Cannabis is illegal under current federal law. But with attitudes—and state laws—changing, we could see federal legalization very soon. If that does happen, regulations will dictate how growers, makers, dispensers, and consumers comply with the resulting framework. What would those regulations look like?

In this episode, Joanne Caceres, a senior managing associate at Dentons, explains that the federal government's current regulation of hemp already gives us a lot of information about the regulatory landscape that awaits cannabis. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration both regulate hemp, and both would likely be involved in regulating cannabis for consumption as well. Given the patchwork of rules currently in place, she advises industry participants and their lawyers to move carefully and think creatively about how to work within the law in every way possible.