Massachusetts announces four-month ban on sale of vaping products
Massachusetts officials on Tuesday announced a four-month ban on the sale of vaping products, starting immediately. The ban comes in response to the outbreak of lung diseases that are being traced back to the use vaping products. It will include both flavored and non-flavored products, and will apply “to all vaping products and devices, including [...]
Federal appeals court rules wage law protections apply to marijuana industry workers
The US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit held Friday that the protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) apply to “all workers,” including those work in the marijuana industry. This case arose when a former employee sued Helix TCS, a company that provides security services for businesses in Colorado’s state sanctioned marijuana [...]
The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) on Monday announced plans to continue to expand marijuana research and confirmed that some products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are now legal. The DEA plans to allow more applications from those who applied to manufacture marijuana for research, and they anticipate that this will increase the variety of marijuana available [...]
The Supreme Court of California ruled Monday that the City of San Diego improperly failed to consider the environmental impact of its new zoning ordinance limiting the creation of marijuana dispensaries. San Diego Ordinance O-20356, put forward by the city council in 2014, sought to impose a number of limitations on where marijuana dispensaries could [...]
Utah Supreme Court rejects citizens' demands on medical marijuana referendum
A unanimous ruling by the Utah Supreme Court Tuesday denied a petition by citizens to block the governor’s and legislature’s actions on a medical marijuana bill. The case revolves around two tools the citizens of Utah have for enacting laws through ballot measures. First, in an initiative, upon receiving a sufficient number of verified signatures, [...]
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill Monday which decriminalizes marijuana use in the state. The bill, S.6579A/A.8420, removes criminal penalties for possession of marijuana in amounts less than two ounces. It sets the penalty for the possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana to a $50 fine. There will now be a [...]
Florida appeals court rules marijuana regulation unconstitutional
The First District Court of Appeal for Florida ruled Tuesday that the state’s approach to regulating marijuana is unconstitutional. The plaintiff, Florigrown, was seeking registration as a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (MMTC) under Art. X, § 29, of the Florida Constitution. Their application was denied as a result of a bill that amended section 381.986 [...]
Illinois governor signs bill to legalize recreational marijuana use
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed a bill that will legalize recreational marijuana. The legislation is intended to regulate and license the sale, possession and consumption of marijuana. Those charged with marijuana possession under 30 grams will have their records expunged and those convicted of possessing more than that are eligible for pardon if [...]
Supreme Court adds 3 new cases on copyright, fraud, post-sentence objection
The US Supreme Court issued orders Monday adding three new cases to the docket for next term on subjects including copyright, fraud and post-sentence objections. The Supreme Court granted certiorari in Allen v. Looper, which asks whether Congress can remove a state’s Eleventh Amendment sovereign immunity from cases involving federal copyright infringement. The case, rather [...]
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak on Wednesday signed two bills, restoring felon voting rights and sealing records related to decriminalized offenses. Assembly Bill 431 grants convicted felons the right to vote immediately after release from prison or discharge from parole or probation. Felons will not have to undergo a waiting period or further conditions to restore [...]
