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
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
In June 2023, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed SB 23-271 (codified in C.R.S. 25-5-427 and regulated by 6 CCR 1010-24), a landmark bill regulating intoxicating hemp products in the state. This legislation followed recommendations from the Intoxicating Hemp Task Force, which was established a year earlier under SB 22-205. At a time when many states
Ability to source marijuana genetic material from outside Colorado Senate Bill 23-271, which went into effect in early 2024, aims to enhance Colorado’s marijuana industry. A key provision allows licensed marijuana cultivators to source “genetic material” from approved entities in other jurisdictions. Genetic material is defined as material used to propagate cannabis plants, including: Immature
The fluctuating levels of reported THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in cannabis products have sparked discussions and concerns within the industry. Contrary to popular belief, the decline in tested THC levels does not necessarily indicate a decrease in potency. We examine the reasons behind this phenomenon, exploring how changes in testing protocols, sample selection, and laboratory practices contribute
I work with many manufacturers and distributors of hemp-derived products and am often surprised by the fact that few understand their general obligations beyond labeling requirements. Every state that authorizes and formally regulates the manufacture, distribution, and sale of these products – Colorado is a good example – imposes stringent manufacturing requirements that squarely align
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
While the Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) continues to drag its feet in forging a legal path for the manufacture, sale, and distribution of hemp-derived products, state regulators are keeping up with the demands of this evolving market and adopting increasingly more nuanced and more sophisticated regulations for these products. Several states, including Oregon
Colorado-based United Cannabis Corporation (“UCANN”) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 22. Regular readers may recall that UCANN is the plaintiff in the first ever cannabis patent protection case which generally concerned liquid cannabinol formulations of a purified CBD and/or THC greater than 95%. That litigation is now stayed (paused) as a result
Utah is a unique state for a variety of reasons, but recently it gained additional notoriety because the “world leader in essential oils” (based on global revenue), Young Living Essential Oils, announced it acquired Colorado-based Nature’s Ultra. Nature’s Ultra owns more than 1,500 acres of hemp farms in Colorado and produces “natural, organic, vegan approved,
