Patented Pot? Not So Fast, Say Feds

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has removed a trademark category for medical marijuana after receiving a flood of applications from producers seeking to claim various products and brand names for the drug, the Wall Street Journal reported July 19.

The agency established the category for “processed plant matter for medicinal purposes, namely medical marijuana” in April, and marijuana producers responded by seeking trademarks for everything from names like Maui Wowie and Chronic to products like Canna Cola, a marijuana-infused soft drink.

However, an agency spokesperson recently called the establishment of the medical-marijuana category a mistake, and it has been removed. The patent office will still accept uncategorized trademarks for marijuana products, but the agency spokesperson said that no trademark has ever been approved for marijuana and expressed doubt that one ever would.