Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act

With young adults' marijuana use at an all-time high as states continue to pass legislation legalizing marijuana for medical and/or recreational use, the federal government is, at long last, taking a closer look. As we discussed in a prior blog post, cannabis reform initiatives recently made five … Read more about Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act

Is the DEA Coming for the Hemp Industry After All?

On August 20, 2020, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) issued an interim final rule (“IFR”) pertaining to the classifications of marijuana and hemp under the federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) in light of the 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act (“AIA”). Because the DEA … Read more about Is the DEA Coming for the Hemp Industry After All?

DEA Removes CBD from Controlled Substances Act

On Monday, April 6, GW Pharmaceuticals revealed that the company had received notice from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) stating that its drug Epidiolex was no longer subject to the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). In a company release announcing the agency … Read more about DEA Removes CBD from Controlled Substances Act

USDA Comes to Its Senses Regarding Hemp

On February 27, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) announced that it will delay the enforcement requirement of the Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) laboratory certification process and reverse distributer disposal requirements until October 31, 2021, or until the final rule is … Read more about USDA Comes to Its Senses Regarding Hemp

DEA Announces Increased Access to Marijuana Research

On August 26, 2019, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) issued a press release stating that DEA will be undertaking steps to increase access to DEA registrations required under federal law to cultivate and/or manufacture marijuana for research purposes. In making this … Read more about DEA Announces Increased Access to Marijuana Research

Revisiting the War on Drugs & Its Impact

July 14 marked the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s message to Congress asking for the establishment of a federal plan to tackle substance abuse, citing a dramatic increase in juvenile arrests for drug offenses. Nixon’s letter was the start of a new era of American drug policy as, the … Read more about Revisiting the War on Drugs & Its Impact

LAX Allows Travelers to Keep Cannabis

An official policy change at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) allows passengers traveling through the airport with marijuana, in accordance with California’s marijuana regulations, to avoid arrest, at least by the airport’s police officers. The policy change is just now getting media … Read more about LAX Allows Travelers to Keep Cannabis

DEA Reschedules CBD-Based Epidiolex

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has rescheduled the cannabidiol (CBD) based drug Epidolex, but limited the rescheduling to exclude all CBD products. Epidiolex will be scheduled at Schedule 5, the lowest level of drug scheduling under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Epidiolex, … Read more about DEA Reschedules CBD-Based Epidiolex