ICYMI: New U.S. Attorney General (Probably) Won’t Harsh Your Mellow After All

By HILARY BRICKEN, Co-Founder Harris Bricken We're very likely returning to the 2013 Cole Memo principles now that William Barr has been confirmed as AG -- and that's a good thing. Back on January 4, 2018, the cannabis industry was…

Trump Card: Is A Congressional Legislative Victory On The Horizon For States’ Rights And Pot?

Hopefully the Justice Department will leave state-legal marijuana businesses alone now. By HILARY BRICKEN When it comes to cannabis and this Presidential administration, it’s a bit like watching a soap opera, complete with all the drama and emotional crescendos you…

No Congressional Couch Lock: State Medical Marijuana Laws Protected Through September 30th

By HILARY BRICKEN The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment can still be used as a shield for medical marijuana providers...for now. State implementation of medical marijuana laws are safe from interference from the Department of Justice until September 30th of this year. In…

Update: Sessions Shines Some Light On DOJ Marijuana Enforcement

The fate of marijuana operators in every state hangs on the prosecutorial whims of the U.S. Attorney in their districts. By Hilary Bricken Recall on January 4, 2018, when U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions single-handedly demolished the federal government’s former…

Reading The Pot Leaves: What The Sessions Memo Means For Marijuana In The U.S.

This has spurred bipartisan support (and backlash) from Congress for federal legislation to let the states have full reign over marijuana. By HILARY BRICKEN Last week was an exciting and somewhat scary week for the marijuana industry. It started with…

Neither Budge At Cory Gardner And Jeff Sessions Meeting About Cannabis Wednesday Morning

January 10, 2018
AggregatedNews
Colorado
0 Comments

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner said Wednesday that a morning meeting with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions did little to settle their disagreement over marijuana policy — an impasse that makes it more likely that Congress will have to address the…

Marijuana Madness: Jeff Sessions Rescinds State-Legal Pot Policies

By Hilary Bricken What will the Future DOJ marijuana enforcement look like? It’s finally happening — Attorney General Jeff Sessions will, today, rescind the 2013 Cole Memo regarding federal enforcement in states that legalized cannabis. The Cole Memo, which came…

Cole Memo No More? Some Initial Thoughts

By Patrick Vo Earlier today, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions officially rescinded the federal cannabis guidance outlined in the Cole Memo. For those who don’t know, the Cole Memo basically states that as long as states employ effective tracking and…

Jeff Sessions Waives Sword of Damocles

By Steve Schain With Jeff Sessions threatening to singlehandedly crush $7.2 billion legalized marijuana industry spanning 30 states, generating millions in taxes and providing 10 of thousands of jobs, much confusion abounds. While unclear if merely a "knee jerk reaction"…

Breaking News: US to end policy that let legal pot flourish

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Jeff Sessions is going after legalized marijuana. Sessions is rescinding a policy that had let legalized marijuana flourish without federal intervention across the country. That's according to two people with direct knowledge of the decision. They…

DripDripDrip – What is AG Jeff Sessions Up To Now?

December 20, 2017
David Hodes
Compliance and Regulations, Policy & Legal
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What is U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions working on today that affects the cannabis industry, and who is he working on it with? If the most recent meeting held just two weeks ago is any indication, he’s digging in deeper…

Banks Gaining Confidence, Opening Doors to Navigable Pathway for Cannabusinesses

Banking for the cannabis industry has been a challenge to say the least. That said, there exists a navigable pathway for existing cannabis markets and for new state markets to follow. In light of lingering concerns that Attorney General Jeff Sessions…

The Legal Implications Of Advertising Cannabis Across Different Media

August 22, 2017
Jean-Paul Jassy
Compliance and Regulations, Policy & Legal, Retail
0 Comments

Placing and accepting advertisements for cannabis products is complicated. There are different legal concerns at the federal and state levels, and different considerations for advertisements in print, broadcast, internet and other media. Federal Law No matter what laws apply at…

Marijuana Banking Takes Massive Leap Forward

July 14, 2017
Steven Schain
Compliance and Regulations, Policy & Legal
1 Comment

Last month witnessed a marijuana banking explosion. Spanning 29 states and generating $7.2 billion in 2016, the United States' legalized marijuana industry's greatest obstacle—banking—was significantly reduced by the Department of the Treasury's (Treasury) Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's (FinCEN) June 6,…

FinCEN: Steady Upward Trend of More Commercial Banks Working With Cannabis Businesses

July 12, 2017
David Hodes
Banking, Finance & Real Estate, Compliance and Regulations, Policy & Legal
0 Comments

The cannabis banking conundrum is getting better.. but still has a long way to go. That is the finding of recently released information by the Financial Crime Enforcement Network (FinCEN) that charted cannabis banking activity from January, 2014 to March,…