Vince is an award-winning business lawyer, problem solver and dealmaker. His clients run the gamut from individual investors and entrepreneurs to widely held domestic and international corporations. Based in Portland, Oregon, he is Managing Partner of Harris Sliwoski and Editor of the Canna Law Blog and the Psychedelics Law Blog.
The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) published an interesting bulletin this Tuesday, June 16th. The bulletin finds that DEA’s final rule on medical marijuana rescheduling “does not appear to apply to Washington’s cannabis licensees, due to the statutory framework predominantly regulating recreational cannabis.” The word “predominantly” is doing a lot of work in
Minnesota continues to refine its cannabis framework with an Omnibus Cannabis Bill affecting licensed cannabis (marijuana) businesses, hemp operators and medical patients. The new package was signed by Governor Waltz last week. Some of the changes are effective immediately, while others take effect January 1, 2027. It’s common for state cannabis programs to evolve through
The Minnesota cannabis program is online and rolling out slowly. Too slowly, in this writer’s humble opinion. That said, a handful of tribal dispensaries have been operating since 2023, and adult use sales at non-tribal shops began in September 2025. To the good, sales are ticking up each month. In April, the Office of Cannabis
It’s been a while since we wrote a “brass tacks” post on Oregon cannabis licensing. This blog post will cover some FAQs, from the perspective of an attorney who has worked on hundreds of these deals, since the very first licenses were transferred. Is OLCC issuing new marijuana licenses? Yes, but on a “one in
The DOJ Final Order on marijuana rescheduling dropped last week. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche ordered that “FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana, as well [as] marijuana in any form covered by a state medical marijuana license, be placed in schedule III of the CSA.” The Order went further than many of us anticipated. It also
We got a new FDA cannabis enforcement memo on Wednesday, April 1, regarding “hemp-derived CBD research in medical research models.” The general thrust is FDA’s assurance that it won’t interfere with a new federal initiative, which covers up to $500 of hemp-derived products for eligible Medicare patients. That initiative is called the Substance Access Beneficiary
Sine die came for Oregon’s 2026 legislative session last Friday, March 6th. I previewed the roster of cannabis bills in play back on February 12th. Two of them passed; two of them failed. Below is a recap of the action, with links to each bill in the headers. HB 4139 (FAILED) This was the session’s
In the last year or two, we have seen a growing number of marijuana businesses take the position that IRC 280E no longer applies to them. Some of these businesses have taken that position in consultation with lawyers and CPAs. This shift in strategy predates Trump’s Executive Order of December 18, 2025, to reschedule marijuana
Oregon’s 2026 legislative session began last week on February 2. The biennial “short session” will last but 35 days, and focus on budget shortfalls, transportation and housing—which is to say that cannabis is not a priority. That said, of the 300 or so introduced bills, there are four cannabis-related submissions. That’s where I come in.
Last month, we hosted a webinar on federal cannabis law and policy in 2026. While things are not where we’d like them to be, it’s amazing to consider everything that has happened over the years. From a lawyering perspective, it’s almost unbelievable. I have worked as a business lawyer in the cannabis industry for over
