Skip to main content

Inside the DEA Hearing on Cannabis Rescheduling - July 2026 Monthly Member Meeting

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 LLP — Jason regularly advises cannabis businesses on regulatory compliance, licensing, and cross-border matters, and will share his perspective on how the industry may be affected by what transpired at the hearing, plus what comes next procedurally.

Gail will share a first-hand account from inside the hearing room, and Jason will break down the evidence, the arguments raised, and what's likely to happen next in the rescheduling process. This is analysis you won't find in a press release.

We'll also cover, briefly:

  • INCBA Board of Directors election update
  • Highlights from Cannabis Law Institute 2026
  • A sneak peek at the upcoming Cannabis Law Sessions (CLS) program at MJBizCon on 12/1

Who Can Attend?

Current INCBA members: You're already confirmed for this session — check your inbox for a confirmation email directly from Zoom with your join details (search for "Zoom," and check spam if needed). No registration needed on your part.* (Email support@incba.org if you can't find your confirmation.)

Lapsed or suspended members: You'll need to reactivate to join us. Visit our Managing INCBA Memberships, Payments & Payment Methods page to pay an outstanding invoice or reactivate your membership.  

Not yet an INCBA member? This meeting is a good example of the kind of access and community that INCBA membership provides. [Join INCBA here] to participate in this and future Monthly Member Meetings.

Deadline to get on the list: New and Reactivated members must notify our helpdesk that your membership is active and that you need to be manually added to the July 2026 Monthly Member Meeting registration list. All requests must be received by 2pm ET on July 22, 2026 to allow us time to manually add you to the list. 

Questions about your membership status? We're happy to help at support@incba.org.

*Due to Zoom capacity limits, live access is limited to the first 100 to join the meeting.



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...

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,...

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...

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...