More than a thousand marijuana-related convictions dating back as far as 1969 may soon be thrown out in Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell announced Thursday he has petitioned local courts to reduce, dismiss and seal a total of 1,169 marijuana cases involving 1,085 defendants. “Our office recognized the undue burden […]
California Marijuana
LA Gives Initial OK for Reboot of Marijuana Marketplace
Los Angeles moved Wednesday to reboot its once-promising legal marijuana market, giving initial approval to changes large and small to expand licensing and get more assistance to operators who endured the consequences of the nation’s war on drugs. Broad legal sales kicked off in California in 2018, and at that time Los Angeles was expected […]
Feds Try To Undermine California’s Legal Marijuana Industry Via Selective Prosecution Of Advertising Companies
Although California’s Proposition 64, the “Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act” which legalized the sale of recreational marijuana, won by an overwhelming victory four years ago (Yes 7,979,041 = 57.13% vs No 5,987,020 = 42.87%) it was — and still is — opposed by law enforcement in rural areas, some urban localities, […]
SF marijuana dispensaries see big shift to edibles amid coronavirus
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 […]
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 […]
