Gordon Rees Scully and Mansukhani's Cannabis, Hemp & CBD practice group launched Cannabis Chronicles, a blog to cover legal developments in the industry in early December.
Practice group leaders Philip Robert Brinson, Christopher Strunk, Sarah Turner, and Doug Smurr will serve as the blog's editors. Cannabis Chronicles will attempt to address new and diverse legal issues relevant to the cannabis industry, including business issues, conflicting state and federal laws, environmental issues, and employment issues.
The mainstreaming of cannabis has proceeded at breakneck speed over the past five years. Fifteen states have legalized cannabis for both medicinal and recreational use, with 36 states having at least full medicinal cannabis. The 2018 Farm Bill exempted industrial hemp from the Controlled Substances Act and the hemp industry has since seen rapid growth. However, with cannabis still listed as a Schedule 1 drug, cannabis with a greater than .3% THC content remains illegal at the federal level for all purposes. This leaves intact a patchwork of state laws and regulation, complicated by the threat of federal enforcement at any time. With the Biden administration at the helm, and public interest for full federal legalization at an all-time high, the next four years will prove to be even more consequential than the last.
The firm's Cannabis, Hemp & CBD Practice group has recently expanded its national reach and now has members in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. With 74 attorneys, the firm now boasts one of the largest and deepest cannabis practice groups in the country. Its members come from diverse backgrounds and are experts in their fields. Members have litigated high profile matters, published and presented nationally on a host of topics, and hold leadership positions with local, state, and national organizations, including the American Bar Association and Defense Research Institute.
This team of attorneys has their finger on the pulse of industry trends and legislative developments and can effectively represent on the government and regulatory front including public policy initiatives at the state and municipality level. The firm’s representation includes clients across the spectrum in the United States, from nationally recognized brands to localized boutique proprietors. Whether established international conglomerates or start-up entrepreneurs engaged in harvesting, refining, distilling, extracting, dispensing, distributing, and investing in this proliferating market. Our reach also includes providing ancillary products, services, and support for the industry.
To view the Cannabis Chronicles blog, please click here.