California marijuana business lawyers

October 26, 2018

Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyers: Shops are Legal, But Business Complicated

The Los Angeles marijuana lawyers at The Cannabis Law Firm have seen the cannabis community in this city and county through the legal travails of the last 20 years – from outright criminalization to quasi-legalization for medicinal use (amid constant fear of government raids) to now recreational legalization recognized by state law. Federal legalization of some form likely isn’t far off. But while Los Angeles is considered the largest and perhaps most important marijuana market in the world (several million consumers, tens of thousands of workers and billions of dollars annually generated just within these borders), navigating its regulatory guidelines is no easy feat. Los Angeles marijuana lawyers

Having an experienced Los Angeles marijuana attorney who understands not just the new law and local regulations but the complexity of this city’s history with the drug is imperative if you want to establish a successful business.

Technically, there are 169 licensed marijuana shops in the city of L.A. In reality, the L.A. City Controller estimates there are probably closer to 1,700 in operation. These operations may fly under the radar, but they’re taking a big risk. If there is one thing we’ve learned in our years of practicing California marijuana law, it’s that nothing is certain. However, your best hope is a cannabis law firm dedicated to helping you navigate the road map to success.

Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyers and the Regulatory Business Maze Continue reading

October 25, 2018

California Marijuana Lawyers Watch Local Elections for New Regulations

By Cannabis Law Group

The statewide legalization of marijuana for adult recreational use as of January 1st thanks to Prop. 64 wasn’t the end of California’s cannabis conversation. Far from it. Long-time California marijuana lawyers, businesses and policymakers are paying close attention to this November election, particularly in several local conservative strongholds set to decide whether to commercial cannabis should be given the green light to set up shop in their communities. Because while the Control, regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act of 2016 gave the statewide blessing, it didn’t automatically open the floodgates. Local counties, cities and towns were given the option whether to allow the cannabis industry to operate inside their own borders. Los Angeles marijuana business lawyer

Many leaders saw the passage of Prop. 64 as a major hurdle clearance to legitimizing a promising, lucrative market. While most have let go of the long-debunked reefer madness hysteria of the past, the stigma still remains for some. As marijuana lawyers, we can’t wholly discount all of their concerns, though most have been met with reasonable regulatory response (though some argue certain restrictions go too far). One of the biggest compromises was to allow local control. California marijuana business lawyers and economic experts mostly concur that communities outright refusing cannabis industry access are likely to be at an economic disadvantage, though the extent isn’t yet clear.

Some examples of the dozens of cities set to weigh the future of local cannabis commerce via ballot measures Nov. 6 are rural areas like El Dorado County east of Sacramento and Hemet, a town in the Inland Empire less than an hour south of Riverside. Most areas where the issue is up for vote are expected to pass it by a wide margin, according to The Mercury News in San Jose, but in the more right-leaning regions, predictions are a toss-up. Continue reading

October 22, 2018

California Marijuana Business Lawyers See Cultivation Take Root on Central Coast

By Cannabis Law Group

Situated right between the two biggest cannabis consumer hubs of Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Central Coast of California is poised to become potentially one of the core producers of the plant statewide (or nationally, though interstate sales are barred). This fertile region has long been ripe with vineyards, renowned for producing some of the country’s best wine. Orange County marijuana business lawyers understand that as cannabis cultivators have been cropping up in the spaces between, many farmers are beginning to see it not so much as competition but as a chance to reinvigorate the agricultural traditions that have lagged in recent decades. From Santa Barbara County to Monterey, more marijuana farmers have been licensed in the last year than anywhere else in the nation. Still, this promise is tempered by concerns that explosive unchecked growth could lead to serious problems. California marijuana business attorney

To be sure, the Emerald Triangle region of Northern California (comprised of Trinity, Mendocino and Humboldt Counties) grows the most marijuana by volume, hence the nod to greenery in its new moniker. However, if the pace of cannabis farming keeps up at the current clip, the Central Coast could soon surpass the northern neighbor region. And the region has a unique advantage over the Emerald Coast: No deep roots in the gray or black market.

