Insights
DOJ Reschedules Medical Marijuana: Implications for Insurance Coverage, Capacity, and Compliance
April 30, 2026
Ian Stewart is the regional managing partner of Wilson Elser’s Los Angeles and Orange County offices. He is cochair of the firm’s Cannabis Law Practice, cochair of the Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Practice, and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. Ian has a diverse practice that includes complex general casualty and product liability, cannabis law, data privacy and cybersecurity, intellectual property litigation, and media/technology errors and omissions.
Ian has achieved a national reputation as a distinguished cannabis attorney and has been ranked in the exclusive Band 1 of cannabis lawyers nationally by Chambers USA 2020–2025 Guides in Cannabis Law. Ian leads a national multidisciplinary team of lawyers who serve all aspects of the cannabis and hemp industries, as well as financial institutions and insurance companies that service those industries.
As cochair of the Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Practice, Ian defends data privacy class-action litigation and matters involving media/technology, invasion of privacy, and statutory consumer claims that impact privacy rights.
Areas of Focus
Complex General Casualty and Product Liability
Ian has broad experience defending product liability matters involving products manufactured in the United States and abroad. He regularly defends consumer class actions that involve product liability, warranty, and unfair competition issues. Ian is the founder and chair emeritus of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance’s Product Liability Committee.
Ian’s general casualty practice focuses on the defense of catastrophic claims and litigation that pertain to premises security and transportation risks, including for national retailers, restaurant chains, hotels and fleet owners.
Cannabis & Hemp Law
Ian is ranked within the exclusive Band 1 of cannabis lawyers nationally by Chambers USA 2020–2025 Guides in Cannabis Law. He is one of MG Magazine’s “30 Powerful Cannabis Attorneys You Should Know” and is listed within Cannabis Reports’ “10 Powerful Marijuana Lawyers in California.” Ian has also been named by The National Law Review as “Go-To Thought Leader” for his publications on cannabis law and policy.
As cochair of the firm’s Cannabis Law Practice, Ian works with licensed cannabis and hemp operators throughout the country to comply with their obligations under the law and to develop risk management best practices. He advises Fortune 500 companies on risk management involving hemp-derived cannabinoids and the interplay with U.S. food and drug laws. Ian assists insurance companies on cannabis-related underwriting practices and the development of new policy forms. He also works with financial institutions and professional services firms on best practices for operating in this challenging regulatory environment.
Cybersecurity & Data Privacy
Ian is cochair of the national Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Practice and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US). He defends data privacy class-action litigation and litigated matters involving the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPRA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and other statutory consumer claims that impact privacy rights. Ian also counsels clients on evolving privacy threats, including the collection, use, retention, and destruction of data.
Intellectual Property and Media/Technology Liability
Ian’s intellectual property practice focuses on litigation involving trademark, trade dress, and copyright infringement claims; trade libel; trade secret; and unfair competition claims. His media/technology practice focuses on the defense of claims alleging software and hardware failure; technology license and contract disputes; website compliance and internet domain disputes; and defamation/trade libel matters involving internet communications.
- Saint Louis University School of Law (J.D., 1996)
- Editor - Saint Louis Transatlantic Law Journal
- Washington University in St. Louis (B.A., 1993)
- Order of Omega
- California
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
- National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA): Policy Council member; outgoing chair of Insurance and Finance Committee
- California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA): former vice chair, Insurance Committee
- International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA), Advisory Board member
- Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM): former national chair, Product Liability Committee
- Professional Liability Underwriters Society (PLUS)
- California Bar Association
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Selected for inclusion in The Legal 500 United States in Cannabis Tier 4, 2023-2025
- Ranked BAND ONE in the Chambers USA Guide: 2020–2025 Cannabis Law – Nationwide: Western United States
- Selected for inclusion in Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers, Third Edition 2022–2023
- Cannabis Law Report’s Global Top 200 Lawyers, 2021–2022
