Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2019

Abstract

Although many states have decriminalized or legalized cannabis, it remains a Schedule 1 drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act. The conflict between federal and state law presents many complicated issues, including problems relating to insurance coverage. Insurance law seeks to balance competing policy interests. On one hand, public policy supports reading insurance policies broadly to indemnify policyholders for their losses. On the other hand, public policy counsels against permitting insurance to indemnify (federally) illegal activity. In this Article, we explore some pressing issues arising from the conflict between these policy considerations and offer some analysis of the conflict in the context of liability, property, and employment-related insurance. We also explore emerging cannabis insurance policy options in states where cannabis is legal and discuss the advantages, but ultimate inadequacy, of those options. We conclude that policyholders are likely to find that their reasonable expectations of insurance coverage are unmet at this point in the emerging market.

Publication Title

LEWIS AND CLARK L. REV.

ISSN

1557-6582

Volume

23

Issue

3

First Page

893

Last Page

938

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