Category: February 2021

Under the Control Substances Act (“CSA”), marijuana is currently scheduled as an “I” drug.[1] In a classification of “V” schedules, “I” is considered the most dangerous because it is deemed to have a “high potential for abuse” and “no medical value.”[2] It ranks alongside other substances such as heroin and phencyclidine (“PCP”), thereby signifying that the federal government considers marijuana more dangerous than cocaine (Schedule II) and Xanax (Schedule IV).

The market for cannabis and CBD products in Germany will initially start in 2021 relatively unchanged compared to the conditions at the end of last year.

On January 7th of 2014 through Laws N° 19.172[1], Uruguay became one of first countries of Latin America to allow and regulate the use of recreational cannabis and for medical and research purpose. In this sense the Government create a legal framework for cannabis by creating the Laws N° 19.172 and modifying the Law N° 14.294[2] knows as the Narcotics Law.  

As we approach the second anniversary of the historic amendment of the Thai Narcotics Act to allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes for the very first time in Thailand, the first country in Southeast Asia to do so, we take this opportunity to assess and forecast the outlook for the cannabis industry in Thailand and the region.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys across the country are seizing the opportunity to sink their teeth into the vulnerabilities faced by unregulated CBD companies by hitting them with class action lawsuits. The FDA and FTC provide additional fodder through their enforcement actions. CBD companies are using the FDA’s lack of direction to their advantage to pause the crescendo of lawsuits against them for now.

My banking colleagues often ask me this question, “Now that hemp is legal, should I bank it?” My answer is, “Yes, but you need to know the risks.”

In April of 2020, the Lebanese Government legalized the use of cannabis for medical purposes. In this article, we discuss some of the practical expectations regarding the investment dynamics in the current Lebanese environment and under the new Law.

As part of his 2021 State of the State, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on January 6, 2021, his proposal to legalize and regulate cannabis in the state. Cuomo’s proposal would establish a new Office of Cannabis Management to oversee the program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on January 19, 2021 published its finalized federal regulations governing the cultivation of hemp. This comes two years after the crop was legalized at the federal level through the 2018 Farm Bill, which required USDA to develop rules for an industrial hemp program. Since then, USDA has released various proposals, solicited public input and included hemp in several government programs such as those allowing for crop insurance.

On January 29, 2021, Thailand will begin processing applications for licenses to produce, import, export, distribute, and possess hemp (Cannabis sativa). The specific requirements for this significant step in Thailand’s ongoing development of a regulatory regime for hemp are contained in the Ministerial Regulation Re: Application and License for Production, Importation, Exportation, Selling or Possession of Hemp, which was published in the Government Gazette on December 30, 2020.

On October 29, 2020, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania set a new precedent by holding that Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Act (MMA) did not safeguard a medical student from her college’s zero-tolerance drug policy. The court ultimately determined that the MMA did not require a college to accommodate medical marijuana use prescribed pursuant to the MMA, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA), or the Pennsylvania Fair Educational Opportunities Act (PFEOA).

On January 26, 2021, the New York Department of Health’s online application portal for prospective hemp retailer and distributors went “live.” The application website warns that “businesses selling cannabinoid hemp products in the state of New York”, both in retail stores and online, must obtain a Cannabinoid Hemp Retail License before sale, and that those products must meet the regulatory standards set forth by the Department of Health. Similarly, the application portal advises out- of-state hemp manufacturers looking to sell to hemp retailers within New York state to obtain a Cannabinoid Hemp Distributor Permit.