It’s MLK Day. Don’t Forget Cannabis is a Civil Rights Issue.
Medical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized January 20, 2020
Happy MLK Day! For our international readers, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a federal U.S. holiday marking the birthday of its eponymous civil rights hero. Dr. King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. Dr. King was assassinated in…
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BREAKING: Newsom Proposes California Cannabis Regulatory Consolidation
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized January 10, 2020
On Friday, January 10, 2019, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) issued an email press release entitled, “Consolidation of California Cannabis Licensing Authorities” concerning a budget proposal released by Governor Gavin Newsom. Per the press release: Newsom intends to combine all three California cannabis agencies into one single Department of Cannabis Control by July…
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Utah Cannabis: State of the State
Medical MarijuanaUncategorizedUtah January 10, 2020
As I wrote in a prior blog post, Utah’s cannabis market has special characteristics that you are unlikely to find in other states. This is due in large part to Utah’s hardworking, predominantly conservative, and compassionate culture. Marry those qualities together and the parameters and developments of the Utah medical cannabis and hemp marketplaces make…
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On the Horizon: California “Owner” and “Financial Interest Holder” Violations
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized January 7, 2020
California cannabis regulators are slowly getting into enforcement mode under the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation Act (“MAUCRSA”). Ostensibly, enforcement to date has been around illegal sales and/or around the manufacturing of illegal products (like vape cartridges). It’s only a matter of time though before enforcement becomes more sophisticated around licensing, including the state increasing…
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California agency recommends major overhaul to state’s marijuana taxes
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaUncategorized December 22, 2019
California’s struggling cannabis industry didn’t get the recommendation many hoped for — a call to sharply lower the industry’s tax rate — but a long-awaited state report did suggest a marijuana tax overhaul.
The post California agency recommends major overhaul to state’s marijuana taxes appeared first on The Cannifornian.
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Risky Business: Cannabis Security Interests and Secured Transactions
Medical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized December 18, 2019
As a corporate and transactional attorney focused mostly on cannabis, I see my fair share of financing documents and transactions involving cannabis operators. It’s no secret many cannabis businesses can’t get bank accounts or loans or lines of credit from financial institutions because of the Bank Secrecy Act and federal anti-money laundering laws — despite…
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USMCA and Cannabis Trade
Medical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized December 16, 2019
Last week, amid the impeachment turmoil, President Trump and Democratic leadership somehow agreed on a landmark international trade agreement. The package is generally referred to as USMCA (U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement), or sometimes as NAFTA 2.0. Although the White House has not yet released a final copy of USMCA, its contents are widely known. As expected, USCMA…
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The BCC’s Fight to Allow Home Delivery Throughout California
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized December 3, 2019
It’s no secret that California’s cannabis operators are currently in a regulatory and business environment where red tape, the illegal market, and significant taxes make life hard. At the same time, the state is trying to protect, promote, and grow the industry in a variety of ways, one of which is fighting off…
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Over the past few years, our international trade team has advised a rapidly expanding suite of clients on import/export issues related to cannabis. We regularly advise clients on manufacturing overseas, hemp import/export issues, and customs. Currently we are also working on heady questions surrounding international treaties and cannabis. One thing no one has hired us for yet,…
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Top 6 Growing Pains in California’s Cannabis Marketplace
CaliforniaMedical MarijuanaRecreational MarijuanaUncategorized November 12, 2019
Every state that’s legalized cannabis for adults 21-and-up has faced that moment or even series of moments that threatened to really derail or seriously stymie market development. California is at that crossroads and has been almost from the outset of the first issuances of cannabis licenses back in January 2018. California will, of course, eventually…
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