Recently, U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz introduced the Medical Cannabis Research Act (the “Act”), which would facilitate and encourage federally-approved clinical trials testing the medicinal effects of chemicals found in the marijuana plant. The bill is notable because, if passed, it would bypass the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as it relates to marijuana research licenses and would put the task in the hands of Congress. Currently, the House Judiciary Committee, which is responsible for the…

On September 5, 2018, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced that the NJ Department of Health (DOH) had received 146 applications from 106 different organizations to operate vertically integrated medical marijuana dispensary operations in the state. The application window closed on August 31, 2018 and the winners of the six for-profit licenses will be announced on November 1, 2018. Each applicant had to identify in which of the three regions of New Jersey – North,…

In 2017, two registration prohibiting provisions of the Trademark Act of 1946 (“The Lanham Act”) were found unconstitutional under the First Amendment. These decisions raise important considerations for persons and companies whose trademarks may have been previously denied registration on such grounds or those considering registration of plausibly disparaging or scandalous marks. In Matal v. Tam, 137 S. Ct. 1744, 1765 (2017), the lead singer of the rock group “THE SLANTS” appealed The United States…

As of September 2018, nine states, including the District of Columbia, allow adult-use (recreational) marijuana and thirty-one states have adopted laws legalizing the sale and use of medical marijuana. The possession and sale of marijuana, however, remains illegal at the federal level due to the Controlled Substances Act’s classification of marijuana as a Schedule I narcotic alongside heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. For a cannabis business operating within the bounds of state law seeking to enter…

With medical marijuana legal in more than half of the United States and nearly 70% of the country having access to medical marijuana, the clinical research on the health benefits and healing properties of cannabinoids is contributing to the growing empirical studies and evidence supporting the use of marijuana as an effective medicine. Frustratingly, however, many medical cannabis patients suffering from debilitating conditions and diseases such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, muscular dystrophy, seizure disorders, anxiety,…

Recently, on June 25, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Epidiolex, which is a prescription drug containing cannabidiol (CBD) isolate. Epidiolex is the first FDA-approved medicine that contains plant-derived, non-synthetic cannabinoids. The drug is used for treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe types of epilepsy: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. CBD is a chemical component of the cannabis sativa plant, also known commonly as marijuana. Another form of the cannabis…

Trademarks are a popular and effective way of building and protecting a business’s brand. A trademark can be any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof that identifies and distinguishes a maker’s goods from those manufactured or sold by others. Trademark owners enjoy certain intellectual property rights and protections against infringement. These rights are earned through the actual use of the mark in the marketplace or through registering the mark with either the…