Since acting Attorney General Todd Blanch announced that state-legal medical marijuana would move to Schedule III, the commentary has been relentless — hot takes, doomsayers, and self-proclaimed experts flooding LinkedIn with conflicting interpretations. Much of it is speculative, overstated, and uneducated. This piece cuts through the noise and responds to the questions I have fielded
For state-licensed medical marijuana operators, a narrow and potentially transformative window has opened–one that could position your business for future interstate and even global trade. While the Acting Attorney General’s rescheduling order is likely to face legal challenges, the immediate reality is this: you have a 60-day opportunity to act. As of yesterday, April 28,
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
U.S. joins much of the world in acknowledging medical marijuana The U.S. has joined much of the world in acknowledging medical marijuana. Let international trading begin! Effective April 28, 2026, the acting Attorney General “hereby order[s] that FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana, as well marijuana in any form covered by a state medical marijuana license,
Harris Sliwoski is pleased to announce that Christian Sederberg has joined the firm as Of Counsel. Based in our Denver, Colorado office, Christian brings decades of experience advising businesses, policymakers, and industry leaders across a range of complex regulatory and transactional matters, with a particular focus on the cannabis industry. Christian is widely recognized as
Next week, Harris Sliwoski LLP attorney Jason Adelstone will be attending the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin, where he is looking forward to connecting with international cannabis businesses, investors, and regulatory experts from around the world. Why ICBC Berlin Matters for the Global Cannabis Market As the global cannabis market continues to expand, ICBC
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
Harris Sliwoski LLP attorney Jason Adelstone will be moderating a panel at the upcoming Industrial Hemp International Conference and Trade Show, in Denver, Colorado. Jason will be joined on the panel by attorney David Sergi and political consultant Kevin Lampe. Their session, “Legal Reality Check: Cannabinoids, Compliance, and Enforcement in a Shifting U.S. Landscape,” will
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
Most commentary on the “hemp ban” included in the November funding bill has focused on two related questions: (1) which products and activities may become unlawful on November 12, 2026; and (2) whether Congress will materially amend or delay the ban before then. I recently discussed another consequence operators should be considering as the deadline
