Vince Sliwoski

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.

dea marijuana rescheduling

Thoughts on DEA’s Marijuana Rescheduling Hearing Announcement (Dec. 2)

Yesterday, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) near-noticed a hearing for its marijuana rescheduling proposal. The hearing would begin on December 2, 2024 at 9 a.m. ET, and may span multiple days or even weeks. The announcement came via an unpublished “notice of hearing on proposed rulemaking” (NOH). The final NOH is set for publication this

minnesota cannabis

Minnesota Could Be a Great Cannabis State

We have been following Minnesota’s progress on cannabis legalization for a while here at the law firm. It’s a state with huge potential, and reports from our attorneys at CannaCon last weekend were glowing. As a native Minnesotan (Duluth; Moorhead) who frequently returns to the state, I’m personally rooting hard. There is a lot to

Illustration of a person smiling, wearing sunglasses with the American flag pattern, in front of a background with white stars and cannabis leaves. The letter "B" in a red circle is on the right. This vibrant scene subtly nods to Kamala Harris's progressive stance.

Grading the Presidential Candidates on Marijuana: Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris is a heavy favorite for Democratic Presidential nominee, now that Joe Biden has dropped out of the race and endorsed her. This means we should re-open our short series on the 2024 Presidential candidates and marijuana. I thought we were done with this stuff. We can trot out some deep cuts with Kamala

marijuana rescheduling

Heads Up! DEA Wants to Hear from You on Marijuana Rescheduling by July 22

In case you haven’t heard, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) wants to hear from you on marijuana rescheduling. Specifically, DEA invites your comments on its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to move both marijuana and marijuana extract from schedule I to schedule III of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The comment submission deadline is

cannabis law misinformation

Cannabis Law is Chaotic: Avoiding Misinformation Online

The internet is a badlands of misinformation on cannabis law and policy. Less than stellar takes may be amplified on news sites, giving them a veneer of authority. Social media platforms, from X to LinkedIn (where all the pros are said to be) don’t have nonsense filters. This dynamic is not new! However, things reached

oregon hemp vendor license

Oregon Hemp Alert: New Vendor License Requirement Takes Effect July 1

New Oregon hemp rules take effect next week. As of Monday, July 1, 2024, all hemp retailers or wholesalers who store, transfer or sell industrial hemp or hemp items for resale to another person must have a hemp vendor license from the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). The vendor license fee is $100 annually and

dea letter

Is It Legal, or Not? What to Make of All These DEA “Position” Letters

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seems happy to respond to public and private parties inquiring about the control status of various substances. DEA answers some of these inquiries more quickly than others, and the response letters are usually short and to the point. The letters typically come from the desk of Terrence L. Boos, Ph.D.,

cannabis banking

A New Angle on Cannabis Banking Protections

Sometimes I’ll write about cannabis banking when I’m working on a project for a bank or credit union, but newsworthy developments on cannabis banking seldom seem to drop. Yesterday, however, we had a development worth covering: a Congressional Subcommittee added cannabis banking protections to a critical government spending bill. A GOP-chaired Subcommittee, no less. Marijuana

marijuana-specific controls

F*** the Treaties: Rescheduling and “Marijuana-Specific Controls”

Marijuana-specific controls in schedule III? The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) published its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NOPR”) last week to much fanfare. The NOPR would reschedule marijuana, “marijuana extract” and “naturally derived delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinols” from schedule I to schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). But that’s not all. In my very quick analysis

schedule III

BREAKING NEWS: DEA Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Move Marijuana to Schedule III

Today is another historic day in the history of cannabis control and regulation. In a much anticipated announcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to reschedule marijuana, from Controlled Substances Act (CSA) schedule I to schedule III (the “Proposed Rule”). We have covered the implications of a schedule III placement