Part of the reason we started a Cannabis Industry team at a Southeastern-based law firm before any Southeastern state had adopted a marijuana program was because we had a hunch that the expansion of cannabis would eventually make its way to our neck of the woods. And we guess it was just kind of a
Whitt Steineker
As co-chair of Bradley’s Cannabis Industry team, Whitt represents clients in a wide range of cannabis issues. In addition to providing a full suite of legal services to cannabis companies, Whitt and the Cannabis Industry team advise non-cannabis clients – from banks to commercial real estate companies to insurance companies and high net worth individuals – on best practices for interacting with cannabis companies.
Whitt is one of the leading voices in the cannabis bar – recognized as a “Go-To Thought Leader” by the National Law Review. He has presented on cannabis issues at conferences around the country. His work has been featured in the National Law Journal, Law360, and the Westlaw Journal. And he has been quoted in an array of legal and mainstream publications from Law360 and Super Lawyers to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Associated Press.
O-H-N-O: Big Trouble in Little Columbus?
On November 7, 2023, Ohio approved an adult-use marijuana measure that allows individuals age 21 and older to grow marijuana and possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in non-extract form and 15 grams of marijuana extract. A few days ago, the Ohio State House of Representatives recently chose Matt Huffman to be its next…
Federal Court Rules That Illegal Acts Are Legal Because They Are Illegal: Cannabis Law in a Nutshell
I would love to hear from our award-winning readers if they are aware of a scenario when doing something illegal is legal because it’s illegal.
Another federal court in California ruled last week that the dormant Commerce Clause in the United States Constitution does not apply to federally illegal marijuana businesses.
In dismissing the action…
Raising Capital in the Cannabis Business: Pitfalls and Possibilities
Raising capital is always fraught with risk and uncertainty for any company. Those risks and uncertainties are magnified exponentially when it comes to raising capital for cannabis companies. Cannabis companies and potential investors must consider a hornet’s nest of complex, often contradictory rules and regulations arising from the existing inconsistencies between federal law and the…
Matt Gaetz Nominated as Attorney General: A Discussion Limited to Cannabis Implications
Over the last week, I have had water cooler-type conversations about President-elect Trump’s nominations to his would-be cabinet. Most of them have been policy-based and levelheaded. The nomination of Matt Gaetz as attorney general had people running into my office asking if I had heard the news.
This is probably a good time to reiterate…
Pair of First Circuit Cases Give Court Opportunities for Recognizing Scope of Federal Authority to Regulate Marijuana Businesses
When you live in the cannabis world, you have to keep your head on a swivel. While most areas of the law see incremental changes over years — if not decades — cannabis developments come by the day if not the hour.
In the latest example, the federal First Circuit Court of Appeals has…
DEA Reschedules Rescheduling, and I’m Feeling a Little Like Charlie Brown Trying to Kick the Football
No, it’s not (just) a cruel play on words. Last week, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced that a much-anticipated public hearing on the proposal to reschedule marijuana would be moved from early December until the first quarter of 2025. I’m not sure I specifically predicted this, but it’s just about the most predictable thing ever.
Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss? The Impact of a Second Trump Presidency on American Cannabis Policy
The title of this post comes, of course, from The Who’s classic track “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” This post analyzes whether there is cause for worry on the part of cannabis operators – both marijuana and hemp – under a second Trump presidency. So, I guess the first question is whether cannabis operators got fooled…
Not My Problem: Connecticut Federal Court Rules Hemp Lawsuit Is a State Issue
I adore the film (and, as always, I stress the word “film”) Trading Places. It has it all: Eddie Murphy hitting his prime, a wonderfully smug Dan Akroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis doing her thing, and it’s all wrapped up in a caper-turned morality tale about the orange juice futures market. There are so many…
Arizona Court Says Preschool Isn’t School, Showing That Sometimes There Isn’t a “Right” Decision
Legend has it that Alice Cooper originally titled his hit “Preschool’s Out Forever.” I made that up, but it occurred to me when I read a headline from Law360 that read “Under Pot Law, Preschool Isn’t ‘School,’ Ariz. Court Rules.”
This is one of those decisions that makes you wonder how we ended up in…