AFS Delivers Major Patent Win for Cannabis Brand STIIIZY

ArentFox Schiff successfully represented STIIIZY — a market leader in cannabis vaporizer products — in a Rule 177 proceeding before Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The victory delivered by AFS allows STIIIZY to continue importing and selling its vaporizer cartridges despite an exclusion order issued by the International Trade Commission (ITC) in which STIIIZY was represented by a different law firm.

STIIIZY retained AFS as rescue counsel after the ITC issued a Limited Exclusion Order banning the importation of STIIIZY’s vaporizer cartridges. Within a matter of weeks, the AFS team prepared a Rule 177 submission to the CBP contending that STIIIZY’s redesigned cartridge does not infringe the patents at issue in the ITC proceeding. The submission included not only robust non-infringement contentions, but also expert testing conducted at the direction of the AFS team.

On May 15, 2026, the CBP issued an opinion clearing the redesigned vaporizer cartridges, finding that STIIIZY “has met its burden to show that its redesigned vaping cartridges are not subject to the limited exclusion order.” Rule 177 proceedings before the CBP move swiftly and result in a binding ruling, requiring a nimble team that can handle high-stakes disputes in an expedited timeline.

AFS Team: Aram Ordubegian (Partner, LA) closely managed the client relationship. The litigation team was led by Ehsun Forghany (Partner, SF) and included Simon F. Kung (Attorney, SF) and Nicole Lynch (Paralegal, DC).

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