Cannabis Law Blog

Most cannabis law jobs never get posted. There's no listing to apply to and no on-campus interview slot, so the path in looks different than it does in almost any other practice area. That's why INCBA's Students Committee brought together five practicing cannabis attorneys for A Day in the Life of a Cannabis Attorney , a free webinar built around 38 questions submitted by registrants. The panel took those questions head-on: what the work actually looks like hour by hour, how each of them got here, and what they'd tell a law student who wants to be in their seat. Here's what they cover, and then a closer look at who's on the panel. What They Get Into The real day-to-day. Contracts, regulator correspondence, subpoenas, and land use permits, often in the same week and sometimes the same day. Licensing and regulation. Why ownership and control is “like 50% of the job,” and how to work with regulators as a repeat player rather than an adversary. Land use a...

Thank you to everyone who put their name forward this election cycle, and to every member who took the time to vote. The results are in, and five leaders are joining the Board — one familiar face returning to his seat, and four new additions. Congratulations to Zack Kobrin , Kyle Finnegan , Steve Okoroha , Jason Moscovici , and Jason Adelstone . Zack Kobrin — Reelected Partner, Saul Ewing LLP Zack returns to the Board after three years of service, bringing a decade of INCBA membership and a well-established reputation as a thought leader in the cannabis law space. Before entering private practice, he served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for a publicly traded, multi-state cannabis company. That experience informs his approach to this next term: as the industry moves toward greater normalization and competition increases, Zack intends to draw on his background navigating uncertainty for clients and organizations alike to help extend INCBA’s credibility into adjac...

Rescheduling happened. It also didn't. Depending on who you ask — and where your business sits — federal cannabis policy either just took its biggest step forward in fifty years, or it drew a new line that leaves more operators behind than it lifts up. Recorded live on Day 1 of Cannabis Law Institute 2026 , this panel doesn't try to resolve that tension. It maps it — and it's led by four practitioners who've each spent years on a different side of the same fight: litigation, policy, regulation, and the balance sheet. More on who they are in a minute. First, here's why you'll want to press play. What They Get Into This isn't a recap of the DEA's order — it's a working session on what it actually means for the people building in this industry. Expect the panel to dig into: What Schedule III does and doesn't cover — and why "partial rescheduling" is the more accurate term The widening gap between medical and adult-use operators,...

The INCBA Monthly Member Meetings are back — a members-only space to hear timely legal insight, connect and share thoughts with colleagues across the cannabis bar, and engage directly with INCBA and industry leadership. Wednesday, July 22 1:00 p.m. PT / 3:00 p.m. CT / 4:00 p.m. ET (75 minutes) This Month: Inside the DEA Hearing on Cannabis Rescheduling We're joined by two people with a front-row seat to the most consequential activity in cannabis law this year, hosted by INCBA President David Ruskin (Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP): Gail Rand, CPA/Advisor, Grand Consulting, LLC — Gail attended the DEA hearing after spending more than a decade as an operator (the first licensee in Maryland) and business/financial advisor, helping to push the industry forward every chance she can. She started in cannabis as an advocate for her son with epilepsy. She'll walk through her full pad of notes from inside the room. Jason Adelstone, Attorney/MBA, Harris Sliwoski LL...

Click Here To View And Download The Letter Today, INCBA submitted a formal request to DEA Administrator Terrance C. "Terry" Cole asking the agency to provide live, remote public access to the marijuana rescheduling hearing that began this morning, June 29, 2026. The DEA's current rules bar livestreaming, limit in-person attendance to first-come seats with no overflow and prohibit any recording. A transcript will follow — eventually. For the cannabis attorneys INCBA represents, that isn't good enough. Criminal defense counsel, transactional attorneys, regulatory practitioners, and hemp counsel all have clients whose outcomes turn on what the government says at this hearing — not on what appears in a document weeks later. INCBA takes no position on rescheduling itself. We take a firm position on transparency: a proceeding this consequential, closed to all but a handful of in-person attendees, does not honor the DEA's own stated commitment to openness. We've aske...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The International Cannabis Bar Association Unveils Full Agenda and Speaker Lineup for Cannabis Law Institute 2026 as Cannabis Law Enters a New Era The 2026 Cannabis Law Institute will bring together leading attorneys, regulators, policymakers, and operators to tackle the most pressing legal questions facing the marijuana and hemp industries CHICAGO, IL - June 9, 2026 - The International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA) today updated the full agenda and speaker roster for the organization’s flagship Cannabis Law Institute (CLI), taking place June 17-18, 2026, in Chicago. Building on the momentum of its recently announced “new legal era” theme, CLI2026 will feature two days of advanced legal and policy programming focused on the rapidly evolving cannabis landscape. Hosted annually by INCBA, CLI has become one of the premier gatherings for cannabis attorneys, regulators, compliance professionals, executives, and policymakers navigating one of the most dynamic legal ...

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....