When is a tree more than a tree? When it’s drawn in a circle and used as the logo for a marijuana company.

Then, it becomes the center of a federal court case on trademark infringement filed by an Idaho lumber company against a Massachusetts marijuana dispensary.

Boise Cascade Company on Wednesday sued New England Treatment Access in U.S. District Court in Boston, alleging that NETA is infringing on the lumber company’s trademark by using a similar logo.

Attorneys for Boise Cascade say Franklin-based NETA, which sells medical and recreational marijuana at stores in Northampton and Brookline, markets its products under a “confusingly similar tree-in-a-circle logo,” often presented in a “nearly identical” green color to the one Boise Cascade has used for decades.

NETA’s use of the logo “is likely to cause confusion, to cause mistake, and/or to deceive customers and potential customers” into seeing some affiliation between NETA and Boise Cascade, the lawsuit writes.

Boise Cascade — which did $5 billion worth of business last year selling wood products, lumber and office supplies — notes in its lawsuit that it is a government contractor that “provides a drug-free (including cannabis-free) workplace and requires all its employees to submit to random drug testing.” Based in Idaho, the company has a distribution center in Westfield and an administrative office in Billerica.

For over 55 years, Boise Cascade has used its trademarked logo featuring a circle around a tree with six branches, presented in either black or green. The logo appears on its products, trucks and marketing materials.

A passage from Boise Cascade's U.S. District Court complaint compares the company's logo to the one used by NETA.

NETA, which opened one of the state’s first legal recreational marijuana stores last November, uses a logo that looks like a tree with four branches in a circle, also in green. The branches are curved, while the lumber company’s branches are straight.

Boise Cascade says the two logos are similar enough that they will cause confusion, harm Boise Cascade’s reputation and let NETA “trade on and receive the benefit of goodwill built up at great labor and expense by Boise Cascade over 55 years.”

The lawsuit charges NETA with trademark infringement, unfair trade practices, injury to business reputation and other related charges.

Boise Cascade is asking a judge to stop NETA from using its logo and award damages and attorneys’ fees.

NETA said in a statement, “We will offer any comment through the judicial process.”

Worcester attorney David Viens, who represents Boise Cascade in the case, said in an email that Boise Cascade has been using its tree-in-a-circle trademark for over half a century.

“Its trademarks are extremely valuable assets of the company and Boise Cascade will protect its trademarks against infringement,” Viens said. “As alleged in our complaint, because of the similarity between NETA’s tree-in-a-circle logo and Boise Cascade’s decades-old Tree-in-a-Circle trademarks, Boise Cascade is concerned that NETA’s logo will dilute, weaken, or tarnish the reputation and distinctiveness of Boise Cascade’s Tree-in-a-Circle trademarks.”

Viens added, “We are nevertheless hopeful that the parties can resolve this dispute.”

This story was updated with Viens’ comment.