Happy MLK Day! If Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today, he would almost certainly advocate to end the War on Drugs. Dr. King never spoke publicly about drugs or cannabis in particular: he was assassinated in 1968, two years before President Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). But it is well established that
From startups to multi-state operators, most cannabis businesses will engage legal counsel at some point. All of these companies – but especially smaller ones or less experienced ones – need to grapple with the question of what the role of a lawyer in cannabis deals will be. This can be a difficult question to answer.
Spotify AB (“Spotify”) has prevailed in two opposition proceedings it brought against the registrations of two POTIFY marks, which were applied for by U.S. Software Inc. (“U.S. Software”), in connection to its Potify platform. According to U.S. Software, Potify is “a backend software platform designed for legal marijuana dispensaries to market and sell their products.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York will establish a $200 million fund to support social and economic equity applicants seeking adult-use cannabis licenses. Governor Hochul made the announcement during her State of the State address last week, on January 5, 2022. It is really easy to talk about prioritizing cannabis social equity
The end of 2021 was marked by significant regulatory changes adopted by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (the OLCC), including new rules for hemp and cannabinoids. Today I will cover a few of the big changes affecting artificially derived cannabinoids, including CBN and Delta-8 THC. In the big picture, Oregon stakeholders knew new regulations would
WATCH HERE Since 2010, Harris Bricken has advised cannabis businesses, investors, and entrepreneurs on all aspects of cannabis business mergers and acquisitions (M & A) in many states and even internationally. These transactions range from relatively simple license transfers to complex stock purchase agreements tied into ancillary agreements involving everything from personal services to real
The War on Drugs was a failure. It did not stop the drug trade. It just grew the prison system. The War on Cannabis continues through aggressive state and local enforcement and prohibition measures with no end in sight. And we have a massive illicit market. This is all very bad and we collectively need
The registration of cannabis trademarks in the United States raises novel issues. This is an unsurprising result of the uneasy coexistence between expanding legality at the state level, and ongoing prohibition at the federal level. Cannabis businesses need to keep these issues on their radar when crafting brand strategies. At the same time, however, they
In the cannabis industry, many relationships don’t last. One of the top questions our cannabis lawyers get is “how do I terminate my cannabis contract”? Despite clear contract termination provisions, terminating a cannabis contract can be a very difficult. Today, I’ll examine how cannabis contracts can be terminated. Contract termination provisions The first place I
Many investors and cannabis businesses are keen on opportunities to participate in financing rounds. As with any other investment or business venture, financing rounds for cannabis operations carry various risks. Investors and businesses looking to participate in these financing rounds naturally wonder how to insure cannabis financing, and what insurance options are available to protect
