Lawsuits

Oklahoma has paused the implementation of its seed-to-sale tracking system due to a lawsuit filed by multiple medical cannabis businesses claiming the system would allow for a monopoly.

New York City-based Angel CBD has filed suit against FedEx and New York City over a 2019 hemp shipment that was wrongfully seized by the NYPD.

Iowa cannabis advocate Carl Olsen is suing Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) over the state’s delay in allowing medical cannabis use at long-term care facilities, which was mandated under the state’s medical cannabis legalization bill.

The owner of a Quebec headshop is suing the provincial government over its ban on selling cannabis-themed products; the ban was established after federal legalization and blocks the sale of any cannabis-related merchandise including T-shirts and even books.

A New York City Fire Department emergency medical technician filed a notice of claim to sue the city for $5 million after being placed on limited duty due to doctor-prescribed medical cannabis use.

Verano Holdings in Chicago is facing a RICO lawsuit for allegedly having an employee illegally transport cannabis clippings from Illinois to Arkansas. The company has called the charges “totally false and absurd.”

CBD Industries LLC — which was formally registered as cbdMD and still trades under that name — is suing Majik Medicine for infringement. Notably, Majik Medicine holds a trademark from 2017 for the “CBD MD” moniker, which cbdMD argues was erroneously awarded.

The maker of Kool-brand cigarettes has sued cannabis company Capna Intellectual, which does business as Bloom Brands, alleging logo infringement and violations of trademark law.

A judge has ruled in favor of New Mexico medical cannabis businesses who sued the state over its burdensome product safety and testing protocols.

Metrc has lost a second court challenge against the state of Missouri as the company pushes for the right to charge medical cannabis providers for each RFID tracking tag.

The mother of William Benjamin Harris IV, a 19-year-old who was shot and killed during a June 2019 cannabis delivery-gone-bad, is now suing Weedmaps and a California vape shop saying they are responsible for her son’s death.

Following the departure of multiple member dispensaries, the Massachusetts Commonwealth Dispensary Association has dropped its lawsuit protesting the state’s social equity provisions for adult-use cannabis delivery licenses.

The Massachusetts Commonwealth Dispensary Association is suing state regulators over a plan to only issue cannabis delivery licenses to social equity applicants for the first three years. Advocates, meanwhile, have lauded the provisions.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem issued an executive order on Friday contending that the cannabis legalization initiative passed by voters in November violated the state’s constitution.

The Mississippi Attorney General’s office has submitted court arguments slamming a lawsuit seeking to overturn the state’s massively successful bid to legalize medical cannabis.

Oregon’s Deschutes County has announced a lawsuit saying it should be paid a portion of the state’s cannabis tax revenue despite having banned any new cannabis processing and cultivation facilities in the county in 2019.

Cannabis researcher Dr. Lyle Craker has filed suit over the DEA’s failure to license additional growers for research-grade cannabis.

Colorado CBD firm Folium Biosciences is being sued for allegedly dumping hemp waste including ethanol into the grounds surrounding its facility.

MedMen has filed suit against the city of Pasadena, California in an effort to block the city’s cannabis business licensing process after the company was removed from consideration following a major ownership/management shift.

A lawsuit against Missouri’s medical cannabis system claims the state-imposed license caps violate Missourians’ constitutional right to farm.

More cannabis companies are being targeted by class-action lawsuits over automated calls and text messages made potentially in violation of the Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

Los Angeles is being sued over plans to issue cannabis delivery licenses exclusively to social equity applicants until 2025.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a high-profile cannabis case that challenged the constitutionality of federal cannabis prohibition. Advocates behind the case said they were disappointed, but not surprised.

Aurora Cannabis is facing a class-action lawsuit that alleges the company made “false and misleading statements” about its business, operational, and compliance policies.