Our Orange County marijuana business lawyers have been at the forefront of this industry, which has ballooned to an estimated $4 billion-a-year, and climbing. It’s been beneficial to the local tax base and also presents a new wave of opportunity for agricultural entrepreneurs seeking a legally sound yet lucrative opportunity. While the new law hasn’t entirely erased the stigma surrounding marijuana, the Central Coast lacks the cumbersome challenge of working to bring into compliance well-established underground growers transitioning into above-board – but heavily-regulated -operations. The risk of government raids is much lower (though not erased completely), but so are the profits, whittled by expensive new mandates and taxes. Operational, financial and legal concerns also persist as long as the drug remains illegal in the eyes of the federal government. Continue reading

October 15, 2018

California Marijuana Banking Attorneys: Navigating the Risks

By Cannabis Law Group

California marijuana lawyers have long known that one of the greatest risks when it comes to managing marijuana money is the potential to be accused of laundering it, given that it’s still illegal under federal law. Even as an increasing number of states have made the drug lawful to varying degrees, many financial institutions remain frigid about such partnerships. Los Angeles marijuana banking lawyer

There are ways to smartly navigate your finances, and the experienced legal team at the Cannabis Law Group in Los Angeles can help you establish the right plan.

Recently in Oklahoma, a top banking regulator informed lawmakers there that banking with marijuana now is more riskier than it’s ever been, despite the fact that marijuana is now legal to some degree in 30 states and available for recreational use in nine of them. The problem remains the federal government’s classification of marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance – placing it in a category that stipulates extreme danger of addiction and no medicinal purpose.

Oklahoma media reported the banker told state lawmakers establishing marijuana policy that until Congress acts to initiate clear laws that either outright legalize it or empower the states to take on regulation themselves, financial institutions are going to be extremely wary of extending partnerships to those within the new medical marijuana industry there. Continue reading

October 13, 2018

AP: California Cannabis Safety Testing Rate Poor

By Cannabis Law Group

Almost 1 in 5 California marijuana products have failed tests for purity and potency by the state’s Bureau of Cannabis Control since the agency began mandating checks at the beginning of July. The Associated Press reported that some cannabis farmers and distributors are blaming the failure rate not on product quality but rather on standards that are unrealistic and aren’t aimed to protect the public. Technical glitches haven’t helped. marijuana lawyer

Cannabis-infused cookies, tinctures and candies have been especially hit hard, with approximately one-third of its product removed from store shelves.

Other problems revealed (albeit on a smaller scale) by state-licensed testing firms are finding too-high levels of solvents, pesticides and bacteria, including salmonella and E. coli.

Within just eight weeks of testing, some 2,000 samples failed out of more than 11,000 Our L.A. marijuana product attorneys understand that in some of those instances, the product had to be destroyed, but a lot of the problems arose from issues with labeling, which are able to be fixed. Just for example, if a label on a container indicates a product has a potency level different than what’s on the label, the product can simply be relabeled and then move to market. Continue reading

October 8, 2018

Marijuana Reclassification: Feds Seek Public Comment for WHO Report

By Cannabis Law Group

Should the World Health Organization recommend governments reclassify marijuana from its current designation as a dangerous, addictive Schedule I controlled substance, incapable of providing any medicinal relief to anyone? In the US., seeing as 30 states plus Washington D.C. now have some legalized form of it, it certainly seems about time. t’s about time to have the public weigh in. marijuana policy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a release soliciting public comment regarding the potential or actual abuse, medicinal uses, trafficking dangers and impact of scheduling changes on its availability for medical use of marijuana (as well as a number of other substances that are currently being reviewed internationally) for information to put in its won review to the WHO.

