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Since Easter Sunday falls on the same date as the cannabis-centric “hangover holiday” known as 4/20 this year, many people in the cannabis industry are praying that it leads to big sales of sinsemilla and other strains.
Although combining a religious holiday with one devoted to getting really, really stoned might seem like a weird match, Peter Barsoom, CEO and co-founder of 1906, a cannabis company specializing in wellness, sees symmetry.
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“Let’s call it the resurrection of smart cannabis. Chocolate bunnies with Chill,” he told HuffPost. “There’s something poetic about celebrating renewal and elevation on the same day.”
Erick Rodriguez, vice president of The Cannabist Company, agrees that “both holidays are about connection, whether that’s family, faith or community,” and says “there’s space for both.”
He added that while the calendar marks “a rare overlap,” he thinks “maybe that just makes it all the more memorable.”
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David Craig, the vice president of marketing of Illicit Gardens, Missouri’s top-selling chain of dispensaries, said that his company is definitely taking advantage of 4/20 falling on the same day as Easter.
“It really is a once in a lifetime crossover: Stoner Christmas meets actual Easter,” Craig remarked. “Our dispensary group is leaning into the
Cannabis Industry Cautiously Optimistic It Won’t Be Burned By Trump
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Sunday marks 420, a semi-official “hangover holiday” celebrated by cannabis enthusiasts everywhere ― but not, perhaps, in the White House.
HuffPost reached out to see if Donald Trump and his administration had any plans to officially honor 420, but received no immediate response.
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Trump’s own views on the wacky weed seem to go both ways: On one hand, he upheld federal prohibition of cannabis during his first term in office and has also suggested that drug dealers should get the death penalty.
On the other hand, Trump didn’t go after states with legal cannabis laws during his first term. Also, in 2024, he supported a Florida ballot measure that would legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
As a result, though fears abound that the president is screwing up the global economy, many people in the bud biz are cautiously optimistic that their businesses won’t get burned.
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Raul Molina, the co-founder and COO of Mint Cannabis, which runs cannabis dispensaries in many states, said he’s not sure the Trump administration can do anything to stop industry growth.
“The industry is too large for rollbacks at this point,” Molina told HuffPost, though he said he doubts anything positive will happen, either. “That said,
Licensing Cannabis Trademarks: What You Need to Know
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For many cannabis brands, licensing their trademarks can be a savvy business move (for more information on cannabis trademarks generally, check out our webinar, Trademarking Cannabis: Cutting Through the Legal Haze). But it also comes with its own set of challenges. Unlike in most industries, cannabis operates in a complicated legal gray zone — which means you can’t just grab your standard trademark agreement and call it good.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking about licensing your cannabis brand.
Federal law isn’t on your side
Under federal law, cannabis with more than 0.3% THC (that is, marijuana) is still classified as a controlled substance. Even some products with 0.3% THC or less — including those derived from hemp — may run afoul of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), particularly if they’re sold as food, beverages, or dietary supplements. As a result, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) won’t register trademarks used on federally unlawful products, even if those products are fully legal in certain states.
That makes federal trademark protection tricky for most cannabis goods. You might still get some coverage under state trademark laws, or
Is There a Method to the Mayhem? The Stock Market and a Potential Cannabis Collapse
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As economists overwhelmingly question the Trump Administration’s tariff policy, one has to wonder if there is a deeper strategy behind his seemingly chaotic moves?
While President Trump’s recent push for sweeping tariffs and saber-rattling on global trade might look like bluster or protectionism on the surface, there’s a theory that it’s something far more calculated—a deliberate market destabilization that could further benefit the wealthy and consolidate power.
Crashing the market to buy it cheap
Here’s how the theory goes: by pushing policies that trigger investor fear—such as unpredictable tariffs, fiscal brinkmanship, or policy paralysis—President Trump could be intentionally rattling the markets. That fear, and related administrative actions (i.e. erratic tariffs) are causing stock prices to fall. And when that happens, those with excess cash, hedge funds, and other market players are ready to swoop in and buy assets at fire-sale prices.
It’s capitalism’s version of disaster profiteering. And if you have the liquidity to play the game, there’s massive upside. The losers? Everyday investors, 401(k)s, small business owners, and workers.
But this tactic isn’t new. It echoes strategies used by private equity firms for years: break the system, buy the pieces, and rebuild it in
Please Do Not Use Agreements from Brokers
We always say we aren’t giving legal advice on this blog. Here’s some, though: don’t use or sign a contract given to you by a broker for a transaction, unless that broker is a real estate broker, and unless the form is a real estate purchase agreement. Even then, you almost certainly want lawyer eyes on it.
If a broker is giving you a business agreement to use or to consider using in a cannabis business transaction—even as a template; even with disclaimers—the broker is either a) unscrupulous, or b) naïve, and most definitely c) creating a hazard.
What’s the hazard? For the broker, it’s a somewhat typical penalty here in Oregon: a fine of up to $600, or up to six months in county jail, or both. You can throw in possible professional discipline and/or a lawsuit by the damaged client. For the client, the parade of horribles may include transaction failure, loss of large sums of money, litigation, etc. Damages may also be more insidious, the likes of which the client may never fully appreciate.
In most (all?) states, a broker—or any non-lawyer—providing a contract for a party to use in commerce is too-often engaged in the “unlawful-”
Only Fear Of Death Could Stop Seth Rogen From Smoking Pot In Singapore
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Singapore’s draconian drug laws were the only thing that could stop Seth Rogen from toking for a few days.
