Skip to main content

The International Cannabis Bar Association Unveils Full Agenda and Speaker Lineup for Cannabis Law Institute 2026 as Cannabis Law Enters a New Era

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 environments in the country. This year’s event arrives at a pivotal moment for the industry, as practitioners grapple with federal rescheduling, emerging hemp policy battles, cross-border legal developments, heightened compliance expectations, and the maturation of cannabis businesses themselves.

“Cannabis law is no longer an emerging practice area - it is now a highly sophisticated legal discipline intersecting with healthcare, finance, technology, international trade, intellectual property, litigation, and administrative law,” said David Ruskin, Chairman of INCBA. “CLI2026 was intentionally built for practitioners who are ready to move beyond introductory conversations and engage with the complex realities shaping the future of this industry.”

The first day of the conference, June 17, will feature a full day of plenary programming around the most consequential legal and regulatory developments impacting cannabis and hemp. Sessions will examine federal cannabis policy, including movement around medicinal marijuana, state regulatory perspectives, international cannabis law, developments in cannabis capital markets, and lessons from other highly regulated industries including alcohol and gaming.

Highlighted plenary sessions include:

  • “Progress Without Parity: Federal Cannabis Policy at a Crossroads”
  • “Okay, There’s A Proven Medical Benefit… Now What?”
  • “Regulated, Rescheduled, and Reimagined: State Regulators on the New Federal Reality”
  • “Cannabis Capital: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
  • “Beyond Borders: International Cannabis Law Developments”

On June 18, attendees will choose between two concurrent educational tracks focused on legal practice management and emerging policy developments.

The “Practice of Law” track, led by Jill Cohen of Verrill, will explore ethical and operational challenges facing cannabis attorneys, including AI compliance risks, alternative dispute resolution, and the growing corporate sophistication required of cannabis businesses.

Sessions include:

  • “What Are You Smoking? AI Hallucinations, Ethics, and Compliance”
  • “Business Disputes Better Left Out of Court: ADR in the Cannabis Industry”
  • “Startups No Longer: Corporate Practice at a Cannabis Company”

The “Current Legal Developments” track, led by Daniel Molina of Vicente LLP, will focus on rescheduling, prohibitionist backlash efforts, and the increasingly complicated legal environment surrounding cannabis hardware and vaporization technology.

Sessions include:

  • “After the Reschedule: Navigating the New Federal Cannabis Landscape”
  • “The Recriminalization Mirage: Federal and State Backtracking, and the New Prohibitionist Playbook”
  • “Understanding why Hardware is Hard: Legal Issues for Cannabis Vapes”

The “Running Businesses” track, led by Kyle Finnegan of Ice Miller LLP, will focus on the increasingly sophisticated legal and operational risks facing cannabis operators and their counsel. Sessions will provide practical guidance for attorneys advising clients on regulatory investigations, data security threats, and complex real estate negotiations unique to the cannabis industry.

Featured sessions include:

  • “Whistleblowers, Subpoenas, Demand Letters, oh my! Best Practices for Responding to Notice of Potential Infractions and Non-Compliance”
  • “Data Privacy, Data Security, and the Cannabis Business”
  • “Advanced Playbook for Negotiating Cannabis Leases: Navigating Landlords, Zoning, and Industry-Specific Challenges”

The “Adult Use Hemp: Trajectory” track, led by Steve Schain of Smart Counsel, will examine the rapidly evolving hemp product marketplace. The track will explore how hemp-derived cannabinoids have outpaced existing regulatory frameworks, the implications of proposed federal hemp redefinitions, and the growing litigation battles between licensed cannabis operators and hemp-derived cannabinoid businesses.

Sessions include:

  • “Forbidden Fruit: Hemp Derived Ingredients and How Science Outpaces Legislation”
  • “What is Hemp's Restrictive Redefining? Is it Here to Stay?”
  • “Hatfield and McCoys Litigation – Will Big Cannabis Crush Hemp”

The conference will feature leading attorneys and subject matter experts from across the cannabis legal ecosystem, including practitioners from major law firms, in-house counsel, regulators, policy strategists, and industry operators.

CLI2026 attendees will also receive on-demand access to all CLE sessions following the conference, allowing practitioners to revisit sessions and access programming they may have missed live. Non-CLE session recordings will be uploaded to the INCBA YouTube channel. Subscribe to be notified when session videos are published to the channel.

For more information, to view the full agenda, or to register for CLI2026, visit https://cli2026.incba.org/. 

About the International Cannabis Bar Association

The International Cannabis Bar Association is a professional association for attorneys, advisors, and other professionals involved in the cannabis industry. INCBA provides education, networking opportunities, and thought leadership on the legal and policy issues shaping the future of cannabis law and regulation.


Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

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...
Read more

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...
Read more

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...
Read more

Cannabis Branding: On the Edge of the Metaverse

Photo by julien Tromeur on Unsplash Branding in the Metaverse is all the rage. In the last three months alone, well-known brands like Nike, Converse, New Balance, Vineyard Vines, Tahari, Anthropologie, Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, and, even Walmart, have all filed applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office  for intent-to-use trademarks in connection with “digital goods;”# opportunistic filings by individuals not affiliated with name brands have appeared in Classes 9, 35, and 41# for both PRADA and GUCCI; and Metaverse Law, a clever California law firm has been diligently going through the motions in their attempt to trademark the very word on everyone’s lips. But what is Metaverse, and why should you, the owner of the expertly cultivated flower brand, or producer of the most delicately infused edibles care? Metaverse is a virtual world meant to support decentralized, persistent three-dimensional environments, and accessible by anyone with a smart phone,...
Read more

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...
Read more