Riverside marijuana lawyer

March 7, 2018

Could Veterinarians Recommend Pot for Pets?

We all know the importance of keeping Sparky away from the pot brownies. But is it possible your pet could receive medical marijuana as a recommended treatment from their vet?

A vast majority of rational Americans agree that the use of marijuana as a treatment for medical purposes is a decision that should be made between and doctor and patient. Recent polls show more than 90 percent of respondents favor medical marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. And California has long been a defender of patient rights by leading the nation in medical marijuana legalization with the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.

So why should the decision be any different when it comes to animals and veterinary professionals?

As it stands, California law does not extend to veterinarians the ability to recommend marijuana as a treatment for animals. But AB-2215, introduced by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-27), is looking to change that. The bill would put the power in the hands of the Veterinary Medical Board by calling on them to set the standards for state-licensed veterinarians to discuss marijuana treatment for animal patient clients, and it would also prevent veterinarians from being punished for having such discussions.

February 20, 2018

UCSF Says Marijuana Businesses Can Learn from Mistakes of Tobacco

By Cannabis Law Group

While many politicians and other leaders continue to wring their hands, hemming and hawing ad nauseum over the best way to regulate the growing number of marijuana businesses, University of California San Francisco says the answer is right under our noses.

According to a study by the university published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, regulators need look no further than the tobacco industry for inspiration to create best practices for adult-use marijuana. By using what the tobacco industry has learned by trial and error over the years, the marijuana industry can avoid early mistakes and take a proactive approach.

Examples in the study include implementing clear labeling with conspicuous warning labels, avoiding marketing that appeals to minors, and restricting product potency. Continue reading

February 12, 2018

Medical Marijuana Education Critical Under Current Administration

By Cannabis Law Group

Recently, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded an Obama-era Department of Justice Directive that essentially urged federal prosecutors to medical marijuana ignore marijuana crimes so along as alleged violators were in compliance with state laws. This step gave states the space to figure out how they wanted to handle recreational and/or medical cannabis laws without interference from the federal government.

Sessions, however, has made it clear he intends to revive marijuana prosecutions based on the drug’s current Schedule I controlled substance designation under the Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 812. By rescinding the 2013 order, Sessions has given federal officials the freedom to pursue charges against anyone for these violations – even if they follow state and local laws to the letter. Our marijuana attorneys in L.A. encourage all cannabis business owners in California to seek prompt legal counsel to best protect themselves and their livelihood.

Some don’t see this as an immediate threat, citing the lack of resources to go after so many operations. They also point to a lack of support among citizens to pursue such charges, meaning juries will be more reticent to convict. Others are less optimistic. Continue reading

January 21, 2018

More States Look to Legalize Marijuana in 2018

By Cannabis Law Group

While California has been on the forefront of cannabis legalization, making medical marijuana legal more than 20 Caifornia marijuana lawyers years ago with the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, and more recently with recreational cannabis being legalized through the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, other states have not been as lucky.

Many hope to change that this coming year, with at least 12 states on deck to consider some form of cannabis legalization in 2018.

This is huge news, not only for those particular states, but also for California and other states that already have legalization in place. The more states rally behind legalization, the stronger we stand against outdated federal laws, which still classify cannabis as a Schedule I narcotic under the Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 812. According to a recent report from Newsweek, more than 60% of Americans now support full legalization. Continue reading

January 6, 2018

Upland Shuts Down Illegal Marijuana Dispensaries

By Cannabis Law Group

On the same day many recreational marijuana dispensaries in California opened for business, one medical collective in Upland exit-1421288-640x480-300x225 , Calif., was forced to shutter its doors for good.

For years, the owner of the collective in question pushed for Upland to lift its ban against medical marijuana. But the city has repeatedly fought back, working aggressively to close illegal dispensaries. Upland spent roughly $4.5 million on legal fees since 2014 and closed 24 illegal operations along the way, according to an article from the Daily Bulletin.

This particular owner, though, was characterized as a thorn in the city’s side throughout the process. He helped lead the charge in getting Measure U on the city’s November 2016 ballot, which was designed to ease up restrictions and pave the way for three medical dispensaries in Upland.

