A growing number of countries have legalized or decriminalized marijuana in recent years, but in parts of the world, cannabis-related offenses can still carry the harshest possible punishment. According to the latest global review from Harm Reduction International, 36 countries continue to retain the death penalty for drug offenses. In 2025, at least 1,212 people …
Category: Cannabis Legal & Courts
Updates on cannabis-related court rulings, lawsuits, attorney general actions, expungement efforts and other major legal developments.
New Filing Asks North Carolina Supreme Court to Revisit Marijuana Odor Search Ruling
A North Carolina attorney is asking the state Supreme Court to revisit a recent marijuana odor ruling, arguing the decision gives police broad authority to conduct warrantless searches even though legal hemp and illegal marijuana can smell virtually identical. The filing was submitted Tuesday by attorney Benjamin Kull on behalf of Tyron Lamont Dobson, whose …
U.S. Supreme Court Rules Marijuana Use Alone Does Not Strip Gun Ownership Rights
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that the federal government cannot automatically strip marijuana consumers of their Second Amendment rights simply because they use cannabis. In United States v. Hemani, the Court sided with Ali Danial Hemani, a Texas man prosecuted under a federal law that bars “unlawful users” of controlled substances from possessing …
New York Appeals Court Upholds Cannabis Agency’s Enforcement Authority
A New York appeals court has vacated a lower court order that had restricted the Office of Cannabis Management’s ability to conduct enforcement and inspection actions against cannabis and hemp retailers. The Appellate Division, Third Department issued the ruling June 11 in Super Smoke N Save LLC et al. v. New York State Cannabis Control …
DEA Marijuana Rescheduling Hearing Set to Begin in Two Weeks
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s administrative hearing on marijuana rescheduling is now just two weeks away, with proceedings set to begin June 29 at 9 a.m. ET. The hearing, which will take place at the DEA Hearing Facility in Arlington, Virginia, is part of the federal rulemaking process to consider moving marijuana from Schedule I to …
Massachusetts Initiative to Repeal Legal Cannabis Sales Will Appear on November Ballot Following Supreme Judicial Court Ruling
A proposed ballot initiative that would repeal Massachusetts’ adult-use marijuana legalization law will appear before voters in November, following a ruling by the state’s Supreme Judicial Court. The court ruled Friday that proponents of the measure met the constitutional requirements needed to place the proposal on the ballot, upholding a decision made last year by …
Drug Testing Group, Marijuana Pharmaceutical Companies Ask Court to Pause Federal Rescheduling Order
A national drug testing association and several marijuana-focused pharmaceutical companies are asking a federal appeals court to pause the Department of Justice’s marijuana rescheduling order while their legal challenge proceeds. The joint motion was filed June 9 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit by the National Drug and Alcohol …
New York Cannabis Regulators Win Three Court Rulings Upholding State Oversight Authority
New York cannabis regulators are touting three recent court victories they say affirm the state’s authority to oversee and protect its legal marijuana market. The New York Office of Cannabis Management announced Wednesday that courts issued favorable rulings in three cases involving the agency and the Cannabis Control Board, including disputes over licensing, enforcement actions …
Hemp Companies File Federal Lawsuits Challenging DEA’s Move to Classify HHC as Schedule I
Two hemp companies have filed federal lawsuits challenging the Drug Enforcement Administration’s move to classify hemp-derived hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) as a Schedule I controlled substance. The lawsuits can be found here and here (PDFs). IHC Investments, Inc., and Bluestar Operations, LLC, filed separate petitions for review of final agency action against the DEA, DEA Administrator Terrance …
DEA’s Marijuana Rescheduling Process Faces New Legal Questions After Supreme Court Ruling, Finds Legal Analysis
A new legal analysis argues that the Drug Enforcement Administration’s current approach to Controlled Substances Act scheduling procedures may be on shakier ground following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. The report was provided to The Marijuana Herald prior to official publication. The paper, titled The Opportunity to be Heard: …
