California Cannabis Equity Programs are Getting a Boost From State and Private Sources
CaliforniaUncategorized October 17, 2019
Last week was a big one in terms of California’s social equity programs, with the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) announcing its award of equity grant funding to a number of local jurisdictions “to be used for commercial cannabis equity programs that focus on inclusion and support of persons or communities that were negatively or…
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On October 12, 2019, Governor Newsom announced that he had signed SB-153, a bill aimed at making significant changes to California’s hemp cultivation law. As I’ve written before, the bill is a major change for California hemp laws for the following reasons: The bill adds a new definition of “industrial hemp”. There are now separate (and…
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Water Rights Are Still a Major Concern for California Cannabis Operators
CaliforniaUncategorized October 1, 2019
Last week, the California Water Boards requested on Twitter to commercial cannabis cultivators in Mendocino, Trinity, and Humboldt Counties (the “Emerald Triangle”) that, “if you are among the 270 folks who receive a certified letter stating you lack appropriate permits, please respond to our Cannabis Compliance Response Portal.” Water rights have been an ongoing issue…
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Terrible, No Good California Cannabis Distribution Contracts
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized September 25, 2019
Since January 2018, distributors have played an interesting role in California cannabis. From a regulation perspective, dealing with a distributor is not optional. However, from the business decision vantage point, they’re not all that necessary. Still, some manufacturing and cultivation licensees opt to utilize distributors for sales and retail relationships with the distributor attempting to…
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Major Changes to California Hemp Cultivation Laws are on the Horizon
CaliforniaHempUncategorized September 20, 2019
On September 11, 2019, the California Assembly approved SB-153, a bill aimed at making significant changes to California’s hemp cultivation law. As of September 13, 2019, the bill moved to “enrolled” status, meaning that it’s cleared both houses of the California legislature and will move to the Governor’s office for his signature. It is widely…
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California’s Right to Farm Laws, Pesticide Drift, Wine and Weed
CaliforniaUncategorized September 17, 2019
California, like other states, has a Right to Farm Act that is intended to protect agricultural activity, and many counties have their own local right to farm ordinances as well. California’s Right to Farm Act provides: “No agricultural activity, operation, or facility, or appurtenances thereof, conducted or maintained for commercial purposes, and in a manner consistent…
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Will California Get a Hemp Social Equity Program?
CaliforniaHempUncategorized September 12, 2019
As states across the country develop regulated cannabis programs, more and more are incorporating social equity programs. Illinois’ new adult-use cannabis law, for example, made waves for its broad social equity program. Here in California, cannabis social equity is not a central part of the state-level regulations, but many of the larger cities throughout the state…
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The Regulatory Twilight Zone: California Cannabis Transactions
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized September 9, 2019
For years now, I’ve seen and analyzed many different cannabis business relationships across the industry spectrum. Specifically, many proposed and draft agreements have come across my desk detailing the contractual relationships between a variety of parties in the cannabis industry for various purposes–from investors, ancillary services providers, and licensees to intellectual property holding companies, equipment…
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California Cannabis: Napa County Headed for a Cultivation Compromise?
CaliforniaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized September 3, 2019
Cannabis cultivation and the means for regulating it have been contentious topics in Napa County for some time now. Back in July, proponents of allowing commercial cannabis cultivation in unincorporated Napa County, led by the Napa Valley Cannabis Association, collected enough signatures to qualify for a ballot measure during the March 3, 2020 election….
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California’s cannabis law—the Medicinal and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act and its corresponding regulations (or “MAUCRSA”)—doesn’t put a cap on the number of licenses that will be issued. MAUCRSA even envisions that large size (Type 5) cultivation licenses will be issued in 2023. In theory, the state could issue unlimited licenses, but that’s…
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