Ask any good lawyer the question, “is cannabis corporate governance important?” The answer will be a resounding yes. So why is it often ignored? Why do so many cannabis businesses treat governance as a box to tick on a checklist just once? Here’s a fact pattern our cannabis attorneys have seen time and time again:
California cannabis taxes continue to plague the industry. California cannabis taxes are undoubtedly high (although not the highest in the country). The truth is that that’s not changing anytime soon. A few weeks ago, I did an interview with KCRW where operators bemoaned the current California cannabis tax situation. Their complaints are warranted given the
Listen HERE or stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, or Soundcloud! At Harris Sliwoski, we keep close tabs on what is happening around the world, and we know that our friends and clients do, as well. We are happy to provide this podcast series: Global Law and Business, hosted by international attorneys Fred Rocafort and Jonathan Bench, where we look at the world
With the approval of the Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis Act (the “Act“), legal cannabis in Malta has arrived. The Mediterranean island nation is the first in the European Union to legalize adult-use cannabis. Medical cannabis has been legal in Malta since 2018. 1. What Is Now Legal? The Act permits the cultivation of up
Lately I have been spending a lot of time engaging with clients who are dealing with cannabis investors. I work with companies and investors. Between public and private cannabis companies, the suite of investors runs the gamut from friends and family to key employees, executives, and board members with equity and synthetic equity grants, to
Federal cannabis trademark litigation is a difficult proposition. In a recent case filed by Wunderwerks, Inc., a company that sells beverages infused with CBD and THC additives, we see another unfortunate example of this. Federal courts, at least, are still no friend to the cannabis industry. Wunderwerks had sued Dual Beverage Company LLC (“DBC”) in
The CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act (the Act) indicates that the Feds might regulate CBD as a food ingredient, and that it may lead to regulation of other cannabinoids. If the Feds regulate CBD as a food ingredient, it could seriously change the game (in a good way) for hemp CBD companies. On December
These days, marijuana is constantly on the move in states with marijuana legal reform. As a result, marijuana theft in transit is not unusual (see here and here for example). Typically, licensees have to transport marijuana themselves or a licensed distributor does it on their behalf. Some of these companies may carry their own insurance
The hopes for better and increased marijuana banking, which were tied up in the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act (a serious and common sense federal marijuana banking bill), are currently dashed since the SAFE Banking Act has been left out of the Senate’s changes to the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA“). The impact?
Chile’s presidential elections are heading to a second round. We’re paying attention for many reasons, not least the fact that the results will have significant implications for cannabis policy, not just in Chile, but in all of Latin America. The winner of the first round was José Antonio Kast, who eked out a victory over
