Acreage Lawsuit Raises Constitutional Questions for Cannabiz

Portland, Maine, defended its REC licensing and regulation system in federal court this week after a cannabis company connected to multi-state operator Acreage Holdings sued the city. The case raises questions about how the U.S. Constitution applies to the federally illegal industry.

In June, dispensary Wellness Connection sued the City of Portland, arguing that its scoring system for dispensary applications, which favors state owned businesses, violates the Constitution's commerce clause. This week Portland responded that the Commerce Clause doesn’t protect the federally illegal industry. (Read Portland . . .