INCBA Applauds Progress in Rescheduling Cannabis

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.gov/opa/media/1437441/dl

Please join us at the annual INCBA Cannabis Law Institute in Chicago on June 17-18 at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. There is no better time for us to gather and share our knowledge and experience as we continue to push forward. Today’s Order will be front and center at our upcoming Cannabis Law Institute, where you can meet with industry lawyers, regulators and prognosticators all in one space! Click here to reserve your spot today! (Early Bird pricing ends soon.)

We cannot wait to see you in Chicago!

Is Cannabis Now Legal in Mexico? Answers here…

First, thanks so much to my friend and Mexico City attorney Elias Lisbona Jassán of Perez Ferrer Abogados , who co-authored this piece with me, David Feldman . To answer the question in the headline, I think the legal term is “sort of.” This topic, of course, is important not only for the 120 million folks living in Mexico but for all of us in the rest of North America. It also portends where things might be headed in the rest of this hemisphere, and increases pressure on US lawmakers and leaders to consider further action if Mexico were to join Canada with full adult-use legalization. In addition, it enhances the hope of many to create multilateral trade in cannabis once the US moves to legalize it. How did we get here? For those who have not focused much on the developments in Mexico, let’s review the timeline in order. • Cannabis became illegal in Mexico in 1920. Interestingly, for just four months in 1940, cannabis became “legal,” when then-President Lázaro Cárdenas enacted r...

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker Set to Deliver Keynote Speech at INCBA Cannabis Law Institute 2024, Alongside Other Industry Leaders

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 l...

Trailblazers of Justice: Celebrating Black Legal Leaders in Cannabis Law and Criminal Justice Reform

As we honor Black History Month , it's a time to celebrate the incredible Black trailblazers who have shaped the American landscape, particularly in fields like cannabis law and criminal justice reform. The contributions of Black attorneys, judges, and legal scholars have been essential in challenging systemic inequities, advocating for fair policies, and advancing the legalization and decriminalization of cannabis. Meet ten visionaries whose bold advocacy has forever changed the fight for cannabis justice and equality. Natacha Delinois Andrews – Founder and Executive Director of the National Association of Black Cannabis Lawyers (NABCL) As Founder and Executive Director of the National Association of Black Cannabis Lawyers (NABCL), Natacha Delinois Andrews leads the charge in diversifying the cannabis legal sector. Her pioneering work focuses on recruiting and training Black legal professionals for the rapidly expanding cannabis industry, while providing crucial legal resources t...

2nd European Cannabis Law Conference – INCBA Europe at CB Expo Dortmund in September 2024

Last September, the 2nd European Cannabis Law Conference took place in Dortmund, organized by the INCBA Europe conference team with Kai-Friedrich Niermann, Daniel Haymann, Marie Sanchez and Robert Jappie. The conference took place alongside the Cannabis Business Expo and Intertabac, the largest global tobacco trade fair. With 7 tracks and 28 speakers, current topics in global cannabis law were discussed over two days, from the reclassification of cannabis in the USA and its global consequences, semi-synthetic cannabinoids in the USA and Europe, GMP requirements, to the emerging market for medical cannabis in Ukraine and much more. The conference was accompanied by an extensive social program for networking, which the international cannabis legal scene thoroughly enjoyed. Here are some session highlights: Ukraine recently legalized medical cannabis and significantly de-regulated industrial hemp. The government and Ministry of health of Ukraine have approved subordinate legis...

PROPOSED RESCHEDULING – UPDATED TIMELINE

On May 21, 2024, the United States Department of Justice through the DEA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to transfer "marijuana" from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to Schedule III. Schedules of Controlled Substances: Rescheduling of Marijuana, 89 Fed. Reg. 44597, 44597 (2024). In an order dated August 29, 2024 (General Notice of Hearing or GNoH) , the DEA Administrator determined that in-person hearing proceedings are appropriate and fixed a December 2, 2024 commencement date at the DEA Hearing Facility. On October 29, 2024, the DEA Administrator released a list of twenty-five “participants” (Designated Participants or DPs). However, the Hon. John J. Mulrooney, II, Chief Administrative Law Judge, issued a Preliminary Order on October 31 , stating that the DP list failed to specify whether the “participants” support or oppose the NPRM or how the “participants” satisfy the “interested person” definition set forth in th...

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