In a prior post, we discussed some of the emerging trends for cannabis-related companies that seek bankruptcy protection (click here to view the prior post). But, in the first instance, the question is whether a cannabis-related company can file for bankruptcy relief? This post will examine the first decision from Arizona in the case of
For the past few years, I have been engaged as an expert witness on a series of cannabis litigation matters here in Oregon. The way litigants use experts varies across jurisdictions due to local rules of evidence and other factors, but in any jurisdiction, compelling expert testimony can make or break a case. In this
Just a few days ago the Texas Court of Appeals published an opinion concerning smokable hemp. Before getting into the ruling, let’s review what happened in Texas after enactment of the 2018 Farm Bill. In 2019, the Texas Legislature enacted statutory provisions regulating certain hemp products. Among the statutes was a law prohibiting any state
A hemp grower in Jackson County, Oregon has filed suit against the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) over failure to issue hemp registrations and against the Jackson County Sheriff to prevent the destruction of its hemp. We’ve written on about the difficulties hemp farmers face when law enforcement seeks to destroy, or does destroy, a
As the country moves toward decriminalizing and even legalizing marijuana, federal courts largely remain closed to commercial disputes involving marijuana by operation of the illegality defense. We’ve written about the defense on several occasions, see here and here. Briefly, the illegality defense is an affirmative defense pleaded by a defendant who has been sued for
The State of Washington strictly regulates the relationships between marijuana producers and processors, on the one hand, and marijuana retailers, on the other. Many states permit the same persons to hold financial interests in all three types of licenses. But not Washington. Under RCW 69.50.328, neither a licensed marijuana producer nor a licensed marijuana processor
Hemp farming is big business in southern Oregon. The investment needed to successfully plant, grow, harvest, and sell a hemp crop is substantial—in terms of both time money. Risks like drought, fire, pests, theft, and depressed prices add up to a business environment not for the faint of heart. Compounding these stressors are the risks
On May 3, the District Court for the District of Columbia ( “trial court”) dismissed a petition filed by the Hemp Industries Association and others (“Petitioners”) challenging a DEA interim final rule (the “Rule”) that amended its regulations following the enactment of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (“2018 Farm Bill”). Although not a good
This post discusses the use of the federal “illegality defense” in connection with third-party subpoenas in litigation. Let’s start with a review of the illegality defense. Cannabis litigators, investors, and companies who decide to file a lawsuit arising out of a business transaction likely are familiar with the “illegality defense.” An initial question is choosing
Most people know that any party to litigation unquestionably owes an “uncompromising duty to preserve” what they know or reasonably should know may be relevant evidence in their lawsuit. What they don’t know is this is true before any discovery requests are served, and sometimes, even before the complaint is filed. Here’s a primer on
