California is on track to post a record $3.1 billion in licensed cannabis sales this year, solidifying its status as the largest legal marijuana market in the world, according to a study released Thursday by financial analysts who advise the industry. Legal sales are up significantly from an approximate $2.5 billion in 2018, the first […]
California
Ongoing Disclosure Requirements For Cannabis Licensees & Owners in California
By: Jay Purcell, Clark Neubert LLP Finally, cannabis companies are obtaining annual licenses, triggering a new set of disclosure regulations. Three regulators require ongoing disclosures of changes to old—application-information and disclosure of information not previously requested: Bureau of Cannabis Control (“BCC,” regulates retailers and distributors), CA. Department of Food and Agriculture (“CDFA,” regulates cultivators) and CA. […]
The Biggest Pitfalls of California Cannabis Leases in 2019
By Hilary Bricken, Founder at Harris Bricken We’ve written many times about how commercial leases to cannabis tenants are their own beasts. Generic leases don’t ever the job done. And, in California, as bad as some landlords want to rely solely on AIR and CAR forms, we generally caution landlords to have a customized lease […]
Outside Lands Gets Approval to Sell Weed
San Francisco grants first temporary sales permit days ahead of annual Golden Gate Park festival, allowing vendors to sell flower and concentrate Marijuana will be available to purchase legally at Outside Lands this year after the festival received the green light from the San Francisco Office of Cannabis Wednesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The festival […]
The Worst Cannabis Hazards (Still) Around in California
By Hilary Bricken, Founder @ Harris Bricken Commercial cannabis licensing in California kicked off on January 1, 2018. A few days later, former U.S. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, rescinded all former Department of Justice guidance on federal enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act in states with legal cannabis. The industry reaction in California that day […]
California’s Mandated Track and Trace System: Is it Helpful or Harmful?
The California Cannabis Track-and-Trace (CCTT) system, which became operational for businesses with full annual licenses in January 2019, is a major milestone to further legitimize our industry. However, the newly mandated regulations have done more to hinder the legal marketplace than boost it. Convoluted daily logistics, lack of complete accountability, as well as the limited […]
ICYMI: California Cannabis Provisional Licenses Are Given New Life
By Hilary Bricken, Founder, Harris Bricken On July 1, Governor Newsom signed into law AB 97 and SB 97, which combined, extend the life and power of provisional cannabis licenses, giving much needed relief to licensees sitting on temporary licenses that were about to expire and/or that are awaiting their provisional licenses to issue in […]
The Top 5 Most Dangerous Cannabis Contracts in California
By Hilary Bricken, Co-Founder of Harris Bricken Obviously, work in the cannabis industry for attorneys is way more than just state license acquisition. In fact, after a few years and with the exception of competitive licensing regimes, state licensing slows down and is usually taken in-house by cannabis companies that formulate compliance teams. In turn, […]
Bureau of Cannabis Control launches get #Weedwise Campaign Focusin On Consumer Education and unlicensed Cannabis Businesses
PRESS RELEASE SACRAMENTO, CA – The Bureau of Cannabis Control (Bureau) announced today the launch of a statewide public information program, “Get #weedwise”, encouraging consumers to only purchase cannabis from licensed businesses and warning unlicensed businesses to become licensed. The “Get #weedwise” campaign includes extensive outreach educating consumers about the risks associated with cannabis purchased […]
California Regulation Guidelines and Commentary
In January, three California cannabis agencies finalized their regulations. The Bureau of Cannabis Control (“BCC,” regulator of retailers and distributors), California Department of Food and Agriculture (“CDFA,” responsible for cultivators) and California Department of Public Health (“CDPH” responsible for manufacturers). Previously we wrote about disclosure requirements applicable to a licensee’s directors, executives, 20% shareholders, and […]
Marijuana industry wants L.A. to crack down on illegal pot shops
The legal marijuana industry urged Los Angeles City Hall on Monday to get tougher with illegal shops that are gouging their businesses in open sight. Illegal pot shops are widespread throughout Los Angeles and typically look like the real thing. And they’re thriving — they sell cheaper products than their legal rivals because they don’t […]
Oakland decriminalizes ‘magic mushrooms’ and other natural psychedelics
Oakland’s city council unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday that decriminalizes the use of entheogenic plants, a category that includes flora such as “magic mushrooms,” cactuses, and iboga that can induce a psychedelic experience. Oakland is the second city in the country, after Denver, to decriminalize these substances. However, magic mushrooms still remain illegal under federal […]
Why does California’s public health department treat CBD like poison?
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — the nation’s second most powerful Republican — and California’s Democratic state legislators completely agree on one thing: Marijuana’s cousin hemp should be fully legalized. As the late U.S. House Speaker Tip O’Neill famously said: “All politics is local.” In McConnell’s home state of Kentucky, tobacco farming is dying […]
Merlot versus marijuana: California’s Wine Country feuds over measure to grow pot
The Napa Valley has become synonymous with wine, as grapevines cover the flatlands and creep up the hillsides. Now some entrepreneurs hope a new crop will take root: marijuana. Last week, a group called the Napa Valley Cannabis Association submitted what they believe are enough signatures to put the question of cannabis cultivation on the […]
Oakland’s groundbreaking cannabis equity program showing modest results so far
Alphonso Blunt stood outside a warehouse near 66th Avenue and San Leandro Street in Oakland and gazed with satisfaction at the Coliseum across the street. Behind him, a steady stream of customers walked through the glass doors of the warehouse and into his marijuana dispensary. Nearly a year earlier, he had received his license to […]
Plan to create special cannabis-friendly banks moves forward in California
Shut out of the traditional banking system by federal laws, the country’s largest legal marijuana market — in California — could benefit if the state approves a measure creating a special class of banks to handle pot money. The state Senate voted 35 to 1 on Tuesday to pass a bill that would allow people […]
Some California cities would be forced to allow marijuana sales under bill to triple pot shops in state
Escalating a feud with cities over marijuana, state lawmakers are pushing to require municipalities to lift bans on cannabis stores if voters there supported Proposition 64, the 2016 initiative that legalized sale of the drug for recreational use in California. A bill moving through the Legislature would require those cities to permit at least one […]
BREAKING NEWS: California Opens Up for Commercial Hemp Cultivation
By Griffin Thorne, Attorney at Harris Bricken We have been closely following California’s commercial hemp cultivation licensing law since it was proposed last year as Senate Bill 1409 (see here, here, and here). In March, I wrote about some of the roadblocks to implementing SB-1409’s commercial hemp cultivation programs, and the lengthy review process of the California Department of Food and Agriculture […]
