California Cannabis Red Tape Alert: New BCC “Change of Ownership” Rules
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized January 7, 2019
Our California cannabis lawyers are seeing a major spike in mergers and acquisitions (M & A), and it’s time to discuss what’s on the horizon for changes of ownership for some California cannabis businesses. In every cannabis state, M & A is no breeze because the regulators almost always require pre-approval of the transaction or…
Read more
The California Cannabis Packaging and Labeling Mess Will Soon Begin
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized January 4, 2019
In early December, California’s cannabis regulators released their proposed final regulations. If the regulations aren’t changed, it’s expected that they will take effect at some point this month, or shortly after. These regulations have some pretty important changes from the current readopted emergency regulations. One of the notable areas of change is the packaging and…
Read more
2019 Will Be a Banner Year for Cannabis Mergers and Acquisitions
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized January 2, 2019
We handle a lot of cannabis M & A in our Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland offices. Over the years, it’s become pretty clear that in robustly regulated cannabis states, the secondary market for buying and selling businesses really peaks (after initial legalization) as local and state governments finally begin to settle their…
Read more
The 2018 Farm Bill and Hemp CBD Vape Products Manufacturing in California
CaliforniaHempUncategorized December 31, 2018
Last week, the 2018 Farm Bill became law. Included in that law is a milestone provision that removes hemp from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), and another that prohibits states from preventing transportation or shipment of hemp or hemp products across state lines– even if a state has itself outlawed hemp or hemp products. However,…
Read more
California Cannabis: The Pasadena Permitting Countdown is On
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized December 29, 2018
On January 1, 2019, the City of Pasadena in Northeastern Los Angeles County will open up its 30-day window to apply for one of six retail, four cultivation, or four testing facility permits. These 14 licenses will be highly coveted and sought after, and the winners will not be derived from a lottery system, but…
Read more
Top 10 Unknowns About California’s Cannabis Regulations
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized December 27, 2018
In California, under the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis and Regulation Safety Act (MAUCRSA), temporary licenses began issuing to cannabis businesses on January 1, 2018. Since then, the state agencies in charge of MAUCRSA’s implementation (the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)) have…
Read more
Why 2018 was a Tough Year for the California Cannabis Industry
CaliforniaUncategorized December 21, 2018
2018 has been a roller coaster for California cannabis businesses. The cannabis laws and regulations in California have made life difficult, to say the least, for anyone wishing to obtain licensure. This isn’t necessarily the fault of any single legislature, municipality, or agency, but instead was the result of a perfect storm of legal and…
Read more
Breaking News: FDA Issues Statements on CBD and Industrial Hemp (and What it Means for California)
CaliforniaHempUncategorized December 21, 2018
Yesterday, President Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill, paving the way for industrial hemp legalization. Within hours, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, issued a statement clarifying the FDA’s position on industrial hemp. The FDA’s position: Just because industrial hemp is legal doesn’t mean that you can put it in food…
Read more
ICYMI: Los Angeles Updates Its Phase 2 Cannabis Licensing Process
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized December 18, 2018
The ups, downs, and unknowns around L.A. cannabis licensing have abounded from the passage of Measure M back in March 2017. This is not uncommon, especially in large cities, as regulators determine how to handle things on the fly and as issues arise (see, for example, social equity in L.A. and the ability to re-locate…
Read more
Cannabis Employment Law: The Class Action Lawsuits are Here
CaliforniaUncategorized December 17, 2018
MedMen, a popular California cannabis retail company, has been hit with a class action lawsuit from former employees. Class action lawsuits are no joke. These lawsuits involve a few plaintiffs suing on behalf of multiple similarly situated plaintiffs. The claims, money, and other associated costs add up very fast. In MedMen’s case, two former employees,…
Read more