He assisted in collecting signatures and fighting tough legal battles to get the measure on the ballot. The California Cannabis Coalition took the matter all the way up to the California Supreme Court, which ruled the city must put Measure U up to vote in a special election. However despite all those efforts, the voters of Upland did not get on board, voting down the measure. Continue reading

July 13, 2017

A Look at The California Cannabis Industry MAUCRSA Bill

By Cannabis Law Group

As we have discussed in various other posts on this blog, California has been taking major steps to regulate the medical marijuana, and now recreational cannabis industry, at a state level. Since medical marijuana was first legalized back in 1996, there was little regulation at the state level. All of the major regulation was left to local governments in the various counties, towns, municipal districts, and cities across our state.

marijuana attorney Riverside This meant that, in some cities, there would be no medical marijuana allowed and in others there would be. It also means that there were varying levels of regulations with respect to cultivation distribution, and sale or delivery. Continue reading

June 12, 2017

A Look at the Growing Cannabis Industry in California

By Cannabis Law Group

There is more cannabis sold in California that any other state. This is true even when comparing California’s medical marijuana industry with Colorado’s recreational marijuana industry. While voters in California did legalize recreational use marijuana through the passage of Proposition 64 in November 2016, it will not be legal to sell to recreational users until January 2018.

Riverside Marijuana Lawyer This means that for the time being, medical marijuana dispensaries are the only legal way to buy marijuana in the state. However, as discussed in a recent news article from The Daily Chronic, medical marijuana shops will largely become recreational marijuana shops, and this is why there are many more dispensaries opening up throughout the state in anticipation of the increasing market for cannabis products. This includes flowers, high-end concentrates like shatter and wax, edibles and tinctures, and even skin creams and bath beads. Continue reading

February 2, 2017

Exploring Public Use of Marijuana in Denver

By Cannabis Law Group

Although a handful of states have given the green light for legal marijuana for recreational use, none so far have granted explicit permission to allow the drug to be used in public.

That may soon change in Denver. restaurant

Back in November, Denver became the first city in the country to allow people to use marijuana at certain restaurants and other venues that want to allow it. That was Proposition 300, and it was approved at the same time eight other states – including California – passed laws to legalize marijuana for either recreational or medicinal purposes. The city measure allows bars and restaurants to apply to allow marijuana to be used by their patrons – so long as the drug isn’t smoked, although there could be some cases in which outside smoking areas could be designated.

Now, the city is working on implementing that provision, and it appears it will extend to places like yoga studios, art galleries and coffee shops. The law doesn’t offer up any guidelines for how marijuana can be consumed other than it can’t be smoked indoors and patrons have to be at least 21-years-old. Additionally, the state’s liquor control board has forbidden any company that has a liquor license from allowing patrons to use marijuana. That means bars would be excluded, as would restaurants that serve alcohol. WYFF4 reported a group of stakeholders – marijuana business owners, city regulators and opponents of legalized marijuana – are all meeting to begin hammering out suggestions of what this new law is going to look like. Continue reading

December 20, 2016

U.S. Marijuana Stock Tepid, Canada Marijuana Stock Spikes

By Cannabis Law Group

The contrast between the stock of marijuana in the U.S. and Canada couldn’t be more stark. graph

CNN Money reported that a real estate investment trust that plans to buy buildings to lease to medical marijuana growers went public on Wall Street – and the response was less-than-encouraging. On the NYSE, the Innovative Industrial Properties stock shares were priced at $20, inched upward to $20.52, and then finished the day by 4 percent less than where they started. Granted, this is just one of a few companies related to the marijuana trade that is traded on any major exchange. So in some sense, the fact that it’s being traded at all is something of an accomplishment. Another company out Britain, GW Pharmaceuticals, is listed on Nasdaq, and its stock is actually up more than 55 percent this year. However in the U.S., this has proven more the exception than the rule.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg Markets reports that a company called ICC International Cannabis Corp. debuted its first day on the Canadian stock market and closed 356 percent higher than where it started. The CEO of ICC, a company out of Uruguay, has called the Canadian market “perfect” for marijuana companies. The entire country is slated to legalize the use of recreational marijuana next year. If that event occurs on the timeline expected, there will be an estimated 4 million legal recreational users in Canada by 2021. That means there will be a potential for $4.5 billion in annual sales. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that legality at the federal level makes it a much more attractive option to investors. Continue reading

June 21, 2016

Perris Approves Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative

By Cannabis Law Group

As law enforcement is battling a number of illicit and sizable marijuana cultivation efforts throughout Riverside County (rumors are its driven by Mexican drug cartels), leaders in some cities are working to take the power out of dealers’ hands by crafting a framework of regulation for lawful distribution. cannabis1

This is a notable shift from what we saw a few years ago, when hundreds of cities across the state scrambled to ban medical marijuana dispensaries amid a furious crackdown by federal authorities. Of course, the drug remains illegal under federal law, but U.S. attorneys have eased their stance on the issue, prompting cities to craft their own measures to replace the ban or allow ballot initiatives that gives voters the chance to decide.

One of the most recent among these is Perris, where the council decided June 14th to approve a package of resolutions that will give voters a choice of not one but two medical marijuana dispensary November ballot initiatives to weigh. Continue reading