Jesse co-chairs Harris Sliwoski’s Dispute Resolution / Litigation practice group. He has an extensive domestic and international litigation background and has represented clients from a wide range of industries in high stakes disputes. Jesse represents numerous clients in the cannabis industry and he regularly writes on litigation issues involving hemp and CBD. In every dispute, it is Jesse’s goal to find the best and most cost-effective solution for his clients. His analytical mind, excellent writing skills, and steady presence allow him to find unique solutions to complicated domestic and international disputes.
The OLCC announced several changes to the tax compliance rule this weekend at the Cannabis & Psychedelic Section of the Oregon Bar Association’s annual conference (where I was pleased to moderate a panel on the failures of legalization). This rule has been a hot topic in Oregon cannabis for several months and the OLCC will
Oregon marijuana growers dreading the new aspergillus testing rule can exhale (for now). That’s because on Friday, August 25, the Oregon Supreme Court stayed enforcement of the new aspergillus testing rule pending a final hearing on the merits. This is a big deal! Kudos the Cannabis Industry Alliance of Oregon (CIAO) and the co-petitioners who
Oregon’s governor recently vetoed an effort to create a state bank for marijuana businesses, in another blow to the struggling industry. The lack of consistent, equitable access to banking has been recurring issue for Oregon marijuana businesses and those in other states. Federal reform through the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act (SAFE Act) has
In March of this year, the Oregon Health Authority (“OHA”) promulgated a new rule that required testing marijuana for certain microbiological contaminants, including for aspergillus. We wrote about this rule not long after noting that aspergillus—a type of mold that can cause a skin cause a condition called aspergillosis when inhaled or introduced through a
On June 15, 2023, the OLCC approved temporary rules requiring marijuana retailers to obtain a Certificate of Tax Compliance (“Certificate”) from the Oregon Department of Revenue (“DOR”) as a condition for acquiring or renewing a marijuana retailer license, as well as for changes of ownership and adding someone to a license. These new rules resulted
As reported by Sophie Peel of the Willamette Week, on May 16, Governor Kotek issued a directive to the OLCC to make state tax compliance a requirement for the agency to issue or renew cannabis retail licenses. This new tax policy is a direct result of the political fallout from the La Mota scandal, which
We all know the Oregon cannabis industry is struggling. We write often about the causes on a macro level, possible solutions, and what we see as business litigators. We haven’t written much about one of the basic areas of employment law that applies to Oregon marijuana businesses: workers rights to wages and employer responsibilities. As
Cannabis companies, for some reason, seem to love clever names predicated on well-known brands. (See e.g. Zkittlez and Skittles or Bloom and Cool). More often than not, these companies end up in trouble. (See Major Food and Beverage Companies Call Out Marijuana Copycats). Although these companies may try a parody defense, it’s not so easy.
As Minnesota approaches the legalization of marijuana, the Minnesota Supreme Court has just ruled on a case we covered in September 2021. The case involves the difference between hemp and marijuana and a state prosecutor’s burden to prove what side of the line a leafy or liquid cannabis substance falls. As we explained two years
The Safe Banking Act, also known as the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act (SAFE Banking Act), is sorely needed legislation to address the critical issue of financial services being denied to marijuana businesses that operate in the state-legalized industries. We’ve written extensively about the SAFE Banking Act over the past several years. See here,
