Legal News

November has been a busy month in cannabis policy: Congress is on the brink of ending the longest-ever government shutdown (with implications for the hemp industry and veterans access), while Virginia and New Jersey just held statewide elections that will undoubtedly change the cannabis landscape in those states (well, Commonwealth in Virginia’s case!). Let’s take…

2026 Committee Applications Now Open!  Joining a National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) committee is one of the best ways to get involved, expand your network, and influence national cannabis policy. Work alongside top professionals, advocates, and innovators to help move the industry forward. Why Join? Build connections with professionals from all sectors of the cannabis…

NCIA is now accepting applications for eligible candidates to apply for the board through December 10, 2025. The National Cannabis Industry Association is a nonprofit organization run for and by its membership, so we hope you’ll consider this opportunity to apply for a seat on the NCIA Board. Serving on NCIA’s Board of Directors is…

Several years ago at the PBC Conference on cannabis banking, the keynote speaker, then Deputy Attorney General James Cole, lamented that his “Cole Memorandum,” published in August 2013, directing Attorneys General not to focus their prosecutorial resources on state-licensed cannabis businesses and used by FinCEN in drafting and issuing its guidance on banking marijuana in…

The heart of NCIA is a powerful network of business owners, industry professionals, and entrepreneurs who share a common goal: building a fair, inclusive, and thriving cannabis industry. Through our “Rooted in Community” series, we shine a light on the members who help support and shape that vision every day. This month, we’re proud to…

The word “advocacy” is a loaded term. It evokes different emotions in different people. However, in the cannabis industry, it’s a case of goose and gander, as a win for advocacy is a win for operators as well — with policy wins ultimately translating into financial benefits for operators. Thus, it would stand to reason…

Committee Blog: Streamlining Cannabis Ownership Changes – Time for a Smarter Approach By Joanne Caceres and Jessica Steinberg (SRC Committee)  Let’s be real: changing ownership of a cannabis business is a slog. Between “nontransferable” licenses that force full entity sales, wildly different definitions of who counts as an owner, and piles of disclosures, fingerprints, forms,…

How to Build a Cannabis Business Continuity Plan  Before the Next Natural Disaster  By Nichelle Santos  Founder, CEO  CannaCoverage Insurance and CannaShield Compliance  “The power was out for days, and we had no cooling. We lost inventory,  time, and trust.”  — Reported sentiment from multiple Texas cannabis retailers after Hurricane Beryl (July  2024)  The Problem:…

As the cannabis industry continues its rapid expansion, the demand for high-quality  cannabis extracts for medicinal, recreational, and industrial applications is skyrocketing. With this growth comes increased pressure on businesses to innovate, scale production, and meet evolving operational challenges — all while navigating a complex web of occupational safety and regulatory requirements.   Among these, chemical…

A few years ago, picking a CBD gummy was simple—grab the fruitiest one on the shelf and hope it worked. But as users got smarter, so did the products. People started asking, What’s actually in this? How much CBD do I really need? And can it do more than just help me relax? That curiosity…

While cannabis reform has always moved at a glacial pace in Washington, D.C., 2025 seems like an extreme example. To date, Congress has introduced almost no standalone legislation related to the issue and efforts to reclassify marijuana have stalled; but the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has seemed more willing to examine the…

Some THC gummies just hit better. No weird aftertaste, no sudden crash, and definitely no guessing if it’s working. You take one, and it feels… right. Then there are the others. The ones that feel off from the start—too sweet, too melty, too all-over-the-place with the effects. The difference usually isn’t about the dose. It’s…