Marijuana delivery services

March 10, 2016

Marijuana Delivery Services in LA Could End

Medical marijuana delivery services have become quite popular in recent years. Essentially, a person can use an app on their smartphone and order medical cannabis just like they would order anything else. Once the patient has verified they have a valid physician’s recommendation for medical marijuana, they can place their order and a driver will be dispatched.

These drivers are generally similar to Uber drivers and are part of what is now being called the on-demand economy or workforce. Usually, when we hear about on-demand jobs, including drivers, were are reading about whether they are employees or independent contractors and other employment law related questions.
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February 22, 2016

Woody Harrelson Weighs Medical Marijuana Business Entry

By Cannabis Law Group

It’s no secret that actor Woody Harrelson has been a long-time supporter of legalizing medical cannabis and recreational marijuana. Harrelson, along with some of his friends, like Willie Nelson, have been featured in magazines like High Times for decades supporting the legalization movement, and this began at time when very few Americans would be willing to vote for legalization, unlike today where it is supported by the majority of voters.

According to a recent news article from Fox News, Harrelson is one of 66 people and corporations who have applied for a medical marijuana dispensary permit in Hawaii. Technically, it his company, Simple Organic Living, that applied for the permit.
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December 17, 2015

Long Beach Approved Medical Marijuana on Delivery Only Basis

By Cannabis Law Group

In the state of California, when medical marijuana was first legalized, provisions were entered in the state code that allowed for the safe distribution and purchase of medical marijuana by anyone with a valid doctor’s recommendation but left it up to local government as to whether cultivation, delivery or dispensaries would be allowed in their respective jurisdictions.

In other words, anyone could use medical marijuana in any jurisdiction within the state, but they could only buy in their city or town if local ordinance allowed for this to occur. While this might not seem like a major inconvenience, for the sick and disabled patients who cannot afford to leave home and are of limited mobility, this is basically telling them they are out of luck when it comes to getting their much needed need medicine.
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December 16, 2015

Los Angeles Medical Marijuana Telemedicine

By Cannabis Law Group

The medical marijuana industry in Los Angeles and Orange County is still growing at an astounding rate. With there being some room for improvement in developing new ways for patients in need to have easier access to their medicine, and a lot more money to made, it should not be surprising that there is such a high rate of growth.

However, despite the obvious damage, those entering the industry need to make sure that whatever they do to assist patients and maximize revenue will not be seen as interfering with the ever changing medical cannabis laws in the State of California and the local ordinances in the Los Angeles area.
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December 15, 2015

Report: Medical Marijuana May Reduce Obesity Rates

By Cannabis Law Group

For decades, when people think of marijuana, they think of people sitting around the apartment and eating everything in site. This is, of course, what people refer to as having the munchies, and this concept has been well featured in many anti-marijuana commercials over the years. However, according to a recent news article from the San Diego Tribune, medical marijuana has now been linked to lower obesity rates.

Researchers at the San Diego State University began to review public health surveys from around the country through a process known as surveillance. The date on these surveys covered the period of time from 1990 until 2012. What they found was, in states where medical marijuana is legal, average obesity rates are as much as six percent lower than they were predicted to be. Obviously, it would be easy to be skeptical, since the researchers would have to prove causation and also overcome data and empirical research that shows the opposite effect to be true. For example, HIV patients experience serious complications from unintended weight loss, and marijuana has been proven to be an appetite stimulant.
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December 14, 2015

Marijuana Delivery-Only Approved in Long Beach

By Cannabis Law Group

The patchwork of medical marijuana regulation in California has revealed deep divisions on the question of how best to ensure the drug is accessible to those who need it, while balancing the interests of communities vying to limit its availability.

This conflict was recently revealed in a split vote by the Long Beach City Council, which after sharp debate, split the baby, so to speak. The council decided that while they would ban brick-and-mortar dispensaries – for now – they will allow marijuana delivery services directly to qualified patients.

