Robotics and Product Liability

Medical technology and the law Surgical robots have been assisting surgeons for years now. However, we’re on the cusp of a new era in which fully-autonomous surgical robots will be actually conducting the surgery, not assisting. The goals are less…

Growing pains in the marijuana products industry

What the future holds for marijuana retailers, distributors and manufacturers It’s been interesting to watch public, medical and legal opinions evolve on the pros and cons of marijuana use over the years since the days of Reefer Madness. It’s likely…

Will e-cig innovation vaporize with new regulations?

Cost of compliance could hamper research The FDA recently released the much-anticipated additional regulations for tobacco and nicotine products. An earlier phase of the regulation changes was released in April 2014. This second phase is slated to go into effect…

Nanotechnology Extending Battery Life

Scientists keep them going and going and going. I’ll be you’ve been tempted to toss your smart phone or laptop across the room in frustration because the battery weakened over time and needed recharging more and more frequently. What good…

Product Liability and the Marijuana Industry

It’s the growing season for recalls, lawsuits As we predicted in an earlier blog post, the young marijuana industry is experiencing legal growing pains. Only a handful of states have legalized the growing, sale and use of marijuana for recreational…

Banned Substance found in Dietary Supplements

Athletes’ careers tarnished by unapproved stimulant We’ve posted in the past about the lax regulations for dietary supplements in the U.S. The two main issues surrounding supplements are the lack of standards regarding their effectiveness or safety and quality control…

Pesticides are Reason for Huge Cannabis Edibles Recall

Future cannabis product recalls imminent, so plan now In late December 2015, the Colorado cannabis product industry took a big hit in a voluntary product recall by a well-known edibles company. Banned pesticides were found in some of the nearly…

Manufacturing Your Own Products

Where will 3-D printing take us? New technology doesn’t even have a chance to get old before the next best thing is upon us. I wrote about this dizzying concept in a previous article. 3-D printing is a technology most…

E-cig Research Shows Damage to DNA

 E-cig vapor exposure could lead to cancer The battle lines are being drawn in the ongoing argument over the safety of e-cigarettes. Proponents of e-cigs tout them as a safe alternative to smoking and tool in weaning smokers off traditional…

Kratom Brew: Soothing or Addictive?

Addicts claim ingredient sabotages recovery efforts There’s a nonalcoholic beverage being served in bars around the country that former drug addicts like because it soothes their withdrawal cravings. Well, no wonder. Apparently, an ingredient in the beverage, kratom, is just…