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.
While most attention has focused on the recently concluded marijuana rescheduling hearing, an equally significant legal battle has unfolded in the D.C. Circuit over the final rescheduling order ("Final Order"). Petitioners, the Department of Justice, newly intervening parties, and amici participants have exchanged a series of briefs over the past month. Those filings may ultimately
Tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. PT, Harris Sliwoski attorney Jason Adelstone will join fellow cannabis industry professionals for a live webinar, The Cannabis Brief LIVE: Cannabis Rescheduling After the Hearing. The discussion will examine where federal cannabis rescheduling stands following the DEA administrative hearing process, what recent developments mean for the industry, and what cannabis
On April 28, 2026, Acting Attorney General Blanche (“AG”) issued a notice of hearing concerning the proposed rule to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). The notice replaced the hearing that began in December 2024 (“2024 Hearing”), which the AG terminated upon issuing the new notice. The
On May 22, the states of Nebraska, Indiana, and Louisiana filed a Petition for Review in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (“DC Circuit”) challenging the Acting Attorney General’s (“AG”) final agency action moving FDA-approved and state-licensed marijuana into Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). The DC
Oregon's 2026 legislative session began last week on February 2. The biennial "short session" will last but 35 days, and focus on budget shortfalls, transportation and housing—which is to say that cannabis is not a priority. That said, of the 300 or so introduced bills, there are four cannabis-related submissions. That’s where I come in.
The hemp industry faces its biggest shake-up since 2018 Effective November 13, 2025, Congress fundamentally rewrote the laws governing hemp in America. Buried within the government funding bill (starting at pg. 64) is language that will reshape the entire hemp industry, including a critical shift in how marijuana seeds are treated under federal law. See
Effective August 1, 2025, the New Mexico Environmental Department (NMED) issued emergency amendments to New Mexico's Hemp extraction, production, transportation, warehousing, and testing administrative code. These amendments were created to address concerns with the production and use of synthetic hemp cannabinoids found in finished products. The primary goal of NMED appears to be the protection
With so much discussion around the potential rescheduling of marijuana to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), we must have an honest conversation about what such a move will—and more importantly, won't—accomplish. Let me be clear: marijuana absolutely needs to be removed from Schedule I. In fact, it should not be scheduled at
A lot of people want to save a buck during contract negotiations. These folks usually do not not use a lawyer for drafting term sheets or other initial matters. Sometimes, this can work out well. For bigger or more complicated deals, or for deals with a difficult opponent, this can be a bad idea. Let's
