Steve Schain

December 23, 2024 | The Legal Intelligencer

Reflecting multiple states rejection of marijuana legalization efforts and ushering in an administration seemingly hostile to cannabis, Red Wednesday revealed how uncertain regulatory policy, coupled with Herculean operational challenges, stripped the bloom off of the rose and unveiled the volatility of cannabis’ valuation.

By Steve Schain

9 minute read

October 31, 2024 | The Legal Intelligencer

Despite complete state and federal legality, municipalities are increasingly prohibiting and prosecuting hemp-derived intoxicating product sales imposing civil and criminal penalties on both the business and its owners.

By Steve Schain

8 minute read

August 26, 2024 | The Legal Intelligencer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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