D.C. Policy Summit – Researchers Working on First-Ever Federally-Approved Medical Marijuana Study Fighting to Overcome Significant DEA, NIDA Obstacles December 4, 2017 David Hodes Compliance and Regulations, Lab Testing 0 Comments The 10th Annual DuPont Summit on Science, Technology and Environment Policy held in Washington, D.C. on December 1 is usually reserved for issues like equitable access to broadband technology or building sustainability in policy or cybersecurity risk management. This year,… Read More→
Seven 2017 Cannabis Legalization Bills in Play and What That Means for the Industry November 29, 2017 David Hodes Compliance and Regulations 0 Comments There is now a wide assortment of bills in Congress related to cannabis (and hemp) legalization and use. And while most of these bills have not seen movement in 2017, the sheer number of them introduced in 2017 are creating… Read More→
Sessions Hints at Shift in Federal Marijuana Enforcement November 29, 2017 AggregatedNews Compliance and Regulations 0 Comments Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday gave his strongest signal yet that the Justice Department's more hands-off approach to marijuana enforcement may soon be changing. Sessions said that the department is looking "very hard right now" at a directive carried… Read More→
#MeToo And The Marijuana Industry: Ignore Harassment Policies At Your Own Peril November 29, 2017 Hilary Bricken Compliance and Regulations, HR and Staffing 0 Comments Over the past few weeks, story after story has come to light of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the entertainment industry. But though high-profile actors, directors, and producers are getting most of the press attention right now, the vast… Read More→
Tiptoeing Tentatively Toward December 8th Showdown November 27, 2017 David Hodes Compliance and Regulations 0 Comments One of the most anticipated presentations at the 2017 Marijuana Business Conference in Las Vegas earlier this month happened on the last day, Friday, November 17. This was a federal policy update, scheduled to feature Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), co-chair… Read More→
ICYMI: California Drops Emergency Cannabis Licensing Rules November 22, 2017 Hilary Bricken California, Compliance and Regulations 0 Comments California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control (along with its Departments of Public Health and Food and Agriculture) dropped their much-anticipated emergency rules (see here, here, and here) to fully implement the Medical and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) in California. The agencies kept a… Read More→
Four Important Things Cannabis Businesses Can Learn from the Recent Equifax Data Breach November 15, 2017 Michelle Drolet Compliance and Regulations, Security 0 Comments The headline-making Equifax data breach was one of the worst ever. Equifax exposed approximately 143 million consumers, but did not notify any of them. This data breach exposed vital information, such as driver's license, credit cards, social security numbers, addresses,… Read More→
Marijuana Fundraising In California: What’s In Your Private Placement Memorandums? November 15, 2017 Hilary Bricken Cannabis Investments, Compliance and Regulations 1 Comment Many of our California clients that are raising money ask us to draft or review private placement memorandums (“PPMs“) for private securities offerings in their cannabis companies and/or ancillary cannabis companies. As you would expect, investment in California cannabis businesses is… Read More→
Ranking Member of House Committee About Delays in Legalizing Marijuana: ‘I’m Sick of This Crap. I Am Going to Burn All My Political Capital On This Issue.’ November 8, 2017 David Hodes Compliance and Regulations 1 Comment On November 3 inside the Cannon Office building on Capitol Hill, members of the American Legion along with a bipartisan group of congressmen - two representing the House Committee on Veterans Affairs - held a press conference to talk about… Read More→
The 4-1-1 on Americans and Marijuana Investments Abroad November 8, 2017 Hilary Bricken Canada, Compliance and Regulations, International 0 Comments A lot has been written and analyzed regarding foreigners investing in U.S. marijuana businesses. What are the legal ramifications of the reverse though? If marijuana business is fully legal in a foreign jurisdiction (think Uruguay or Canada in the near future),… Read More→
Harvard Medical School Professor: Lack of Marijuana Addiction Data Draws Parallel to Rise of Opioid Epidemic November 7, 2017 David Hodes Compliance and Regulations, Science and Technology 0 Comments Sometimes it’s hard to believe the chasm that exists between what is true and what is unsubstantiated supposition in this industry. Sure, this industry is still dealing with a stigma that began in the late ‘30s when it was a… Read More→
Housing and Urban Development a New Target for Protesting Federal Policies About Cannabis November 1, 2017 David Hodes Compliance and Regulations 0 Comments As this industry evolves, there are many issues that have gone beyond the work of activists and advocates and transitioned into legislation that advanced the industry. Stories of what advocacy organizations have been able to do – and some like… Read More→
Opioid Crisis is Focus of Medical Marijuana Advocates as Congress Considers Extending – or Ending – Program Protection in December November 1, 2017 David Hodes Compliance and Regulations 0 Comments It’s getting closer to December, which means it’s getting closer to yet another moment in which Congress could end the medical marijuana program protections for over 2 million patients in this country. That was the reason that the medical marijuana… Read More→
Elevating the Patient Role at the FDA and What That Means to the Cannabis Industry October 30, 2017 David Hodes Compliance and Regulations, Science and Technology 0 Comments It’s a given in the industry that new cannabis processing and product manufacturing facilities should be built FDA-compliant. What that means is following a laundry list of rules, including having easily cleanable floors and walls, systems for monitoring environmental conditions… Read More→
The Newly-Adopted Two-Step Application Process in Michigan October 29, 2017 Ben Wrigley Compliance and Regulations 1 Comment Michigan's Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation (BMMR) in conjunction with the state's Medical Marihuana Licensing Board (MMLB) realizes many municipalities have not made final decisions on whether to opt-in or not. Municipalities are waiting, in many cases, for further input… Read More→