ARTICLE
17 April 2026

The Week In Weed: April 24, 2026

SS
Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Contributor

With approximately 1,000 lawyers across 17 offices, Seyfarth Shaw LLP provides advisory, litigation, and transactional legal services to clients worldwide. Our high-caliber legal representation and advanced delivery capabilities allow us to take on our clients’ unique challenges and opportunities-no matter the scale or complexity. Whether navigating complex litigation, negotiating transformational deals, or advising on cross-border projects, our attorneys achieve exceptional legal outcomes. Our drive for excellence leads us to seek out better ways to work with our clients and each other. We have been first-to-market on many legal service delivery innovations-and we continue to break new ground with our clients every day. This long history of excellence and innovation has created a culture with a sense of purpose and belonging for all. In turn, our culture drives our commitment to the growth of our clients, the diversity of our people, and the resilience of our workforce.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has officially rescheduled cannabis to Schedule III, marking a historic shift in federal drug policy. Virginia's legislature rejects Governor Spanberger's amendments...
United States Virginia Cannabis & Hemp
Susan Ryan’s articles from Seyfarth Shaw LLP are most popular:
  • with readers working within the Insurance industries
Seyfarth Shaw LLP are most popular:
  • within Compliance topic(s)
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. Obviously, the big news this week is federal rescheduling. But that’s not all! We have an update on the situation in Virginia, where apparently, elections have fewer consequences than one might have thought. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, two Senators that don’t agree on much would like to give states a way to opt out of a federal hemp ban. And finally, should 4/20 be a national holiday?

You might be forgiven for thinking this day would never come, but the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has officially moved state-legal medical marijuana and any cannabis products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to Schedule III. See our blog post here.

Last week, we noted that Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) had made amendments to the cannabis retail market bill and sent her revised version back to the legislature. Well, the legislators have lobbed that ball right back to her side of the court – they did not agree to the amendments. So what does this mean? Is a retail market just as dead as if former Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) were still in charge? No, or at least not yet. Spanberger has 30 days in which to decide what to do. She could accept the fact that you can’t always get what you want and sign the bill. She could stick to her guns and veto it. Or, she could let it become law without her signature. Stay tuned.

One does not usually see Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) on the same side of an issue, but the 2020s are nothing if not a decade of surprises. Klobuchar and Paul are co-sponsoring a bill that would allow states to opt out of the federal ban on intoxicating hemp. The bill has not yet been officially introduced, so it’s hard to get a sense of whether it will go anywhere, but if it becomes law, many in the hemp industry will breathe a sign of relief.

District Cannabis, which operates in the District of Columbia and Maryland, thinks 4/20 should be a national holiday. Their partner, Ugly Agency, agrees:

“We decided to meet absurdity with absurdity,” said Nick Cade of Ugly Agency. “If millions of Americans already celebrate 4/20 like a national holiday, why not make it official? We wrapped that effort in satire, civic theater, and stoner logic.”

Be well everyone – we’ll see you next week.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

[View Source]

Mondaq uses cookies on this website. By using our website you agree to our use of cookies as set out in our Privacy Policy.

Learn More