Steve Schain

Steve Schain

August 26, 2024 | The Legal Intelligencer

Why Cannabis Testing and Labeling Standardization Is Long Overdue

While legal in 38 states, each cannabis jurisdiction has its own, and often conflicting, testing and labeling laws. Thus, unlike virtually every other product sold in America, no two states' cannabis items are identical and the respective potency and contaminant level testing and labeling standards greatly vary, impose enormous health and safety concerns, and create havoc for those growing, manufacturing, testing and selling cannabis.

By Steve Schain

9 minute read

June 25, 2024 | The Legal Intelligencer

Rogue Intoxicants and the Cannabis Beverage Explosion

Will whetting your whistle with rogue intoxicants be cannabis' next jackpot? Cannabis-infused beverages are among the most popular cannabis consumables, easy to launch and scale by existing breweries and cideries, and will undoubtedly take the nation by storm.

By Steve Schain

9 minute read

April 29, 2024 | The Legal Intelligencer

DEA's Psychedelic-Outlawing Effort Attacked by Private Industry

Despite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of depression treatment drug Esketamine and conferring of "breakthrough therapy" status on other psychedelics, the DEA is amping up its prohibition efforts and private industry is punching back.

By Steve Schain

8 minute read

March 18, 2024 | The Legal Intelligencer

Will the Corporate Transparency Act Smother the Cannabis Industry?

Mandating "true owners' identity disclosure" to prevent using shell companies to conceal criminal revenue, the Corporate Transparency Act creates myriad cannabis industry headaches.

By Steve Schain

10 minute read

December 12, 2023 | The Legal Intelligencer

Cannabis Industry Confounded by Lack of 'Legal Intoxicant' Definition

Forming America's sixth-largest crop yielding 48.8 million pounds of flower and projected to generate $33.5 billion in 2023 legal sales, marijuana's plunging price-per-pound and the availability of cheaper, unregulated hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products is thwarting the cannabis industry.

By Steve Schain

10 minute read

October 27, 2023 | The Legal Intelligencer

Cannabis Rescheduling and the Demise of Section 280E

Although the final decision rests with the DEA, if cannabis is reclassified to Schedule III, marijuana growers, processors, transporters or sellers (marijuana-related businesses or MRBs) will cease being encumbered by onerous operating and taxing obstacles to become significantly more profitable, federally funded cannabis research will finally occur, and investment in marijuana-related businesses should soar.

By Steve Schain

8 minute read

August 25, 2023 | The Legal Intelligencer

FDA's Psychedelic Drug Clinical Trial Guidance Aims to Stimulate Funding, Acceptance

Forming the federal government's first directive on how to research psychedelics' medical application, the guidance removes this multibillion dollar industry's two major stumbling blocks: public acceptance and funding.

By Steve Schain

7 minute read

June 22, 2023 | The Legal Intelligencer

Why the SAFE Banking Act Still Stinks: Third Try Falls Short

While preferable to its predecessors, the SAFE Banking Act fails to provide legal marijuana growers, processors, transporters or sellers (marijuana-related businesses or MRBs) with the access to banking that every other legitimate industry enjoys.

By Steve Schain

10 minute read

April 28, 2023 | The Legal Intelligencer

How Cannabis Got Fat and Sassy With a Little Help From Alaska

Butters, oils and fats are essential building blocks of cannabis-infused foods and beverages, the fastest growing segment of the legalized marijuana market that generated $30 billion in 2022 domestic revenue.

By Steve Schain

8 minute read

December 09, 2022 | The Legal Intelligencer

Cannabis' Plummeting Price-Per-Pound and the Rise of Delta-8 THC

Although forming America's sixth-largest crop yielding 48.8 million pounds of flower and $27 billion in legal sales annually, marijuana's plunging price-per-pound and the availability of cheaper, unregulated hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products is thwarting the cannabis industry.

By Steve Schain

10 minute read