Cannabis Law Blog

While the members of the International Cannabis Bar Association join with the multitude of industry operators, service providers and consumers in digesting the momentous rescheduling Order issued today from the DOJ, INCBA leadership wants to take a moment and recognize the significance of today’s news and applaud the step forward. As an association of cannabis lawyers, we fully understand and appreciate the challenges that will come along with this Order, starting with its full and proper interpretation and implementation. There are many questions still to be answered and soon some lawsuits in opposition, undoubtedly. But INCBA wants to congratulate everyone involved and engaged on what we see as progress in our industry and our association’s mission to educate, connect and support cannabis industry lawyers to ultimately provide the critical services needed on the lengthy path to full legalization of the cannabis sativa plant.  DOJ RESCHEDULING ORDER 4.22.26 → https://www.justice....

Where cannabis policy meets business opportunity. Cannabis Europa London 2026 returns to the Barbican Centre on 26–27 May for two days of high-level discussion on the future of European cannabis. Now in its thirteenth edition, the conference brings together over 1,500 policymakers, investors, scientists, and entrepreneurs to explore opportunities across the continent's fastest-evolving market. As Germany scales Europe's first adult-use framework, the Czech Republic moves toward legalisation, and investment into UK and Swiss medical markets hits record highs, Cannabis Europa sits at the centre of the conversation. Through keynotes, panel discussions, and premium networking, delegates leave with actionable intelligence and the connections to act on it.  **Click the graphic below to access INCBA discount codes for Cannabis Europa London 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE INTERNATIONAL CANNABIS BAR ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES 2026 CANNABIS LAW INSTITUTE AS INDUSTRY ENTERS NEW LEGAL ERA With federal uncertainty and market complexity rising, cannabis attorneys gather to confront what comes next Chicago, IL - April 21, 2026 - The International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA) announced the return of its flagship annual event, the Cannabis Law Institute (CLI2026), taking place June 17–18, 2026 at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in Chicago. Widely regarded as the leading conference dedicated exclusively to cannabis law, the Cannabis Law Institute convenes top attorneys, regulators, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to navigate one of the most complex and rapidly evolving legal landscapes in the United States.  The 2026 program is built around a simple but urgent premise: cannabis law encompasses both “marijuana” and “hemp” and the traditional methods of analyzing and serving the two industries need updating. Over two days of su...

What does it look like to practice cannabis law while navigating federal limitations and real business considerations at every turn? For David Ruskin, Partner at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP and President of the International Cannabis Bar Association , it looks like a career that keeps getting more interesting. Ruskin recently sat down with Heather Allman and Tyme Ferris on Through the Oculus — a podcast dedicated to exploring cannabis from every angle, policy, culture, law, and lived experience. The hosts titled the episode " The Patchwork Problem: Cannabis Across Borders with David Ruskin ," and it's an apt description. The full episode is embedded below, and if you have the time, it's worth a listen start to finish. But if you've got a motion due and only ten minutes, here's what stood out. From Business Litigator to Cannabis Counsel Ruskin didn't start in cannabis. He spent roughly two decades as a business litigator before a client engagem...

Yesterday, President Trump issued an Executive Order directing completion of the rulemaking process started under the Biden Administration to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act “in the most expeditious manner in accordance with Federal Law.” While this is a significant policy shift that should be widely recognized, the Order largely advances an already-pending process and does not, on its own, immediately resolve many core legal and regulatory barriers facing patients, providers, or the cannabis industry. The Order follows years of federal review acknowledging credible scientific support for medical uses of marijuana, including treatment of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, intractable pain, including from migraines, cancer, degenerative disc disease, central pain syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis, anorexia related to certain medical conditions, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. This Order does not itself complete the process of...

For immediate release  November 20, 2025  Last week, after the longest shutdown in US history, Congress re-opened the federal government after passing the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 . One effect of the bill is to recriminalize hemp-related activity previously made lawful under the 2018 Farm Bill by banning most hemp products that contain THC and other hemp-derived cannabinoids. The International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA) recognizes that this new law will have a significant impact on the legal work of its attorney members and the businesses of their clients, in addition to the ongoing challenges to the cannabis industry as a whole and is prepared to meet the moment head on.   The legislative language requires, among other things, that upon the one-year anniversary of its enactment the definition of “hemp” will change to encompass total THC—including delta-9, delta-8...

  WEBINAR FREE for Members $30 for Non-Members November 5, 2025 | 12pm PT / 3pm ET The Indispensable Role of ADR in Cannabis Disputes As more states regulate the use of adult-use or medical cannabis, including hemp, the quantity and variety of disputes is increasing nationwide. Many of these disputes are complex and nuanced and may be unlike those in any other industry. Deals in the cannabis industry are often made informally, may not be properly papered, and often rely upon what we think of as traditionally unavailable or unreliable witnesses. Traditional litigation is lengthy, divisive, expensive, and risky. The cost and outcome of litigation in this industry can destroy businesses, reputations, and chances for expansion into new markets. Moreover, the parties to civil disputes are often unable to afford to take even solid cases to trial, and the winners often come up empty-handed, with uncollectible judgments because of the instability of many businesses. In this environment, Al...