CHICAGO – The International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA) released the complete agenda and speaker roster for the organization’s flagship Cannabis Law Institute (CLI), taking place June 17-18 in Chicago. Building on the momentum of its recently announced “new legal era” theme, CLI2026 will feature two days of advanced legal and policy programming focused on the rapidly evolving cannabis landscape.
Hosted annually by INCBA, CLI helps cannabis attorneys, regulators, compliance professionals, executives, and policymakers navigate one of the most dynamic legal environments in the country. This year’s event arrives at a pivotal moment for the industry, as practitioners grapple with federal rescheduling, emerging hemp policy battles, cross-border legal developments, heightened compliance expectations, and the maturation of cannabis businesses themselves.
“Cannabis law is no longer an emerging practice area. It is now a highly sophisticated legal discipline intersecting with healthcare, finance, technology, international trade, intellectual property, litigation, and administrative law,” said INCBA Chairman David Ruskin. “CLI2026 was intentionally built for practitioners who are ready to move beyond introductory conversations and engage with the complex realities shaping the future of this industry.”
The first day of the conference will feature a full day of plenary programming around the most consequential legal and regulatory developments impacting cannabis and hemp. Sessions will examine federal cannabis policy, including movement around medicinal marijuana, state regulatory perspectives, international cannabis law, developments in cannabis capital markets, and lessons from other highly regulated industries including alcohol and gaming.
Highlighted plenary sessions include:
- Progress Without Parity: Federal Cannabis Policy at a Crossroads.
- Okay, There’s A Proven Medical Benefit… Now What?
- Regulated, Rescheduled, and Reimagined: State Regulators on the New Federal Reality.
- Cannabis Capital: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
- Beyond Borders: International Cannabis Law Developments.
On June 18, attendees will choose between two concurrent educational tracks focused on legal practice management and emerging policy developments.
The “Practice of Law” track, led by Jill Cohen of Verrill, will explore ethical and operational challenges facing cannabis attorneys, including AI compliance risks, alternative dispute resolution, and the growing corporate sophistication required of cannabis businesses.
Sessions include:
- What Are You Smoking? AI Hallucinations, Ethics, and Compliance.
- Business Disputes Better Left Out of Court: ADR in the Cannabis Industry.
- Startups No Longer: Corporate Practice at a Cannabis Company.
The “Current Legal Developments” track, led by Daniel Molina of Vicente LLP, will focus on rescheduling, prohibitionist backlash efforts, and the increasingly complicated legal environment surrounding cannabis hardware and vaporization technology.
Sessions include:
- After the Reschedule: Navigating the New Federal Cannabis Landscape.
- The Recriminalization Mirage: Federal and State Backtracking, and the New Prohibitionist Playbook.
- Understanding why Hardware is Hard: Legal Issues for Cannabis Vapes.
The “Running Businesses” track, led by Kyle Finnegan of Ice Miller LLP, will focus on the increasingly sophisticated legal and operational risks facing cannabis operators and their counsel. Sessions will provide practical guidance for attorneys advising clients on regulatory investigations, data security threats, and complex real estate negotiations unique to the cannabis industry.
Featured sessions include:
- Whistleblowers, Subpoenas, Demand Letters, oh my! Best Practices for Responding to Notice of Potential Infractions and Non-Compliance.
- Data Privacy, Data Security, and the Cannabis Business.
- Advanced Playbook for Negotiating Cannabis Leases: Navigating Landlords, Zoning, and Industry-Specific Challenges.
The “Adult Use Hemp: Trajectory” track, led by Steve Schain of Smart Counsel, will examine the rapidly evolving hemp product marketplace. The track will explore how hemp-derived cannabinoids have outpaced existing regulatory frameworks, the implications of proposed federal hemp redefinitions, and the growing litigation battles between licensed cannabis operators and hemp-derived cannabinoid businesses.
Sessions include:
- Forbidden Fruit: Hemp Derived Ingredients and How Science Outpaces Legislation.
- What is Hemp’s Restrictive Redefining? Is it Here to Stay?
- Hatfield and McCoys Litigation – Will Big Cannabis Crush Hemp.
The conference will feature leading attorneys and subject matter experts from across the cannabis legal ecosystem, including practitioners from major law firms, in-house counsel, regulators, policy strategists, and industry operators.
CLI2026 attendees will also receive on-demand access to all CLE sessions following the conference, allowing practitioners to revisit sessions and access programming they may have missed live.
