A coalition of Texas hemp business leaders and advocacy groups filed a Verified Original Petition and Application for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) today against the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) in an effort to block newly enacted rules they say unlawfully restrict the …
Category: Cannabis Legal & Courts
Updates on cannabis-related court rulings, lawsuits, attorney general actions, expungement efforts and other major legal developments.
Ohio Judge Temporarily Blocks Hemp Ban Enforcement, Calls Law “Discriminatory”
An Ohio judge has temporarily halted enforcement of a new state law banning certain hemp-derived products, finding the policy may unfairly favor the regulated marijuana industry over federally legal hemp businesses. In an order issued in late-March, Sandusky County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeremiah Ray granted a temporary restraining order preventing the Fremont Police Department, …
Federal Judge Denies Emergency Bid to Stop Medicare CBD Program, Sets Hearing for April 20
A federal judge has denied an emergency request to block the new Medicare-linked CBD pilot program, allowing it to move forward as the legal challenge continues. The court rejected the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order, which had sought to halt implementation of the program before it takes effect. The decision means the limited …
Judge Criticizes Plaintiffs’ Court Choice in Lawsuit Challenging Federal CBD Program
A federal judge today criticized counsel for the plaintiffs seeking to block the new Medicare CBD program, saying that because they chose to file the case in his court they should be prepared to attend in-person hearings going forward, even as Judge Trevor N. McFadden approved their request to appear by telephone or videoconference at …
Michigan Judge Rules New 24% Marijuana Wholesale Tax Can Take Effect January 1
Judge Sima Patel of the Michigan Court of Claims issued a decision today denying industry groups’ request to pause Michigan’s new 24% wholesale marijuana tax, clearing the way for it to take effect January 1. The ruling delivers an early win for Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who initially proposed the tax increase.
Florida: Judge Sides With State in Tossing 200,000 Marijuana Petitions, But Smart & Safe Florida Plans to Appeal
A Leon County circuit judge has backed Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration in a ruling that throws out more than 200,000 signatures gathered for a 2026 recreational cannabis initiative, a decision Smart & Safe Florida says it will immediately challenge. Circuit Judge John Cooper ruled Friday that state election officials acted within the law when they …
Judge Pauses Florida Medical Marijuana Gun Rights Case as Supreme Court Takes Up Similar Challenge
A federal judge in Florida has paused a long-running lawsuit over whether medical marijuana patients can be barred from owning firearms, citing a pending U.S. Supreme Court case that centers on the same federal law. Chief U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor issued the stay yesterday, halting the Florida case until the Supreme Court rules in …
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Arizona Dispensary License Dispute
An Arizona judge has dismissed a lawsuit claiming state officials improperly awarded a marijuana dispensary license outside the deadlines set in law. The case was filed by Mason Cave, owner of Arizona Wellness Center Springerville, against the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), Governor Katie Hobbs, her chief of staff Chad Campbell, and Sherri Dunn, …
Ohio Judge Temporarily Blocks Governor’s Ban on Intoxicating Hemp Products
A Franklin County judge has temporarily stopped Governor Mike DeWine’s effort to ban intoxicating hemp products in Ohio, granting a two-week restraining order as a lawsuit moves forward. Under DeWine’s order, which was set to take effect Tuesday, retailers would have been required to pull intoxicating hemp products from shelves or face fines. The civil …
New York Judge Allows 152 Marijuana Dispensaries to Stay Open Despite Buffer Zone Error
A New York judge has approved a request from the state attorney general’s office allowing at least 152 licensed marijuana dispensaries to remain in their current locations, even though state regulators previously admitted many were too close to schools under existing law. The issue surfaced earlier this year when the Office of Cannabis Management acknowledged …
