ICYMI: Phase 3 Marijuana Retail Licensing in L.A. Shoots to Commence in September
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized May 15, 2019
In case you missed it, at the end of last month, the City of L.A. finally decided on what to do with Phase 3 cannabis licensing regarding retail and retail delivery (see here and here for the City’s newest ordinances). In addition, City Council instructed the Department of Cannabis Regulation (“DCR”) to begin the pre-vetting process for social…
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Top Five Things to Know if You’re Building Your Cannabis Empire Through M&A
Medical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized May 6, 2019
It’s no secret that multiple state-by-state operators are building their cannabis empires through aggressive mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”). Last year, our cannabis business attorneys closed more than $100 million in cannabis company acquisitions, and that shows no signs of stopping in 2019. Cannabis M&A is not your run-of-the-mill business dealing though, and working from boilerplate,…
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California Cannabis: Los Angeles Moves to Reform Phase 3 Cannabis Licensing
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized April 23, 2019
This past weekend was the hallowed 4/20 holiday for those who celebrate and participate. Prior to 4/20, the City of L.A. made some progressive moves towards bolstering consumer protection in the City concerting illegal cannabis (see this pretty great interactive map for your legal cannabis providers in City borders) and rounding out (legally speaking) the…
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Washington Lawmakers Poised to Redefine the WSLCB’s Role in Washington Marijuana
Recreational MarijuanaUncategorized April 19, 2019
Senate Bill 5318 is making its way through the Washington legislature and seems destined for Governor Jay Inslee’s desk. As of April 16, the bill had cleared both the Washington House and Senate. If signed into law, which seems increasingly likely, SB 5318 would drastically change the way the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis…
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Breaking News: L.A. Identifies Phase 3 Retail License Undue Concentration Numbers
CaliforniaUncategorized April 10, 2019
On April 10, 2019, the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (or “DCR”), the local department that oversees cannabis operators, sent an email blast regarding its newly re-designed website. One of the many new features is an interactive city licensing map, which breaks down each individual neighborhood in the City of Angels for retail operations….
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The More You Know: California Cannabis Provisional Licensing Update
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized April 4, 2019
If you’re in the cannabis licensing game in California, you know that it’s taking months and months to secure annual licensing from all three agencies overseeing the implementation of the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act. To date, temporary licensing has propped up the industry. However, those temp licenses can no longer be issued…
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For a few moments there, it seemed like the California cannabis delivery companies could deliver anywhere in the state—even to cities that said no. It now looks like that may not be allowed. In January 2019, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control (“BCC”)—which regulates cannabis delivery companies—issued Rule 5416(d), which says that “A delivery employee…
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Last Thursday, in one of the few (to our knowledge) contested cases heard by the OLCC concerning cannabis, the OLCC accepted unanimously the findings of a state Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and denied an application for a recreational marijuana producer license. You can read the press release here. The decision merits comment as a case…
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California’s cannabis licensing process has been a mess for applicants since pretty much day one. Annual license applications have disappeared into a black hole for months, the window for obtaining temporary licenses was very small and many have expired, and many local jurisdictions decided to make up their own phased permitting processes that in many…
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Phase 3 Marijuana Dispensary Licensing in L.A. Finally Takes Shape
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized March 11, 2019
Big changes are coming for L.A.’s long-awaited Phase 3 licensing regarding storefront retail. The last time I wrote on this topic, the Department of Cannabis Regulation (“DCR”) made several proposals to City Council on how to re-vamp Phase 3 licensing for efficiency and expediency, which at the time the City Council pretty much rejected. However,…
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