The famous stoner talked about one particular time he had to park his cannabis habit when asked if it was true that he gets “high every single f***ing day” during an appearance on “The Howard Stern Show” Wednesday.
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While the “Pineapple Express” actor said Stern’s intel was mostly accurate, he told the shock jock, “I think in 2012, 2011, I was in Singapore for three days so those days I didn’t smoke weed because they will literally fucking kill you if you smoke in that country.”
Then with a laugh he said, “They put a little thing in your passport when you arrive that says ‘If we find drugs on you we will execute you.’”
The use of cannabis, recreational or otherwise, is completely illegal in Singapore.
Seth Rogen, here at the LA premiere of “The Studio” on March 24, talked about the one place he refused to smoke cannabis during an interview with Howard Stern.Rodin Eckenroth via Getty ImagesAdvertisement
Being found with weed can result in imprisonment and fines for the average user, but people guilty of trafficking, importing or exporting
Australia Cannabis Q&A
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Australia Cannabis Q&A A. Legal Status & Industry Overview 1. Is cannabis legal for business purposes in Australia?
Importation, cultivation, production, and other activities conducted for medicinal and scientific purposes are lawful under federal Australian law when the necessary licenses and permits have been obtained. Growing cannabis for personal use remains illegal in most Australian states and territories.
Industrial hemp (low-THC cannabis) is regulated under separate licensing frameworks in most Australian jurisdictions. This Q&A focuses primarily on medicinal cannabis (containing higher THC).
2.What are the key regulations governing the cannabis industry?
Cannabis businesses must comply with several laws, including:
Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 – regulates cannabis cultivation and manufacture for medicinal or scientific purposes. Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 – governs medicinal cannabis products. Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990 State and Territory Laws – oversee advertising, distribution, and other local requirements.
Key Australian federal government regulators include the Office of Drug Control (ODC), the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the Department of Agriculture, Fishery, and Forestry (DAFF), and the Australian Border Force (ABF).
3. Are there any efforts to legalize recreational cannabis nationwide?
There are ongoing political discussions and advocacy efforts,
Oregon’s Hot Hemp
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Surprising no one, recent findings show that most hemp in Oregon runs hot. By this I mean it is generally designed to get you lit.
This hemp is often sold and marketed online without age verification, in packaging attractive to minors, or at unlicensed retail stores. Most labels lack clear potency information, and the products are not traceable to test results. On the bright side, the report didn’t seem to turn up much pesticide contamination, although 4 of the 51 samples contained prohibited “artificially derived cannabinoids.” Those are semisynthetic substances like delta-8 THC or CBN derived from CBD.
Not a great look overall. But again, no surprise.
The technical report at issue runs 45 pages, and covers marijuana as well as hemp. It was produced by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). The OLCC’s news release published alongside the report summarizes things nicely. I’m not going to recap it– you can click the link. But I’ll share a few quick thoughts.
The hemp product registry isn’t working (yet)
Last year, Oregon House Bill 4121 tasked OLCC with overseeing the
HHC Added to Schedule II of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances
On March 12th, during the 68th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) was added to Schedule II of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The CND vote follows the World Health Organization’s recommendation that HHC be added into Schedule II. The CND action, which required 36 votes, passed comfortably with 49 votes. Notably, the United States abstained. Placement of HHC in Schedule II mandates that all signatories of the 1971 Convention (roughly 184 countries) restrict HHC’s use to only scientific, medical, and industrial purposes.
HHC is a semi-synthetic, hydrogenated derivative of THC. The hydrogenation process introduces hydrogen molecules to THC, resulting in HHC sharing many of the psychoactive effects of THC. While several U.S. states have laws restricting such substances, others do not. Furthermore, businesses selling HHC products in the Fourth and Ninth Circuits may be legally allowed to do so under the 2018 Farm Bill– depending on if their states prohibit HHC via legislation or regulation.
CND’s scheduling of CND aligns with a DEA letter issued to Attorney Rod Kight in 2023, stating the Administration’s belief that synthetic cannabinoids are schedule I substances. However, given HHC’s semi-synthetic nature, the U.S. government’s obligation to regulate HHC
Oregon Labor Peace Agreements: Litigation Status, Your Options
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I’ve spilled a fair bit of ink on Ballot Measure 119 going back to last summer. Because no good deed goes unpunished, I continue to receive a stream of inquiries regarding associated compliance, e.g., “Where do I get a labor peace agreement?” “What’s this prompt on my CAMP screen?” “What if I don’t comply?”
All fair questions! Let’s do another post today in FAQ format.
What is happening in the BM 119 litigation?
Last month, I explained that someone (finally) filed a lawsuit to challenge the legitimacy of BM 119’s suspect LPA requirement. In that piece, dated February 14th, I observed:
The complaint seeks both declaratory relief (“you did it wrong”) and injunctive relief (“you have to cut it out”). As to the latter, the complaint mentions that plaintiffs subsequently filed a Motion for Temporary Restraining Order, which means that the State of Oregon would have to cut it out soon—that is, stop enforcing the LPA requirement.
The TRO Motion showed up on the Court’s docket on February 17th. Long story short, it was scuttled, and we are set for a Preliminary Injunction Hearing instead. Mark your calendars for April 29th. We will see scheduled