Although marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, economists are predicting that such laws – particularly in the face of growing public support and state approval – won’t keep the free market down. It has the potential to balloon to a $100 billion industry, with states potentially raking in $28…
The town of Nipton, California is a small, unincorporated community in San Bernardino County bordering the Mojave National Preserve. An old cattle-loading and mining town, its population today fluctuates somewhere between 6 and 30. About three decades ago, a gold miner from Malibu purchased the ghost town. As The New…
Marijuana has been legalized – slowly – in more than half the states in the U.S., either for medicinal or recreational purposes (26 in all). And yet, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (the non-profit that regulates athletes in some 1,300 programs and organizes athletic programs in many colleges and universities…
Proponents of the failed “War on Drugs” have long characterized marijuana as a “gateway” drug, meaning it opens the doors to use of heavier, more dangerous narcotics. But now, a new drug rehabilitation center in Los Angeles is touting cannabis as an “exit” drug – a way out of the…
Cannabis businesses have many legal issues with which to contend, from banking to bud-tending. Commercial leases for cannabis businesses raise special concerns for both landlords and tenants. Because of the federal civil asset forfeiture program, which allows the U.S. Justice Department to seize assets of any real property used to…
The Trump Administration’s anti-marijuana policies adversely affect thousands of Americans who rely on the medicinal benefits of cannabis to relieve various forms of suffering. There is, perhaps, no more potent illustration of the harm these policies cause than in the military veteran community. The American military campaigns in Iraq and…
Federal banking regulations have made the operation of a cannabis business both a complicated and dangerous proposition. Because cannabis is still classified as a Schedule I drug under federal law, any transactions made at a cannabis business operating lawfully under state law are, nonetheless, considered illegal drug money under federal…
It is a logical contradiction, but one which can benefit cannabis entrepreneurs: despite being banned by federal law, marijuana and marijuana products can be protected by federal patents. Problems with theory and logic notwithstanding, cannabis business owners can protect and enhance their business interests with an understanding of the patent…
Since recreational marijuana was legalized in California as of November 9, 2016, residents and government regulators have experienced many unintended consequences of the regulatory sea change. Perhaps one of the most bizarre outcomes is changing an increased power needs for those areas of California which house indoor grow houses. This…
The legalization of recreational marijuana in California has caused massive change in the regulatory framework guiding the industry. Many details remain to be settled. One that has recently come the attention of the state legislature could vastly impact sales for cannabis businesses by imposing advertising restrictions upon them. LA…