Starting a Cannabis Business: What Contracts Do You Really Need?

You can spend a lot of money on lawyers, accountants and consultants when starting a cannabis business. There is so much ground to cover from concept to execution– especially in a complex and highly regulated industry. Related to this issue, we have written on this blog about finding a team, and we have talked about…

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Don’t Be a Marijuana Mooch!

This morning when I went to the gym before work, I put on an NPR podcast that delved into the story of the FTC’s bust of David Diamond. Diamond is an infamous Angeleno who defrauded hundreds of people via telemarketing scams. In the podcast, the interviewee does a great job of explaining the common scammer…

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Washington State Regulates CBD Additives as Used in Marijuana Products

Earlier this year, the Washington Legislature passed House Bill 2334 (the “Bill”) into law. The Bill allows licensed marijuana producers and processors to use cannabidiol (CBD) from a source not licensed by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB). The Bill defines a “CBD product” as “any product containing or consisting of cannabidiol” and would permit…

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BREAKING NEWS: Cannabis Wins Big at the Midterm Elections

Today was a stellar day for marijuana advocates around the country. Not only did a handful of states authorize legalization of medical and recreational marijuana at the polls, but the Democratic Party took control of the House of Representatives, and one very problematic Congressman, Pete Sessions, was sent packing down in Texas. Below is a…

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Cannabis RICO Lawsuits Are Failing: Oregon and Colorado Updates

We’ve been writing about RICO lawsuits on this blog for a while. These lawsuits are typically brought by neighbors of state-licensed cannabis farms, who allege they are bothered by noise and smells associated with cannabis production, and that their property values have been damaged by extension. Generally speaking, these plaintiffs tend to have strong prohibitionist…

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Get Ready Now for the California Cannabis Licensing Logjam

A backlog of cannabis license applications has no doubt happened in almost all of the other states that have medical and adult use licensing. You wouldn’t normally think this is such a big or concerning development, but in cannabis licensing delays can mean angry investors, a complete 180 for your business plans and even insolvency….

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Oregon Congressman Releases “Blueprint to Legalize Marijuana”
Nice going Earl! Oregon congressman Earl Blumenauer, one of Congress’ most vocal marijuana proponents, is the author of an eight-page document, which consists of a step-by-step plan to enact the end of  federal cannabis prohibition. Blumenauer’s plan, which he submitted to the Democratic Leader last Wednesday, is to legalize... Read more
California Cannabis Cultivation: DFA’s Proposed Permanent Rules
On Friday, the three California agencies charged with issuing and enforcing rules for cannabis business licensees issued a stack of proposed changes to the final rules it had previously proposed in July. Many of the most dramatic changes came from the BCC and will likely motivate more than a... Read more
Procedural Hurdles for Washington Marijuana Businesses
Some LCB policies make hurdles tough to clear. Regulatory challenges can be substantive or procedural. Substantive challenges include things like Washington’s ban on out of state ownership and its view that licensee royalty payment constitute profit-sharing. These types of rules and interpretations are challenging because, as a policy matter,... Read more
What You Need to Know Now: BCC Drops Revised, Proposed, Permanent Cannabis Rules
Huge changes ahead. Get your comments in by Nov. 5! Last Friday, we wrote about the amended proposed permanent cannabis regulations that are now in a 15-day notice-and-comment period for each California agency—the Bureau of Cannabis Control (“BCC”), Department of Public Health (“DPH”), and Department of Food and Agriculture... Read more
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