As foreshadowed by our recent post, on May 3, 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed cannabis legislation that significantly increases the civil and tax penalties for unlicensed and illicit cannabis sales. The legislation was passed in conjunction with New York budget for the 2024 fiscal year. So what’s included in the new cannabis legislation?
We all know the Oregon cannabis industry is struggling. We write often about the causes on a macro level, possible solutions, and what we see as business litigators. We haven’t written much about one of the basic areas of employment law that applies to Oregon marijuana businesses: workers rights to wages and employer responsibilities. As
I wanted to drop a line today on an interesting piece of cannabis legislation moving through the Oregon session. The draft bill at issue is omnibus SB 353 (most recent mark-up here). This is a very different SB 353 than its placeholder from back in January when I published our annual Legislative Forecast and Report.
Approval of House Bill 639 New Hampshire is halfway to legal adult use cannabis, following the approval of House Bill 639 on April 6 by a wide margin of 272-109. While the Granite State decriminalized the possession of cannabis in 2017, it is still a fineable offense, and in any case only applies where the
European Union member states tend to be very conservative when it comes to cannabis legalization. With a few exceptions, most member states prohibit cannabis altogether. Other countries decriminalize cannabis and a handful have adopted modest medical marijuana programs. Germany, the EU’s biggest economy and arguably most influential nation, has been on the path towards recreational
Florida voters may have the opportunity to legalize adult-use cannabis during the next general elections. First, though, the Florida Supreme Court must okay the language on the ballot initiative, in the face of likely opposition from the other branches of the state government. As Floridians watch their elected officials argue against letting them vote on
Continuing our series on New York’s cannabis rules and regulations, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about New York’s cannabis processor licenses (check out our other posts in the series here, here, here, and here). Because there is so much information packed into the regs, we’re doing this FAQ style. What are the
I’ve spoken with a handful of clients recently who are anxious about Oregon’s new cannabis testing requirements. These requirements cover heavy metals and microbiological contaminants, and they take effect on March 1, 2023. The scuttlebutt is that many failed tests are inevitable if the labs do their jobs. And the labs are under scrutiny at
If you’ve been to the red light district in Amsterdam, you may have seen the infamous coffee shops up and down the block. In the U.S., no state has anything remotely close to a cannabis bar or coffee shop where you go to not only purchase your cannabis on site but use it within the
A lot has happened in New York since the Canna Law Blog’s first New York State of the State. Last year was action-packed for the cannabis industry in New York. With licenses issued and sales starting in 2022, New York got the ball rolling on an actual and legal cannabis industry. We expect 2023 will
