If a lawyer, policy maker, law enforcement official, or market participant needs to understand the complexities presented by cannabis legalization, Cannabis Law Deskbook meets that need.

Authored by public-sector attorneys and staff who have been on the front lines in the growing number of states implementing groundbreaking cannabis adult-use and medical programs, this deskbook offers an in-depth accounting of the complexities found in the ever-evolving field of cannabis law.

Reflective of our federalist system of government and despite federal prohibition, the states have been at the forefront of experimenting with adult-use and medical cannabis programs. The pace of reform has quickened since 2012, when Colorado and Washington created the world’s first adult-use cannabis markets. Today’s intrastate cannabis markets reflect a multibillion-dollar industry operating within a patchwork system of state and local laws.

As the chief legal officers of the states, the State Attorney Generals offer a unique insight into cannabis law. The contributing authors of this book are experienced public-sector attorneys and regulators from over a dozen state and local jurisdictions across the country who are subject-matter experts in cannabis law and policy.

This deskbook addresses areas of cannabis law and policy most relevant to those readers interested in this dynamic field of law.

Topics include:

• History of state cannabis reforms and federal prohibition
• Navigating federal and state conflicts
• Compliance and enforcement priorities
• Incentives for market participation
• Social equity programs and policies
• Public health perspectives
• Environmental impacts
• Legal rights of cannabis users
• Tax policy
• Access to financial institutions, bankruptcy, and receivership
• Intellectual property issues
• Responding to illicit activity
• Cannabis licensing and ownership
• Tracking systems
• Testing protocols
• Packaging, labeling, and advertising
• Administrative investigations and actions
• Complexities caused by hemp and hemp-derived products, including delta-8 THC
• An extensive exploration of the Canadian approach to cannabis law
• Overview of the current status of cannabis in Europe

Beginning in 2020, the Attorney General (AG) Alliance saw the need not only to develop a resource that reflected the status of cannabis law but also to create a framework adaptable to new developments — statutory or decisional. This book will be updated annually or as needed to track key legal developments.

The AG Alliance is committed to presenting the complex issues of cannabis law in a manner that attempts to summarize existing laws, find commonality, and offer guidance to those engaged in this arena of law and policy.