WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments Tuesday in a landmark case involving the medical marijuana industry, with former truck driver Douglas Horn filing a lawsuit under federal law typically applied to combat organized crime. I focused on whether I could wake up.
Horn, a former commercial truck driver, purchased a CBD product advertised as THC-free to relieve back pain from a serious accident.
However, after ingesting the product, Horne failed a drug test because it contained THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and lost her job.
Mr. Horn decided to sue the companies involved in the sale and marketing of CBD products and sought damages under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly known as RICO.
This federal law allows for the possibility of higher compensation in lawsuits.
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“The hurt here is that we were fired, and that is hurting our business. Now, the amount of damages that we are claiming as compensation for that is our It's the same amount as the salary that he would have earned and other financial benefits that we would have received,” Horne's attorney Esha Anand said.
By contrast, lawyers representing medical marijuana companies argue that allowing Mr. Horn to proceed with RICO cases would expose small businesses to frequent and costly litigation, which would be financially burdensome. He argued that this could happen.
“While the personal injuries are serious and may support state tort claims, they are not RICO,” said Lisa Blatt, a representative for a medical marijuana company.
This case doesn't just affect those in the marijuana industry. It can also have important implications for victims of human trafficking.
The Human Trafficking Legal Center supported Mr. Horn's lawsuit, stating that without the ability to sue under RICO, victims do not have a fair option of legal recourse, and therefore potentially preclude these legal recourses. He supports Mr. Horn's efforts to expand.
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