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If there is one area where there is no shortage of innovation, it’s in mixing drugs with food and beverages. That’s especially true in the business of medical marijuana, where you can buy pot cupcakes, pot brownies, pot lollypops, and much more. Now there is a new item that could be coming to a shelf near you: Canna Cola, a medical marijuana pot soda, or soda pot. Clay Butler, a California entrepreneur, plans to market an artesian line of medical marijuana soft drinks in several flavors, including Dr....

Retirement ain’t what it used to be. Or when. As participation in the workforce has been dropping for those under the age of 55, it has been on the rise for older Americans. So your small business may be faced with the prospect of hiring employees with a few more gray hairs than normal. Of course, a retiree will cease to become one once they re-enter the workforce. So what are the legal concerns when it comes to hiring, employing, and firing retirees?...

When is it wise to scrap your will and start over? As you know, a will reflects a person’s wishes for how his or her estate will be handled after death. But because many unforeseen events can happen after a person writes a will, in some situations it may be best to revoke an old will and draft a new one. Here are some general guidelines to consider: There are several reasons you may want to scrap your old will and start over....

The world could be your small business oyster. Export-import bank loans to U.S. companies to finance sales of American goods internationally have increased. Between October and January alone, the Export-Import Bank of the United States has increased small-business export financing to $1.5 billion, from $1.4 billion in the same period last year, reports The Wall Street Journal. Why consider selling products outside the U.S.? Because 95% of your potential customers live outside the United States, reports USA Today....

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability that impacts one in 68 children born in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Kids who suffer from ASD have difficulties with emotional expression, communication, and appropriate behavior, making them difficult to manage. But autistic children are entitled to attend public school and receive an appropriate education, and there are legal protections in place to ensure this. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees free education to children with disabilities in the least restrictive environment possible, so schools must accommodate an autistic child in order to receive federal funding....

As discussed in another post, last June a case was heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, wherein 28 engineers, scientists and other employees at the Jet Propulsion Lab in California (run by NASA) challenged the background checks instituted after 9/11. In December, the government attorneys asked the Supreme Court to hear the case. On March 8, the Supreme Court has agreed to do so in its upcoming term, beginning in October....

The stories are always headline-grabbers, a teacher and student carrying on an illicit (and, more importantly, possibly illegal) affair. It shouldn’t be surprising, after all, it’s a betrayal of public trust of the highest order. But today comes a sobering story of one such affair that brought with it a deadly result. The tragic case arose after Arizona high school teacher Tamara Hofmann and her 18-year-old student, Samuel Valdivia, were caught together in bed by her 20-year-old boyfriend Sixto Balbuena....

A New Jersey teen allegedly forgotten inside a police cage has filed a lawsuit against the Fort Lee Police Department and 19 officers. Adam Kim, who was 17 at the time of the incident, says that he was locked inside a police van cage for 15 hours without access to food, water, or a bathroom, reports The Record of Bergen County. Kim claims to have been locked inside the cage with four other men....

If the Justice League can use the necessity defense, why not environmentalists? That will be the question posed by two defendants in an upcoming Minnesota criminal case. Emily Johnston and Annette Klapstein, two environmental activists in a group dubbed the Valve Turners, will try to be the first U.S. environmentalists to use this defense successfully, claiming their crimes of felony criminal mischief, felony conspiracy to commit criminal mischief, and criminal trespass were justified to do a greater good – saving planet Earth....

CEOs can resign or be removed like any other employee, yet your business needs a plan if its leadership is going to step down. Just today, Reuters reports that Target removed CEO Gregg Steinhafel after massive data breaches during the holiday season made headlines. While Target is many times larger than your small business, a CEO’s departure can raise similar issues. When the head of your business is gone, here are some simple but necessary next steps for your company:...

Whether you’re hiking in the wilderness or skiing in the backcountry, there’s always a chance you can get into trouble. Thankfully, most counties and states have search and rescue personnel that can help. But these rescue efforts – which can include boats, helicopters, and a significant number of professionals and volunteers – can be costly. So who foots the bill when someone needs to be rescued? As an initial matter, most search and rescue costs are paid up front by the counties, states, and federal departments that employ rescue personnel and supply rescue equipment....

GM is facing a potential class action lawsuit over an ignition switch defect linked to the recall of more than 1.6 million compact cars. The lawsuit was filed in Texas federal court on Friday, alleging that General Motors knew about the dangerous defect in 2004 but failed to fix it – putting drivers’ lives at risk and reducing the resale value of their vehicles, reports Reuters. What does this suit mean for GM?...

A common question divorcing parents have concerns the amount of child support they will be accountable for. Child support payments are intended to cover needs of the child and are determined according to state law. The amount takes into account factors such as parental income and projected expenses of the child. The court may determine a percentage of a non-custodial parent’s income to be used to support the child or children, or may instead choose another method of valuation....

No matter how much training you provide or how comprehensive your employee handbook may be, your business may eventually be confronted with a sexual harassment complaint. What you do as the employer to address those charges may in large part determine what happens next. Here are five things you’ll want to avoid doing if an employee files a workplace sexual harassment claim: Fire the employee. Firing an employee after he or she complains about sexual harassment can potentially be considered unlawful retaliation....

It’s move out time, which means you’re spending your days planning your move and your nights packing your life into dozens of boxes. No fun at all. Unfortunately, there are a few more things you need to add to your to-do list. If you want to protect yourself against a landlord lawsuit and an unreturned security deposit, that is. If you do, don’t forget to do the following five things before you move out....

Silicone injections have been getting a bad rap as of late. There was the man who died after receiving a penis injection. And then there was the group of women whose botched butt injections required hospitalization. There’s no doubt that silicone injections can lead to complications. But amongst all of this talk, there is one question that has yet to be answered: Are silicone injections legal? Silicone injections are not legal when administered by someone who is not a licensed medical professional....

Arizona’s immigration law, S.B. 1070, will head to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, when the justices are scheduled to entertain oral arguments in Arizona v. United States. The Court will focus on the four sections of the law enjoined by the Ninth Circuit in April of last year. Those provisions: The federal government has challenged these provisions on the grounds of preemption. Though the statute doesn’t explicitly conflict with federal law, the Justice Department contends that it conflicts with, and creates an obstacle to, Congress’ intent and policy objectives....

The safety of Bisphenol-A, a dangerous chemical that can still be found in baby formula bottles and other products, will undergo stronger FDA scrutiny after a back-and-forth between federal lawmakers and new FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg earlier this week. On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Henry A. Waxman and Congressman Bart Stupak sent a letter to Hamburg, expressing concerns over the possible dangers of Bisphenol-A (BPA). In a Press Release from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce announcing the letter, Committee Chairman Waxman said “It is critical that we know for certain whether BPA is safe to use in consumer products and food product containers....

The first noble truth of Buddhism is that existence is suffering. It’s precisely because suffering is such a big part of our experience as living beings that much of our medical care attempts to alleviate it. Now, starting June 9th, 2016, California will permit those in the most pain, whose deaths are imminent, to commit medically assisted suicide, reports NPR. If the new death-with-dignity law, the End of Life Option Act, sounds potentially problematic to you, that’s because it is....

Generally speaking, once you sell your house, the buyer is free to do with it what they will. This can be a hard fact of life for some who, despite the need or desire to sell their home, is still emotionally attached to the place they once lived. New homeowners are normally free to paint the house some gaudy yellow color, tear out the kitchen cabinets you installed, and even rip out your favorite plants....