By making local officials the gatekeepers for million-dollar businesses, states created a breeding ground for bribery and favoritism. Jasiel Correia’s star was rising. The son of Cape Verdean immigrants in the working-class Massachusetts port city of Fall River — famed as the home of Lizzie Borden — Correia was a home-grown prodigy. At 23, he […]
cannabis
The Elections Over, But Not the Stress, Any Edibles Left?
Sales surged as people turned to gummy bears, cookies and chocolate infused with cannabis to soothe their jitters. OAKLAND, Calif. — In the weeks leading up to November, Iashia Kilian felt her anxiety deepen. She knew her vote in the swing state of Michigan could help decide who the next president would be. She had done […]
Federal Courts are Going Backward on Cannabis
By Vince Sliwoski, Attorney at Harris Bricken A few weeks back, the Cannabis Law Institute invited me to discuss contract drafting for cannabis deals. A focal point for the panel was whether courts are willing to enforce cannabis contracts. The last time I had really looked at that issue was early 2019, when I wrote: […]
Challenges for US Companies Entering the EU
by Michael Sassano It is very clear to most cannabis industry analysts that the United States is the undisputed heavyweight in terms of cannabis, ringing in around $13 billion in annual sales pre-federal legalization. The opportunities are very strong in almost every individual state market, however, there is still a whole global cannabis industry developing […]
Positive drug tests for employees hit 16-year high as marijuana legalization expands: report
As recreational marijuana legalization has expanded to 11 states plus the District of Columbia, positive workplace drug tests have reportedly climbed to a 16-year high. Positive test rates rose nearly 4.5 percent for the U.S. workforce in 2019, according to one of the largest drug-testing laboratories Quest Diagnostics, which sampled 9 million tests last year for […]
Infographic: COVID-19’s Impact on Executive Decision-Making
As mentioned here previously, High Yield Insights and CBE Press collaborated on a unique whitepaper of executive decision-making prior to and during the COVID-19 outbreak. (The whitepaper is available for download here.) The infographic below summarizes key data drawn from the 700+ decision-makers, including the C-suite, from licensees and ancillary service providers who responded to […]
California cities begin embracing cannabis in desperate search for cash
OAKLAND — California local governments scrambling to find tax revenues during the coronavirus pandemic are turning toward an industry they had considered taboo until now: cannabis. It has been almost four years since voters legalized recreational marijuana in California, and nearly 70 percent of cities and counties have yet to embrace pot businesses because they […]
Restructuring issues and challenges in the cannabis industry
The legalization of recreational cannabis in 2018 opened the doors for Canada to be a first-mover in what analysts predicted would be an exciting and lucrative industry. Although the cannabis industry has experienced significant business growth, recent headwinds have resulted in some cannabis companies starting to encounter short-term liquidity challenges as they grow their operations. […]
Should cannabis companies get out front on leaseback plans?
Cannabis Business by Joe Caltabiano Companies in need of capital have a wealth of options in how they can raise it. From traditional bank loans to venture funding, line-of-credit accounts to angel investors, the sourcing choices are numerous. But that doesn’t mean they’re all equally available in all markets at all times. And right now, […]
The Status of a Cannabusiness’ Ability to Seek Relief in the Courts — the ‘Illegality’ Issue
By Bec Edelson and James Fazio Claimed “illegality” of cannabusinesses continues to be a critical issue for them in their ability to enforce their rights in the courts. The ability to seek judicial relief may be especially important to some cannabusinesses that are struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., to seek bankruptcy […]