Meanwhile, advocates of storefront dispensaries have a pending lawsuit against the city, which is slated to be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in February. Plaintiffs want to put a measure on the ballot so voters can decide whether to approve storefront marijuana operations. Specifically, the pending action asks the court to decide whether the city clerk can certify the ballot measure to the council.
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December 12, 2015

Medical Marijuana Meets California Tech

By Cannabis Law Group

For many years, when people thought of marijuana, they pictured teenagers and young adults sitting around smoking and eating everything in the house. The idea of people using marijuana certainly did not conjure up images of cutting edge technology. However with medical marijuana now being big business in Los Angeles and other parts of California, it should come as no surprise that medical marijuana companies are joining forces with California’s tech firms and trying to push the envelope even further in terms of medical marijuana profitability.

According to a recent news feature from Techwire, what is being called an unlikely marriage between medical marijuana and technology is in fact the next big thing in the industry. While California was famous for the gold rush in 1849, this new venture is being called the green rush, and the states many tech startups and established firms are eager to apply their new technology to the medial marijuana delivery and distribution business. The technology will especially be focused on smartphones and mobile devices, which have become ubiquitous in modern day society.

There have already been some tech entries in the medical marijuana business, but the recent push is occurring because mainstream companies are becoming less fearful of running afoul of the federal prohibition against the sale or possession of marijuana. While there is no question there was always money to be made, these successful companies did not want to be accused of being part of a criminal conspiracy, which by the strictest legal sense is what they would be doing and technically still are.
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June 13, 2015

Finding Success in Marijuana Industry

By Cannabis Law Group

In today’s world, medical marijuana may be much needed medicine to many sick patients, while to others it is very much a business – and a profitable one at that, for at least those who are running a successful operation.

However, as with any business, there are various ways to measure success. For some smaller companies, net earnings are the true benchmark of performance. In other words, the amount of money an owner can deposit in his or her personal bank account each month is the measure of success. For some large companies, especially publicly traded ones, year over year growth and efficiencies may be the gold standard of whether a business is doing well. At the same time, others will only focus on individual figures, such as return on investment (ROI) and monetization, even if that involves troublesome over-valuation.

According to a recent news feature from Forbes, owners of medical marijuana businesses are finding it hard to find an accurate measure of success. Part of the problem deals with a potentially inaccurate public perception of how the industry operates. Many people seem to think the vast majority of medical marijuana dispensaries are reaping huge profits. Essentially, people believe if that if you grow a few plants, the money will come hand over fist. However, as the article points out, those in the medical cannabis industry face a variety of problems those in traditional retail sectors never have to worry about.
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April 20, 2015

NJ Medical Marijuana Program Director Resigns

By Cannabis Law Group

According to a recent article from NJ.com, the director of New Jersey’s medical marijuana program has resigned his position. This occurred approximately three-and-a-half years after he was hired with much official and popular support. His resignation was handled much more quietly and was confirmed in a health department release.

The now former program director was a 26-year veteran of the state police and is said to be relocating with his family following his resignation. The medical marijuana program’s second in charge has been placed in the position of acting director until a suitable replacement can be found.

During his tenure with the state’s medical marijuana program, his agency faced opposition and constant attack from various groups. On some occasions, it was patients who were upset with the program. In other instances, it was dispensary owners who felt they could not function with the state’s burdensome laws and regulations. He even faced a lawsuit from a physician and patient on grounds the state was initially dragging out implementation of medical marijuana laws since they were created in 2010.
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February 9, 2015

New Medical Marijuana Research Focuses on PTSD Treatments

By Cannabis Law Group

The benefits of marijuana in treating depression, anxiety, and other symptoms of PTSD are being studied nationwide. Medical researchers have long suspected a link between the possible benefits of marijuana treatments for PTSD, but have not had the financial support or government approval to succeed in any long-term or extensive study. Now Colorado has offered nearly $8 million in grant funding for medical marijuana research. Researchers are hoping to determine whether marijuana could be a potential solution for veterans and other victims of post-traumatic stress disorder.

A researcher from Perelman School of Medicine is coordinating several studies to investigate how marijuana can mitigate the symptoms of PTSD. The studies have been made possible, in-part, because of a $7.6 million grant from the state of Colorado. Nationwide, legislators, public health officials, and marijuana activists have come to know that there isn’t significant research on marijuana to help inform regulatory or policy initiatives. Many governments want to implement research, and yet, they are hindered by federal laws that still classify marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, with no medicinal value.
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