For the longest time, attorneys in Pennsylvania ran a huge risk whenever they represented a medical marijuana industry client due to legalities that could take away their license. Attorney Andrew Sacks of Sacks Weston LLC saw the incorrectness of the legal statute and petitioned to have it changed. Now, two years later since his initial request was created, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has finally approved it.
(You can view the court’s actual order by clicking here, as well as the amended rule by clicking here.)
Due to Sacks’ tenacity, the support of his legal team, and their partnership with the American Trade Association of Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH), lawyers throughout Pennsylvania can ethically handle cases for clients involved in the growing medical marijuana industry. The wording in the legal statute previously prohibited any lawyer from “counseling or assisting a client in criminal conduct,” such as managing a medical marijuana business, which is still outlawed by federal laws. The new change clears up the matter and states that a lawyer can counsel them in any matter that is permitted by Pennsylvania State law, even if it is banned by federal law.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision truly marks a monumental success for attorneys and medical marijuana industries throughout the state. Previously, the legal landscape was uneven, working against medical marijuana businesses and customers, due to the fact that it was difficult for them to find a legal advocate willing to take their case. With the risk of recourse removed, more attorneys should be able to step forward and help the people working to establish a functional medical marijuana, hemp, and cannabis industry in Pennsylvania.
Stay with our blog to catch news on any other developments to Pennsylvania medical marijuana law. We are the state’s leading attorneys on the matter, and our Philadelphia medical marijuana attorneys intend to continue working with ATACH and other groups to protect the rights of people in this industry. You can also contact us online if you need help with a legal case of your own.
