When Ray Charles sang “Let’s Go Get Stoned,” he wasn’t exactly crooning to New Jersey’s lawyers, but now, well, they can if they want to (but not at work). The Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics, recognizing the reality of state legalization of marijuana, recently decided in Opinion 744 that lawyers may use regulated cannabis—and operate or invest in regulated cannabis businesses—without violating ethical rules.

The opinion reflects an almost ethereal debate about whether the federal prohibitions against marijuana should guide ethical policy, an argument which was soundly rejected by the committee, which recognized that the federal law is not being enforced. Ironically, just a few days later, President Biden pardoned all who have been convicted of simple possession on the federal level and ordered a review as to whether marijuana should be considered a Schedule I drug along with heroin, cocaine and LSD.

This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.

To view this content, please continue to their sites.

Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Why am I seeing this?

LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.

For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]