Police in Santa Barbara County, California raided a massive illegal cannabis cultivation site last week, with deputies finding so many illicit plants the enforcement operation took four days to complete. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said on Saturday that 350,000 cannabis plants had been destroyed and 20 tons... Read more
California cannabis regulators launched a new campaign on Friday that aims to combat the illicit marijuana market by educating consumers about the risks of unlicensed operators. Lori Ajax, the Chief of the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC), said in a press release that the statewide “Get #weedwise” public information... Read more
PRESS RELEASE SACRAMENTO, CA – The Bureau of Cannabis Control (Bureau) announced today the launch of a statewide public information program, “Get #weedwise”, encouraging consumers to only purchase cannabis from licensed businesses and warning unlicensed businesses to become licensed. The “Get #weedwise” campaign includes extensive outreach educating consumers about... Read more
In January, three California cannabis agencies finalized their regulations. The Bureau of Cannabis Control (“BCC,” regulator of retailers and distributors), California Department of Food and Agriculture (“CDFA,” responsible for cultivators) and California Department of Public Health (“CDPH” responsible for manufacturers). Previously we wrote about disclosure requirements applicable to a... Read more
Our firm’s cannabis practice group represents licensed cannabis cultivators of all sizes, ranging from the small artisanal grower to the medium/large farm with a country farmhouse to the mega farm jumbo operation. Common problems permeate cannabis cultivation operations of any size in this state: California’s cannabis taxes are high; traditional financing is unavailable; licensing and environmental…
By Erich Pearson, SPARCNCIA Board and Founding Member Reflecting on the decades-long fight to end prohibition of marijuana, one person comes to mind this month as we look at the similar and interconnected decades-long Gay Pride movement and what it means for the LGBTQ community today. One activist largely... Read more
The California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) has, to say the least, some very strict cannabis labeling regulations. Earlier this year, I wrote about how the CDPH’s new rules were likely to create a mess in California and then how the California cannabis agencies sought to relieve some of the burdens on the industry by…
We already know that inordinate amounts of people are in jail for small-time marijuana possession across the country — even in states that have legalized recreational marijuana, but are behind the times when it comes to the expungement of past criminal records. Compounding this issue is the prisoners who... Read more
California’s illicit market for cannabis is booming—not just out in remote grows deep in the wilderness, but also in delivery and even brick-and-mortal retail stores in big cities all over the state. Our California cannabis attorneys regularly receive questions from licensed cannabis companies about what they can do to stay competitive in the face of…
There is an ongoing battle in Los Angeles over the proliferation of illegal cannabis dispensaries, which many in the legal business community say is cutting sharply into their profits. Since illegal dispensaries don’t have to live up to the same guidelines and tax rates as regulated cannabis shops, they... Read more
