As usual, Tom Petty was spot on when he sang, “the waiting is the hardest part.” Marijuana rescheduling has tested that proposition all year, and this week it was retested. We’ve spent a lot of ink this year on what happens after marijuana rescheduling lands, on advertising rules, on data breaches, and on
On September 23, 2026, a Planet 13 cannabis dispensary customer filed a proposed class action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada against Planet 13 and its identity-verification vendor, IDScan.net, Inc. The suit, first reported by Law360’s Sam Reisman, alleges that Planet 13 scanned thousands of customers’ government-issued photo IDs at
Groucho Marx famously said, “I wouldn’t want to belong to a club that would have me as a member.” For years, many state-legal medical marijuana operators pleaded to be allowed into the club, essentially making this promise: “Bring us into the federal fold, and we’ll play by federal rules.”
Having finally gotten that wish, at
In the iconic halftime scene of Friday Night Lights, Coach Gary Gaines (played with a charming ferocity the way only Billy Bob Thornton could muster) looks his team in the eyes and tells them they have exactly “two more quarters and that’s it.” He challenges them to live in that high-stakes moment with “clear eyes
Longtime Budding Trends readers know we try to lead each post with a bit of pop culture or witty turn of phrase. This is one of those posts where the hook took longer to find than the law. Turns out there isn’t a great classic rock anthem about assisted living facilities’ admissions policies. So, we’re
Raising money in the cannabis industry, like most everything else in the space, is no walk in the park and presents a landmine for those tasked with raising and spending capital. This month, two federal district court opinions reminded capital raisers of these truths and the dire consequences of violating securities laws. In the first
If you’ve followed Budding Trends for any length of time, you know the SAFE Banking Act — perhaps second only to rescheduling — has been the white whale for marijuana operators. This week, the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2026 popped its head above the water again: Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) filed
If you were hoping the South Carolina governor’s race might crack open the door for a state medical marijuana program — or settle the state’s running fight over intoxicating hemp — last week’s primary results are worth a close read. On June 9, Republican voters narrowed a crowded field to two: Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette
In The Usual Suspects, Verbal Kint explains the final reveal of the film, and I stress the world “film”: “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” I thought about that line while reading the latest from Washington on hemp because the looming federal change to hemp THC
President Trump has announced he will nominate Todd Blanche — his former personal attorney, who has been running the Department of Justice in an acting capacity — to serve as permanent attorney general. I wrote back in April about the personnel shuffle that put Blanche in the acting AG chair and what it might mean