Federal Court Dismisses Marijuana Companies’ Lawsuit Against Government Prohibition
A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit from major marijuana companies that sought to prevent the U.S. government from enforcing cannabis prohibition against their in-state activities.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts’s Western Division ruled on Monday that despite compelling reasons to reevaluate the current scheduling of cannabis, existing Supreme Court precedents restrict the court’s authority to alter federal regulations on controlled substances, Bloomberg Law reported.
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Court’s Decision
Judge Mark G. Mastroianni, who was appointed by President Obama, ruled in favor of the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the case.
“The relief sought is inconsistent with binding Supreme Court precedent and, therefore, beyond the authority of this court to grant,” he stated.
The judge added that the plaintiffs “do not provide a basis for this court to disregard the broad reading of the Commerce Clause.”
Background Of The Case
The lawsuit, Canna Provisions v. Garland, was spearheaded by multi-state operator Verano Holdings Corp. (OTC:VRNOF) along with Massachusetts-based cannabis businesses Canna Provisions and Wiseacre Farm, and Treevit CEO Gyasi Sellers. …