According to the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), an immigrant who is seeking naturalization may lack the good moral character required to become a U.S. Citizen if they partake in the lawful purchase, possession, or consumption of marijuana. As many states are updating their laws by legalizing the medical and recreational use of marijuana, the USCIS is also updating its internal policies related to the adjudication of naturalization applications of lawful permanent residents who partake in the marijuana industry.» Read More

Eric Alvarez, an Associate of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., was quoted in “The Hazards of Hauling Hemp” by truckinginfo.com following his Legally Grown blog post, “Trucker Arrested for Industrial Hemp Transportation Demonstrates Legal Implications for the Future of Cannabis Enforcement and Testing.”

“Cannabis” is a general term used for both hemp and marijuana plants, [Eric] explain[s].» Read More

Cannabidiol, a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant, more commonly known as “CBD” (or what sellers are claiming to be CBD) can be found everywhere – on the Internet and social media, and at wellness centers, grocery stores, pharmacies, and convenience stores.  » Read More

The recent Tenth Circuit decision of Feinberg v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue reminds cannabis businesses that as long as marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law, they will not be permitted to take deductions for business expenses.  However, these businesses may still reduce their gross income by their cost of goods sold (COGS). » Read More

By now some of you may have heard about the truck driver that was arrested for transporting nearly 7,000 pounds of industrial hemp in the truck he was hauling from Oregon to Colorado. This simple case presents critically important legal and technological issues that will likely plague the legal cannabis industry for years to come: enforcement and testing.» Read More

Check out Legally Grown’s (and Norris McLaughlin’s) first podcast!  In our inaugural episode, “The Race Down the Hudson,” Andrew D. Linden, Co-Chair of our Cannabis Law Practice Group, and a Member of the firm, discusses with Labor & Employment Attorney Keya Denner where New Jersey and New York stand on legalizing adult use marijuana. » Read More

The new year is right around the corner, which will prove to be a truly new year for the industrial hemp industry and the crown jewel of hemp-derived consumer products: CBD.  As we have laid out in our previous two posts that you can read here and here, the already ubiquitous CBD has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. » Read More

In this second post in Legally Grown’s CBD holiday series, the Ghost of CBD Present looms large.  (You can check out the first post in this series here.)  We address what is happening now in the legal regulation of CBD-related goods and services, which is all-things-Farm-Bill. » Read More

CBD oil. CBD-infused food. CBD balms and beauty products. CBD pet products. CBD seems to be everywhere and on everyone’s news feeds these days. Indeed, these are exciting times for the hemp industry, as President Trump is set to sign the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 – a development that will fundamentally change the hemp industry in America.» Read More

In my last post, I discussed how there can be federal barriers preventing certain businesses from entering the cannabis industry, despite state legalization.  Here, we discuss the importance of considering local laws.

Just like other businesses, one of the biggest, and most important, challenges a cannabis business may face is identifying a suitable location to operate. » Read More