bright green marijuana plant

On Thursday April 23, 2020, Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) introduced the “Emergency Cannabis Small Business Health and Safety Act” in the House. Blumenauer and Perlmutter have been influential in protecting state-legal marijuana businesses from federal interference, most recently under the 2020 federal appropriations rider.

If passed, the Act would

The below discussion is an analysis of the current legal environment related to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis highlights the ability of both medical and retail businesses to continue operating in light of several emergency orders from the State of Colorado and emergency rule changes from the Marijuana Enforcement Division (“MED”). This summary is not a legal opinion, but rather perspective and analysis on the current status of such emergency rules and orders. The content provided herein is subject to change as the laws and interpretation of such laws change.

STATE ANALYSIS

Below is a summary of the current status of Governor Polis’ Executive Orders, Colorado Department of Public Health’s (“CDPHE”) Public Health Orders (“PHO”), Emergency Rules, and MED Guidance (the “Releases”) updated as of March 30, 2020.  For ease of reference, at the end of this summary is a link to all applicable Releases.
Continue Reading HB Analysis of Recent COVID-19 Announcements by the State of Colorado and the Marijuana Enforcement Division

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release on the evening of Monday, November 25 concerning its recent enforcement actions and a regulatory decision concerning products that contain cannabidiol (CBD).  The Warning Letters follow FDA’s trend of focusing its CBD product enforcement on unapproved drug claims.  The regulatory decision stated in the press release concerns FDA’s decision that CBD is not generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use as a food additive.

The fifteen (15) Warning Letters, each dated November 22, 2019, were issued to companies for marketing various CBD products. The products identified in the Warning Letters spanned conventional foods, dietary supplements and animal products.  FDA made specific mention in several Warning Letters about statements regarding the use of CBD products in infants and children.
Continue Reading FDA States CBD Is Not GRAS for Use in Food, Issues More Warning Letters

Last week, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (the “CDC”) announced what the agency considers to be an important breakthrough in their investigation on vaping illnesses. While the CDC has not ruled out other possible factors, the investigation has revealed a correlation between those suffering from symptoms and Vitamin E acetate. The

Steve Levine, leader of Husch Blackwell’s national cannabis practice, will be in Fairview Heights, IL on August 29, 2019 to speak at the International Council of Shopping Centers’ (ICSC) Downstate Illinois P3 Luncheon. He will moderate a roundtable discussion covering regional industry developments concerning cannabis.

To register and learn more about the program,

In our previous post, we touched on some of the interesting issues related to the enforcement of cannabis patents through litigation. In this post, we turn to an alternative to litigation to discuss some of the unique cannabis-related issues that could arise before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”).
Continue Reading Unique Issues with Cannabis-related Patents and Their Enforcement

As almost 40 states have legalized medicinal and recreational use of cannabis, there is much to learn as the trend toward full legalization continues. Husch Blackwell’s Steve Levine will participate in a webinar on April 18, 2019 hosted by the International Economic Development Council that will explore the current regulatory environment in both U.S. and Canada and explain how cannabis businesses have generated revenues.
Continue Reading Webinar: “The Cannabis Economy” – April 18, 2019

Cannabis industry participants face heightened risks when purchasing and using insurance products.

Generally speaking, disputes between carriers and insureds are not infrequent; however, coverage disputes in the cannabis industry can be of a different caliber altogether. There is ample evidence suggesting that, on a very basic level, cannabis industry participants face heightened risks when purchasing

Cannabis is a hot topic in the news. On October 17, 2018, our friends to the north made headlines when cannabis was officially legalized for adult use. As the November 6 midterm elections draw closer in the United States, we’ve compiled a round-up of ballot initiatives across the country that will ask voters to weigh in on a variety of marijuana and industrial hemp initiatives.
Continue Reading Marijuana in the Midterms