About the Course
Introduction
This CLE course will guide IP counsel on the protection of cannabis IP. The panel will examine the current cannabis IP landscape. The panel will examine trends, challenges, and strategies for securing patent rights and offer best practices for securing IP rights as the landscape evolves.
Description
Unlike trademarks, the legal status of cannabis is not relevant in the patent context. The number of patent applications for cannabis-related inventions continues to rise, and the USPTO is issuing an increasing number of cannabis-related patents. The resurgence of interest in cannabis and psychedelics for therapeutic use has driven remarkable growth in the regulated therapeutics field. Cannabis patent portfolios have been critical pieces in several acquisitions.
As the cannabis industry grows, counsel needs to understand how best to protect the IP rights involved.
Listen as our authoritative panel guides IP counsel through the complexities of patenting these powerful substances. The panel will examine the current patent landscape in these product areas, including trends, challenges, and strategies for securing patent rights as the landscape evolves.
Presented By
Mr. Holman, Ph.D., is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Biotechnology & Chemical and Trial & Appellate Practice Groups, with a practice focused on proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). With a technical background and training in immunology, microbiology, and molecular biology, he regularly represents leading companies in biotech, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Mr. Holman's PTAB practice includes inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews, and interferences, where he counsels clients on initial pre-trial PTAB strategy, briefing and discovery during the PTAB proceeding, appeal and/or settlement. David also regularly counsel's clients on global patent preparation and prosecution strategies.
Ms. Sterling focuses her practice in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, where she is involved in all areas of patent procurement, exploitation and enforcement. Her experience includes representing clients in over 70 inter partes review and covered business method proceedings, and in multiple patent interferences and reexaminations. Ms. Sterling's practice also includes counseling clients on intellectual property strategy, including evaluating patent portfolios, e.g., for invalidity, non-infringement, freedom-to-operate and due diligence analyses, and she has assisted clients in devising design-around strategies for issued patents.
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This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.
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Date + Time
- event
Thursday, December 11, 2025
- schedule
1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT
I. The cannabis and psychedelics industries
II. Protecting cannabis and psychedelics innovation
A. Patents
B. Trademarks
C. Trade Secrets
D. Plant Variety Protection Certificates
E. Regulatory Exclusivity
III. Trends in cannabis and psychedelics patenting
IV. Epidiolex® - a case study
The panel will review these and other vital matters:
- Dynamics of the psychedelic and cannabis patent landscapes;
- Recent developments in patent filings and prosecution; and
- Challenges and strategies for protect innovations in an ever-changing regulatory and competitive environment.
