Emerge Law Group

Word is Oregon Ballot Measure 119 is likely to pass on November 5. The measure would require cannabis retailers, processors, and laboratories to enter into an agreement with a "bona fide" trade union or face possible license revocation. The requirement would apply to all new and renewal license applications submitted on or after December 5, 2024. Licensees should be prepared. See more details on our most recent blog post. https://lnkd.in/gDnDzrzq #oregoncannabis #measure119 #cannabislaw

On October 21, in response to serious concerns about the Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) proposed Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) rule amendments, Emerge Law Group submitted comprehensive public comments calling for OHA to retreat from or eliminate several of its proposals. We originally hosted an open Zoom meeting October 16 to discuss OHA's proposals and our planned comments for OHA. During the meeting, our comments were met with overwhelming support. Sixty-three additional industry stakeholders and OPS licensees ultimately signed on to the finalized public comments, linked on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gFZGasi7

Don’t forget about our webinar tomorrow at 12 PT to discuss OHA’s recent proposed rule changes. Register at the link below!

Excited for our happy hour with Co-host Emerge Law Group in Portland OR next week! If you would like to join for some Halloween fun and hemp, cannabis, and psychedelic industry networking, we would love to have you! https://lnkd.in/gJzq5PCZ the Canna Consortium Kara Lavaux, CP-FS, CQA Kelsey Hanley-Kollar, MPH, CP-FS #cannabis #hemp #psychedelics #networking #portland #happyhour #thc #cbd #halloween #cannabisindustry #cannabisnetworking #allayconsulting #emergelawgroup

Join us for a community discussion about the Oregon Health Authority’s proposed Oregon Psilocybin Services rule amendments   Wednesday, October 16, 2024 12pm to 1pm Pacific Time Via Zoom (registration required) https://lnkd.in/gTsSPidy The Oregon Health Authority issued proposed amendments to the rules governing the Oregon Psilocybin Services program.  If adopted, the amendments would have major impacts on the psilocybin industry. The public comment period to provide feedback on the proposed rules ends at 5pm PT on Monday, October 21, 2024.  This is the only chance to request changes to the rule amendments before they become final.   From Emerge’s perspective, many of the proposed amendments could negatively affect licensees’ ability to do business and significantly increase costs for psilocybin clients.  Prior to the webinar, Emerge will circulate to attendees our draft public comments to the proposed rules. At the webinar, we will briefly provide our thoughts on how these rule changes may impact licensees and summarize our draft public comments. We want to hear from attendees about how these proposed rules will affect their businesses and hope for a robust conversation about how we can collaborate to push back against some of the most worrisome proposed amendments.   Hope to see you there!

Emerge attorneys Kaci Hohmann and Alex J Berger attended the Oregon State Bar Cannabis & Psychedelics Law Section’s Sixth Annual Conference last weekend. Alex and Kaci participated in a presentation with attorney Jon Dennis broadly covering the U.S. psychedelics landscape and practical issues for Oregon psilocybin facilitators. The conference is an intimate group of the lead attorneys serving Oregon cannabis and psychedelic clients and Emerge looks forward to seeing everyone again next year!!

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently adopted a new, simplified two-part test to determine a substance's accepted medical use, marking a significant shift in the cannabis rescheduling process. Previously, the DEA used a five-part test, but following the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) recommendation to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, the agency now recognizes a two-part approach focusing on 1) whether licensed healthcare providers use the substance in medical treatment and 2) if there is credible, scientific support for its use for at least one condition. Opponents of the shift argue that the change is politically motivated. However, proponents note that the DEA is bound by the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel’s (OLC) legal decisions, meaning that the test may also be applied to future drug scheduling decisions, including those for psychedelics. “It’s always important to delineate the psychedelic landscape from the cannabis landscape – the temptation is strong to analogize the two because in both cases we’re looking at state-legal but (at this point) federally illegal substances. In reality though, these spaces are markedly unique from one another,” observes Emerge law clerk Leticia Maskell . “However, in this case, the analogy is warranted. Institution of a more holistic 2-step test for accepted medical use vs. a five-step test that is arguably so rigid as to be unreasonably exclusionary could be a boon not just for the psychedelic research community, but for broader acceptance of alternative therapies overall.” https://lnkd.in/dPPbUPie

After four rewarding years of dedicated service to its clients, Plant Medicine Law Group, a New York-based psychedelics law firm, is winding down and transitioning relationships and certain clients to Emerge Law Group, a leading Portland-based law firm with extensive expertise in cannabis and psychedelics. Both law firms specialize in advising psychedelic companies domestically and internationally. The transition builds upon the collaborative co-counsel arrangement that formed between Emerge and PMLG earlier this year and is a significant step forward for the emerging psychedelics industry. Founded in 2014, Emerge Law Group has established itself as a pioneer in the cannabis and psychedelics legal sectors. The firm’s attorneys played pivotal roles in drafting Oregon Ballot Measure 109, which legalized psilocybin services in Oregon, and Oregon Ballot Measure 91, which legalized recreational adult-use cannabis in the state. The transition of PMLG’s extensive network of relationships across the psychedelic industry and successful representation of some of the most innovative companies operating at the intersection of healthcare and psychedelics further enhances Emerge’s industry knowledge and provides clients access to additional top-tier attorneys.

Emerge is thrilled to have been chosen by Plant Medicine Law Group as the firm to support PMLG’s clients moving forward. Both PMLG and Emerge have specialized in advising psychedelic companies, both in the U.S. and internationally. This transition strengthens the collaboration we established earlier this year and marks an exciting new chapter for the growing psychedelics industry. We wish the absolute best of luck to Adriana Kertzer in her future endeavors!

In this edition of PsychedeLinks: ✨Get Emerge's Hot Take on the FDA's early nod to psychedelic research - with attorney Alex J Berger. 🍄Colorado’s “first psychedelic church” for magic mushrooms opens in Colorado Springs 🍄A new Portland shroom service center offers Halloween trips and bargain-priced psychedelic stock 🍄Somerville City Council endorses November ballot question legalizing psychedelic-assisted therapy in Massachusetts 🍄Dr. Bronner’s gives $50,000 to psilocybin treatment center in Central Oregon 📺WATCH: New England Journal of Medicine Interview - Mason Marks on draft guidance on psychedelics research 🎧LISTEN: UNM Researchers Are Studying Psychedelics to Treat Depression and Meth Addiction https://lnkd.in/ggcc5wxa