Cannabis Law Blog

INCBA's Voter Registration Drive The goal: The goal of ROLL TO THE POLL is to inspire and facilitate voter participation within the cannabis community by helping industry professionals, businesses, consumers, and advocates register to vote, verify their registration status, and understand the voting process. By fostering civic engagement in a non-partisan manner, we aim to strengthen our collective voice and drive meaningful change within the industry and beyond.  How you can help: We are asking all cannabis industry stakeholders to encourage civic engagement by adding the INCBA's  ROLL TO THE POLL graphic ( download graphic here ) to your website or blog & link the graphic to INCBA's ROLL TO THE POLL voter registration tools here: https://incba.org/#vote .   Encourage others to use these free tools on their own websites to spark continued civic engagement across the cannabis space. “ Roll to the Poll ” was created by the International Cannabis Bar Association , powe

Chicago, IL – July 10, 2024 – The International Cannabis Bar Association  (INCBA) announced today that the Cannabis Law Institute sm  (CLI 2024) will feature Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker as the keynote speaker on Thursday July 25th. The event is scheduled to take place on July 25-26, 2024, at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in Chicago, Illinois. CLI 2024 aims to provide critical insights for law professionals, particularly in light of federal rescheduling in the cannabis industry. Governor J.B. Pritzker is recognized for signing House Bill 1438, the nation's most equity-centric law legalizing adult-use cannabis. This initiative positioned Illinois as the first state to fully legalize adult-use cannabis through legislation and serves as a model for the legalization and decriminalization of cannabis nationwide. “It is a great honor to have the Governor deliver the keynote speech at CLI 2024,” said Jason Horst, President of the INCBA. “Governor Pritzker's le

"INCBA commends President Biden for leading the push to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. This is a historic turning point that marks the most significant progress in the national cannabis legalization movement to date. This move marks a crucial step towards harmonizing federal law with states and the will of the majority of Americans that continue to call for cannabis legalization. By taking this critical step, we can begin to foster a cohesive national regulatory landscape and a sustainable cannabis industry.   The decision will eliminate the unfair tax burdens imposed on state-regulated cannabis operators and could pave the way for greater access to financial services and resources to build a sustainable industry and improve access to safe and effective plant medicine. In recognizing cannabis’ therapeutic benefits and revisiting unfounded narratives surrounding its purported harm, HHS and DEA have dealt a major blow to the stigma that has justified cannabis prohib

  INCBA Europe Co-Chair, Kai-Friedrich Niermann from Germany , provides an overview of the changes and the expected consequences, moderated by INCBA Europe co-chair Daniel Haymann from Switzerland and INCBA UK member Robert Jappie . Please feel free to enjoy the recording below, and be sure to follow our blog and our YouTube channel for more, great free cannabis law content. 

On April 30th, 2024, INCBA's Students Committee , in collaboration with INCBA's Ethics Committee , presented a special webinar entitled; "SO YOU WANT TO BE A CANNABIS ATTORNEY?" Our speakers, Student Committee Co-Chairs Alexis Lazzeri and Callie Hoffman , along with Ethics Committee Chair Marialle A. Bell discussed what it means to be a cannabis attorney, ways to pursue a career in this dynamic field, and unique ethical considerations for attorneys practicing in this industry. Please feel free to share with anyone you know who may be considering this career path!

The International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA) hosted  its   inaugural Global Cannabis Intellectual Property Symposium in September 2023 in Montreal, Canada.  The Symposium  convened  cannabis IP  legal  thought leaders and delved into the nuts  and  bolts of IP,  e.g.,   patents, trademarks, licensing and  litigation/ disputes , drilling down into the illegality doctrine and other nuances that impact the inconsistent treatment of cannabis IP  by governmental agencies and courts . In addition, the summit hosted an informative in-house counsel panel, a session  that focused  on the  science of the  plant  ( for non-scientists ) , an illuminating presentation on international treaties, and an ed i fying  exposition on the unusual impact of federal illegality on professional responsibility.  A hybrid event, attendees  were   in   person  at McGill University  and  on Zoom ,  and the program included  speakers from Canada, Europe, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States, and elsewhere. T

INCBA Director Shay Gilmore's Summary of 2023 California Cannabis Legislation  Featured in the Daily Journal INCBA Director Shay Aaron Gilmore, The Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore, prepared a comprehensive summary of key legislation impacting the California cannabis industry signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 13, 2023. Check out the full article here: https://www.dailyjournal.com/articles/375420