Texas Compassionate Use Program: DPS Now Accepting Applications for Dispensing Organization Licenses

Texas Compassionate Use Program: DPS Now Accepting Applications for Dispensing Organization Licenses

In 2015, the Texas Legislature enacted the Texas Compassionate Use Act, Senate Bill 339. Under TCUP’s regulatory regime, the Texas Department of Public Safety (“DPS”) would create a secure registry for licensed physicians to prescribe low tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) to patients suffering from a limited list of medical conditions, including ALS and intractable epilepsy.

Since establishing the Texas Compassionate Use Program (“TCUP”), DPS has issued licenses to only three dispensing organizations to dispense low-THC cannabis to registered TCUP patients. Currently, only two are operational in the state of Texas. Recently, DPS’  Regulatory Services Division announced that department officials are now accepting new applications for dispensing organization licenses. Read below to learn more about the TCUP and the licensing application process. 

January 26, 2023 , , , , , , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCTexas Compassionate Use Program: DPS Now Accepting Applications for Dispensing Organization Licenses
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Trademark Protection for Cannabis Businesses

Trademark Protection for Cannabis Businesses

As the medical marijuana, hemp, and CBD industries are still relatively new, many cannabis business owners are unsure whether they qualify for trademark protection or not. The 2018 Farm Bill clarified the legal distinction of hemp from marijuana and the status of popular cannabinoids and derivatives, such as CBD. Accordingly, positive changes regarding hemp-based trademarks have taken place, which the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) outlined in an Examination Guide in May of 2019. Below, we outline the basics of trademarking with a focus on cannabis and hemp products at the federal and state level. 

February 24, 2021 , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCTrademark Protection for Cannabis Businesses
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CBD in Food and Dietary Supplements: What is the FDA’s Stance?

CBD in Food and Dietary Supplements: What is the FDA’s Stance?

Cannabidiol (“CBD”), a cannabinoid found in hemp plants, continues to grow in popularity as a market commodity. As a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid, CBD is enjoyed by a wide variety of consumers. It has become quite common to see CBD added to food or sold as dietary supplements for both people and pets, despite the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) maintains that both CBD and THC are illegal additives to food and beverages and that the products containing the substances cannot be sold as dietary supplements. Below, we explore the FDA’s current position on CBD in food and dietary supplements.

June 12, 2020 , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCCBD in Food and Dietary Supplements: What is the FDA’s Stance?
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Chelsie Spencer Selected as Super Lawyers Rising Star of 2020

Chelsie Spencer Selected as Super Lawyers Rising Star of 2020

We are pleased to announce that attorney Chelsie Spencer has been selected by Thomson Reuters as a Super Lawyers Rising Star of 2020. 

Super Lawyers is a rating service for exceptional lawyers that covers over 70 areas of practice. Only 2.5% of lawyers in each state are selected as Rising Stars by Super Lawyers. These lawyers are selected based on independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. 

March 16, 2020 , , , , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCChelsie Spencer Selected as Super Lawyers Rising Star of 2020
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Starting a Cannabis Company: Things to Know

Starting a Cannabis Company: Things to Know

The cannabis industry is complex and competitive, but it is also extremely appealing to young entrepreneurs and investors alike as it continues to shift away from negative stigmas and into a more defined regulatory pathway. The rapid growth of the industry attracts cultivators, extractors, retailers, and more, and like many people entering this complicated space, you may feel overwhelmed with where to begin. Whether you’re considering opening a dispensary business, a CBD business, an ancillary cannabis business, or simply obtaining a hemp license, we’ve put together a guide to starting up a cannabis company to further your understanding of the necessary moving parts and details.

January 3, 2020 , , , , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCStarting a Cannabis Company: Things to Know
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Canna-Brand It? CBD Trademark Registration

Canna-Brand It? CBD Trademark Registration

Recently, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) issued an internal directive which will likely assist pending and future CBD trademark registrations with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. What is CBD you ask? CBD is an acronym for cannabidiol, a cannabis compound derived from the marijuana plant. Importantly, CBD is a non-psychoactive compound, meaning that it lacks THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) – the cannabinoid compound associated with marijuana use. CBD has been added to a variety of goods, from oils, to vapor, to honey, to candies, and beyond.

June 5, 2018 , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCCanna-Brand It? CBD Trademark Registration
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