When San Francisco’s shelter-in-place order was announced on March 16, many city residents ran to the grocery store to stock up on things like canned goods and toilet paper. Other residents went straight to their local dispensary. “The day of shelter in place was the busiest day we’ve ever had,” said Eliot Dobris, a spokesperson […]
California Marijuana
Legal marijuana use still costs people jobs. A new California bill takes on the issue
California voters legalized pot in 2016. But for many seeking jobs in state government, cannabis use has become an obstacle to getting hired. Now, a spike in the number of job applicants disqualified by state agencies after failing tests for marijuana use has spawned calls for new legislation and debate over whether employment rules should […]
Los Angeles County to dismiss nearly 66,000 marijuana convictions
In a sweeping move, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced Thursday that her office has asked the court to dismiss nearly 66,000 marijuana convictions going back decades, CBS LA reported. In a news conference, Lacey called it the largest such undertaking in state history. “We believe it is the largest effort in California to wipe out […]
California legalized marijuana 2 years ago. So why is the state seizing so much of it?
California voters made marijuana legal to purchase and consume, but that hasn’t stopped state and local law enforcement from seizing tons of it from black market growers and retailers. By the end of 2019, agents at the California Bureau of Cannabis Control alone had seized nearly 24 tons of illicit cannabis, valued at nearly $133 […]
Gov. Newsom wants to simplify California’s marijuana rules: ‘The devil is always in the details’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to bring all of the state’s cannabis licensing programs under one roof, aiming to better coordinate a complicated mix of regulators. In his 2020-21 budget plan, Newsom is proposing to create a Department of Cannabis Control. It would assume licensing authority from the three existing agencies, the Bureau of Cannabis […]
The stronger the joint, the higher the tax? Report weighs California marijuana tax change
Should that marijuana joint cost more because it is higher in THC content? That’s the argument put forth in a new report by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office. Currently, the state taxes cannabis at two points in the production cycle; cannabis is taxed by weight after it is harvested, and then taxed again as an […]
‘Epidemic’ of layoffs in California marijuana industry — CEO faults state for inaction
Flow Kana isn’t the only cannabis company forced to make cuts. In recent weeks, companies like Eaze and Weedmaps have also laid off part of their workforce. “It almost feels like an epidemic of companies of similar size going through similar processes,” Steinmetz said. The layoffs reflect challenges in California’s fledgling recreational cannabis industry. Voters legalized recreational marijuana in […]
Will Neil Young’s Marijuana Use Keep Him From Becoming a U.S. Citizen?
Neil Young had a certain birthday present in mind this year: United States citizenship. Everything seemed to be in place for him to take his oath on Tuesday, his 74th birthday, the Canadian singer told The Los Angeles Times last month. Amid what he called a “climate emergency,” he was looking forward to voting in the 2020 […]
California Suspends Hundreds of Marijuana Supply Businesses
California has suspended 394 marijuana business permits in a move that critics say will temporarily reduce the number of legal cannabis shops in the state. The suspension affecting about 5% of California’s legal cannabis supply chain comes after the businesses failed to complete mandatory training and credentialing, Marijuana Business Daily in Colorado reported Wednesday. The […]
The push to unionize cannabis workers in California
Weed workers across the country are unionizing, and California just made it easier for them. On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a requirement that all cannabis stores enter into so-called “labor peace agreements” as soon as they have 20 or more employees. California is now one of two states — New York is the other […]
