Cannabis Industry Seeks Clarity in Intellectual Property Haze (Corrected)

U.S. cannabis businesses are racing to lay claim to patent and trademark protections, even though they lack federal intellectual property rights.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office doesn’t grant federal trademark registrations on products involving marijuana, which is illegal under federal law. The federal ban doesn’t impact the grant of cannabis-related patents.

The PTO has issued more than 500 cannabis-related patents since 2000, according to Bloomberg Law data. The patents broadly cover marijuana-related plant strains, chemical formulations, medical treatments, and devices to make and consume cannabis products.

The federal illegality of marijuana means the industry lacks clarity over how their ...