Late last month, Dorsey led a panel at the inaugural Investing in Women Cannabis Pioneers – The Brand Builders investor conference put on by Roth. The panel was made up of female business leaders...
Chambers, an independent research company that delivers detailed rankings and insight into the world’s leading lawyers, announced this week that Dorsey & Whitney has been shortlisted for Chambers’ nationwide “Cannabis Law – Law Firm...
In a precedential decision earlier this year, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board thinned some of the haze surrounding the registrability of trademarks for hemp-derived CBD products. In line with the U.S. Patent and...
The IRS has released a new webpage dedicated to the marijuana industry to help growers, processors, researchers and retailers understand and comply with their U.S. federal income tax responsibilities. The IRS Marijuana Industry webpage...
Law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP has announced that Sativa Rasmussen has been elected Chair of the Washington State Bar Association Cannabis Law Section. Ms. Rasmussen will serve a two-year position beginning October 1,...
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 (the “Act”) in the House. If passed, the Act would allow...
Despite Federal and state legislative actions allowing the cultivation, sale and marketing of cannabis, regulatory and legal risks remain for the industry. What is the current state of play, and how is it evolving? ...
A federal district court has eliminated a cannabis company’s affirmative defense to federal trademark infringement claims based on the company’s prior use of a trademark that was legal under state law but not federal...
Despite the legalization of cannabis sales in many states and Congress’s removal of hemp and hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) from the list of scheduled drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, recent events serve as a...
A dispute over the trademark KIVA involving use of the mark with health food and cannabis continues to smolder in the Northern District of California. In late 2018, Kiva Health Brands (a national health...
On November 25, 2019, the Food and Drug Administration sent a wave of warning letters to fifteen CBD companies claiming they are breaking federal food, drug, and cosmetic laws based on their current CBD...
On December 3, 2019, FinCEN, along with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, in consultation with the...
On October 29, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (the “USDA”) issued interim rules for the domestic production of hemp and requested comments on the rules over the next 60 days. The rules provide...
An October 2019 decision in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California confirmed that cannabis companies can form contracts even if the purpose of the contract is for an illegal purpose...
Cannabis companies should be aware of a new development with the Delaware Secretary of State. Last week, we were verbally advised by the Secretary of State’s office that Delaware is now reviewing the names...
When it comes to marijuana, the legal landscape is changing rapidly. Ten states, including California, have legalized recreational use. In more than twenty other states, some form of medical marijuana is legal. Employers, particularly...
Colorado Was Busy On May 29 In addition to public company ownership, Governor Polis approved bills for social consumption and delivery of Cannabis. HB-1230 allows licensed businesses to sell or permit the consumption of...
On Friday, May 31, 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) conducted its first public hearing to create a regulatory framework for the legal marketing and sale of cannabidiol (“CBD”) products. The FDA asked...
Since the legal cannabis industry started in Colorado, state regulations have restricted the types of companies and persons who could own licensed cannabis businesses. Originally, only Colorado residents who were natural persons could own...
This past week, the Illinois legislature approved legislation to legalize cannabis. Governor J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign the legislation and, if signed, it will take effect January 1, 2020. Not only is Illinois...
Christopher J. BarryChris has over 30 years of experience in public...
Michael WeinerMichael advises clients on corporate format...
