Insurrection, Contracts, and the Cannabis Industry
By: Heidi Urness, Attorney at Heidi Urness Law, PLLC. (as quoted in Roll Call, 1/13/20) Following the storming of the United States Capitol during the first week of 2021, Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) sent a notice to conservative social media company Parler (that was allegedly leaked to BuzzFeed before being e-mailed to Parler) that it was being…
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Surge in Lawsuits Highlights Fundraising Risks for CBD Companies
By: Heidi Urness, Attorney at Heidi Urness Law, PLLC The cannabis industry is experiencing a surge in lawsuits filed against CBD companies, highlighting the fundraising risks for CBD companies associated with potentially false or misleading statements or omissions about their business and business activities. In sum, CBD companies continued to experience a surge in class action and…
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FTC Announces New “Crackdown” on CBD Companies
By: Heidi Urness, Attorney at Heidi Urness Law, PLLC False or deceptive claims, including unsubstantiated health claims, constitute the basis for a large amount of both federal and state lawsuits against hemp and CBD companies throughout the United States. At the federal level, both government entities including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Food and Drug Administration…
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DEA’s Interim Final Rule Affecting Hemp and THC
By: Heidi Urness, Attorney at Heidi Urness Law, PLLC In just one week — on October 20, 2020 — the public comment period for the recent Interim Final Rule titled “Implementation of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018” and promulgated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) will close. We urge you to submit your comments on or…
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Financial Assistance and Resources for Cannabis Companies During Coronavirus Pandemic
By: Heidi Urness, Attorney at Heidi Urness Law, PLLC While individuals and businesses throughout the country are clamoring to secure their piece of disaster relief funds, marijuana businesses find themselves excluded from federal aid opportunities. However, state and local governments are stepping up to fill in the gaps and help companies stay afloat during the…
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Slew of Lawsuits Highlight CBD Labeling and Advertising Risks
By: Heidi Urness, Attorney at Heidi Urness Law, PLLC 2019, as predicted, was the “Year of CBD.” Fueled by the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, CBD and other hemp-derived products, as well as ancillary businesses, exploded into the marketplace. However, as reputable companies began marketing and selling to consumers all over the country, less…
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Did Washington State Just Ban CBD from All Food and Drink Products?
By: Heidi Urness, Attorney at Heidi Urness Law Earlier this month (August 2019), the Washington State Department of Agriculture (“WSDA”) released a statement regarding the use of CBD as a food ingredient, which some reported as an act by the state to suddenly “ban all CBD-infused food and drinks.” However, the WSDA has never permitted…
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Mailing CBD and Hemp-Based Products Just Got Easier
By: Heidi Urness, Attorney at Heidi Urness Law The rules regarding mailing CBD and hemp-based products have changed. In June (2019), the United States Postal Service (“USPS”) released new mailing standards for “products derived from cannabis and industrial hemp” in light of Congressional and Departmental clarification that interstate commerce of hemp is expressly permitted. The USPS apparently…
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Heidi Urness is Literally Defining Legal Cannabis
By: Mitch Pfeifer Published in: Respect My Region, May 2019 Heidi Urness is one of the rising stars in the industry. [Cannabis attorneys] have seen tomato farmers grow into full-fledged cannabis entrepreneurs. In this same way, Urness had made the transition from environmental law to helping shape the landscape for legal cannabis in Washington State.…
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Legal Interstate Transportation of Hemp is Federally Affirmed
By: Heidi Urness, Attorney at Heidi Urness Law The United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) released a document titled “Executive Summary of New Hemp Authorities” on May 28, 2019, which, among other things, affirming Heidi’s analysis that states (and tribes) cannot block the transportation or shipment of hemp throughout the US — directly contradicting not…
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