Why Rescheduling Marijuana Matters Continue reading

October 8, 2018

California Cannabis Growers Grapple with Regulation

By Cannabis Law Group

Times have been tough for California cannabis growers, particularly in the northern region of the state. A recent report from The Cannabis Business Times reveals that since the regulated recreational marijuana market opened at the start of 2018, the amount of lawful, quality sinsemilla (flowers absent the seeds) has plummeted. In some regions, it’s almost completely dry. marijuana grower attorney

It begs the question: How is it possible that the No. 1 marijuana producer in the world suddenly be out of cannabis flowers?

As our Orange County marijuana business lawyers can explain, there are a number of natural and policy forces at play – namely the way the cannabis is grown, the damage caused by rampant wildfires and the introduction of stringent rules and regulations – including quality and purity testing protocols. Continue reading

September 26, 2018

Budding Minority-Owned California Cannabis Businesses Get a Boost

By Cannabis Law Group

A new California law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown eases the way for those impacted hardest by the failed “War on Drugs” to launch a budding marijuana business. Senate Bill 1294 aims to counteract the disproportionate impact of the misguided drug ware on minority communities, allowing local jurisdictions in California to apply for a grant from the state’s Bureau of Cannabis Control to aid entrepreneurs who are also minorities in a number of ways, including providing financial support via waiver of license fees, providing technical assistance and more (with $10 million allocated to provide this support). cannabis business

The new law, supporters said, will directly go to helping those who have been more profoundly impacted by the criminalization of marijuana.

The California Cannabis Equity Act was sponsored by the Drug Policy Alliance, noting that cities that have local marijuana equity programs (Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco and Sacramento) will have access to the grant funds. Some opponents of this law argued prior to passage that giving marijuana growers a license and access to grants despite a prior marijuana conviction, something even some proponents of legal marijuana argue harms legitimate businesses because some would-be cannabis business owners got their prior convictions growing marijuana unlawfully on land that wasn’t designated for it, thereby harming the environment. Continue reading

September 6, 2018

Marijuana Residency Restrictions: Helping or Hurting Business?

By Cannabis Law Group

The importance of residency has become a complicated ongoing issue for marijuana business owners in the state of cannabis regulation Washington, where requirements for marijuana businesses are strict, yet muddled. What started as a residency restriction meant to control big outside mega corporations from putting local businesses at a disadvantage has led to corporations researching ways to exploit residency loopholes and limiting who longtime residents can bring on as partners. Now, due to unclear definition of what qualifies a person for residency, some are concerned how to prove their status.

You see, according to RCW 69.50.331(1)(b), one must be a resident of the state for six months to apply for a marijuana business license. Not only that, all members of the business, no matter how small the stake, must meet the same residency requirement. Further, a “partnership, employee cooperative, association, nonprofit corporation, or corporation” must be formed in Washington according to state laws and meet the above outlined residency requirements in order to be issued a license. Lastly, licensees must comply with residency requirements throughout the duration of the license. Without a firm definition on what constitutes residency, though, some businesses have been in the lurch. Continue reading

August 23, 2018

Regional Cannabis Producers Seek Protection for Brands

By Cannabis Law Group

To assist California cannabis growers establish their regions as brands, the California Department of Food and cannabis business Agriculture is working on a system of regulations for naming craft cannabis strains. According to a report from Ganjapreneur, this is similar to the way the system of naming works for wines, in which a wine must actually be from the Napa region in order to carry that moniker on its label. CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing, the arm of CDFA that controls marijuana growers, is planning workshops in September to gather feedback and provide more information to cultivators.

The area known as the Emerald Triangle in Northern California has earned its name due to its high rate of cannabis cultivation. In fact, it’s the largest marijuana-producing area in the country. Growers in the region would like to capitalize on their world-renowned status to help give their product recognition and increase its desirability. They pride themselves on creating interesting, high-quality strains and growing in top-notch environments, and they want to make sure that random grow operations from some other region can’t use their regional names on their own labels.
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