If you missed our October 8 webinar, DEA Enforcement in a Changing Cannabis Landscape: Rescheduling, Hemp, and What Comes Next, the recording is now available to watch. Harris Sliwoski LLP Partner Jason Adelstone was joined by Matthew John Strait, former Deputy Assistant Administrator in the DEA’s Diversion Control Division; Mark Caplin, Founder and CEO of
Recently on the podcast High Spirits: The Cannabis Business Podcast, I discussed how cannabis legalization can occur through executive action, not just congressional action. This post will expand on what we discussed on the podcast. My co-founder, Amna Shamim, and I started Project Four 2029 to engage with presidential and congressional candidates ahead of the
Join us on October 8, 2026, for DEA Enforcement in a Changing Cannabis Landscape: Rescheduling, Hemp, and What Comes Next, a free webinar examining what the evolving federal cannabis landscape could mean for cannabis and hemp businesses. The discussion will feature: Jason Adelstone, Partner at Harris Sliwoski LLP; Matthew John Strait, former Deputy Assistant Administrator
Earlier this week, the House passed a short-term funding bill that postpones the federal ban on hemp-derived THC products. President Trump signed the ban into law last year; it was scheduled to take effect November 12th. This Wednesday, however, Trump signed off on the Congressional extension, pushed by his Administration, which means the ban is
Cannabis law has never been more contradictory. In the U.S., federal and state governments often regulate identical products under completely different legal frameworks. Hemp and marijuana can produce the same intoxicating effects, yet lawmakers treat them as fundamentally different. Medical marijuana now occupies a unique place under federal law while adult use marijuana remains prohibited.
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
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
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
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
Most commentary on the “hemp ban” included in the November funding bill has focused on two, related considerations: (1) which products and activities will become unlawful on November 12, 2026, and (2) whether Congress will materially amend, or delay, the ban before then. While that focus is understandable, it overlooks a critical, and more immediate,
