, when Anutin Charnvirakul secured appointment as Prime Minister with support from 311 of 492 House Representatives. Under an agreement with the People’s Party, Anutin will serve a four-month term before calling new elections—a brief window that could prove pivotal for the nation’s cannabis industry. For cannabis
Over the years, I’ve heard many variations on a certain comment I’d like to address. The comment is: “I thought of calling you for the project, but it wasn’t a cannabis matter.” It’s a real gut shot, hearing those innocent words. I fully understand why someone would think they need a non-cannabis attorney to handle
FinCEN drops new marijuana-related business banking data The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is a bureau in the U.S. Department of Treasury. Last week, it published updated Marijuana Related Business (MRB) Metrics. The metrics are current through December 2024. The update was a little surprising, in the sense that FinCEN seemed to abandon its regular
