Marijuana regulations

July 25, 2018

Testing Labs in High Demand With New Marijuana Regulations

July 1 marked a huge shift for cannabis businesses in California, as certain regulations embedded in Proposition 64 became law. Although businesses knew the change was coming, it marked a major change in the supply chain for marijuana throughout the state. No longer was the focus solely on growers and dispensaries. These new regulations have shed light in a whole new way on the importance of testing labs.

According to an article from Leafly, the history of testing labs in the state has come a long way, evolving from van-based operations to highly sophisticated units protecting Californians from contaminants, pesticides, and helping measure strength and makeup of different strains and products. Until now, labs haven’t really been able to fully get off the ground. Like any production cycle, added steps are generally avoided wherever possible in order to cut down on costs. As such, not all cannabis products in California went through the lab-testing stage until laws absolutely mandated it, especially those produced by small businesses. Now labs are overwhelmed with work. Though lab workers did what they could to prepare for this day, it’s still difficult to operate a business at full capacity on profits that are not yet coming in, making it necessary to go from skeleton crew to all hands on deck in a matter of weeks. Continue reading

May 14, 2018

Ohio Marijuana Legalization Struggling But Still Alive

By Cannabis Law Group

Marijuana laws in Ohio have experienced a bit of a failure to launch. In 2015 a legalization ballot measure was voted marijuana regulations down, largely due to a scare campaign that positioned the 10 pre-designated cultivators as a monopoly. In 2016, HB-523 was signed into law by Gov. John Kasich that set up a process for medical marijuana in the state. Since then, however, the initial phase has been a lumbering one. Advocates remain optimistic, though, pushing now for a state constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana.

On the medical front, Ohio’s program is under scrutiny in court, as a judge in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas is determining whether or not to delay licensing for cultivators, and potentially the launch of the program. According to Cleveland.com, one grower applied for a license and sued the Ohio Department of Commerce after it was denied, claiming there was no appeals process as promised. Reported errors in the scoring of applicants and complaints about officials not following their own rules in the selection process have led to other lawsuits. With only 12 initial promised licenses for large-scale cultivators, the spots are highly coveted. Continue reading

December 26, 2017

Marijuana Regulations Could Hinder Profits for California Businesses

By Cannabis Law Group

The passing of Proposition 64 in 2016 legalizes recreational marijuana in California as of January 1, 2018. This will increase the opportunity for marijuana businesses to grow throughout the state. Marijuana regulations

According to an article from Forbes, California cannabis business owners are projected to make $5.2 billion in revenue in 2018, with about $1 billion in tax revenue lining state coffers.

But for every new road that is paved on the way to full legalization, there are numerous bumps along the road. California business owners expect plenty of marijuana regulations, with local governments in the state being given a great deal of jurisdiction over whether or not to allow commercial marijuana production and sales. Continue reading