As we’ve discussed, the federal government seems to be getting on board with the legal use of psychedelics. So are many states. While states across the country are moving towards expanding legal (or at least decriminalized) access to psychedelics, we doubt it will come as any surprise to those experienced in the cannabis industry that
Cannabis
It’s Time to Move On: Litigation Regarding Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission Needs to Come to a Head
Maybe it was inevitable. Anyone who has seen another state award competitive licenses for a limited number of cannabis operators knew well that Alabama’s process would result in litigation. That was not an indictment of Alabama or those appointed to select licensees; rather, it was the natural next step of a hard-fought contest in which…
Some of It’s Magic, Some of It’s Tragic: Jimmy Buffett and American Cannabis Policy
Jimmy Buffett was a spirit animal of the Budding Trends blog. We don’t quote from him as often as we do the Grateful Dead, Phish, Widespread Panic, or popular movies, but maybe because in many ways his lyrics are too good for our material. After all, Bob Dylan, no stranger to the lyrical art, declared…
The Great Divide: The Feds’ Differing Approach to Psychedelics and Cannabis
Just as we did, the Food and Drug Administration has recognized the growing enthusiasm for exploring opportunities to use psychedelic medications to treat mental health disorders. In June, FDA issued for the first time draft guidance providing considerations for those developing psychedelic drugs for the treatment of medical conditions. The guidance explicitly focuses on “classic…
Smoke ‘Em if You Got ‘Em (OK, Not Just Yet): Feds Recommend Rescheduling Marijuana
According to a report from Bloomberg News, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is officially recommending to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) that marijuana be moved from Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law. The move follows a directive issued by President Biden last year that Secretary of Health…
Fifth Circuit Upholds Marijuana User’s Second Amendment Rights – Will the Eleventh Circuit Do the Same?
A question frequently encountered in the cannabis industry involves a cannabis user’s gun rights. This stems from the ever-present federal and state law tension overlaying marijuana in the United States — thanks to the Schedule 1 status of “marihuana” under the Controlled Substances Act. A Westlaw search quickly reveals that over the past year federal…
Alabama Medical Cannabis Update: August 10 Appears to Be the Day
In a court hearing yesterday in the Montgomery County Circuit Court, it appeared that the staff of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission was prepared to move forward announcing licensees at its meeting on Thursday and that Judge James Anderson – entrusted with all current medical cannabis litigation – would allow for that process to play…
A Watched Pot Never Boils: SAFE Banking on the Backburner Again
“I’m tellin’ ya, don’t believe the hype.”
– The Reytons, On the Back Burner
Advocates of the SAFE Banking Act – who by now must be feeling a little like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football – were dealt another setback last week. The beleaguered proposal finds itself simmering in committee just in time…
The Secret to Success: Protecting Your Cannabis Trade Secrets
You’ve spent the time and money to perfect your grow process and develop the genetically perfect plant. Or maybe, you’ve developed a new method of creating a cannabis extract or a fantastic customer list or whatever it is that gives you a competitive advantage.
The Budding Trends bard opened last night at Madison Square Garden…
Will Mississippi’s List of Qualifying Conditions for Medical Cannabis Soon Be Expanded?
Pursuant to the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act, Mississippi residents can petition the state’s Department of Health to add new serious medical conditions or their treatments to the existing list of conditions that qualify a prospective patient for a medical marijuana card (Miss. Code Ann. § 41-137-17). Exercising this authority, the DOH recently made it easier…