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.
Prominent cannabis companies that a year ago were growing aggressively have, in recent months, laid off hundreds of workers. They say hefty taxes, onerous regulations and competition from a thriving illicit market are forcing them to scale back operations.
The state is in the process of creating a second stop-gap licensing program for the cannabis industry to avoid a potential disruption in the supply chain for California’s newly legal marijuana market. Since the state’s recreational marijuana market kicked in, on Jan. 1, the state has issued only temporary business... Read more
Even the most ardent marijuana lovers can’t deny it: The plant, at least to some noses, stinks. Marijuana odors have triggered lawsuits against cannabis companies. They’ve also led residents to try to block commercial operations from coming to California and the other eight states where recreational cannabis is legal... Read more
One in five batches of marijuana has failed laboratory testing since new state safety requirements kicked in July 1, according to data from the California Bureau of Cannabis Control. Failures have been triggered by inaccurate labeling or contamination from pesticides, bacteria or processing chemicals. Dr. Raquel Keledjian, lab director,... Read more
In some regions of California, former vineyards are being converted to cannabis farms, wine conferences are having sessions about marijuana, and an up-and-coming job is cannabis sommelier. While the wine and marijuana industries are similar in some ways, blending those worlds isn’t always easy. Winegrowers and cannabis cultivators increasingly... Read more
Cannabis retailers soon may be able to deliver marijuana anywhere in California, no matter what city or county rules say. Also, it’s likely that medical marijuana patients will be allowed to buy edibles infused with cannabis that’s more potent than currently permitted under state law. And on another front,... Read more
The organization behind cannabis events such as Cannifest and the Yes We Cann! Parade and Hulabaloo have hit local regulatory roadblocks in trying to organize Cannifest 2018 so they are considering taking the show on the road. Stephen Gieder, executive director of Humboldt Green — a cannabis consulting and... Read more
The Victorville City Council on Thursday night refused to sign off on allowing cannabis consumption and sales at the Chalice California festival, set for July 13-15 at at the San Bernardino County fairgrounds. The decision came after a few dozen people spoke in support of the festival, citing the... Read more
