The need for social equity in cannabis programs As adult-use cannabis legalization sweeps across the country and America confronts the toll of previous, draconian cannabis policies, one of the best attempts to right abject wrongs is social equity programs within state cannabis industries. Unfortunately though, social equity programs are easily exploited and “loopholed.” Licenses have
Though the cannabis industry is one of America’s most lucrative new industries — with estimates that it will reach approximately $58 billion in sales by 2028 — the markets in several recreational states are suffering severe financial harm. In states like Oregon, the problems have gotten so out of hand that businesses are even pulling
It looks like a permanent Oregon cannabis license moratorium will finally take effect. I say “looks like” because key contingencies are still in play and, although things look promising, it could also get dicey as of March 31st— or even sooner. In this post, I’ll explain what’s going on with House Bill 4121, which is
The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) just published some new guidelines for cannabis cultivators following the passage of SB-833. Among other things, California will let cannabis cultivators reduce their canopy size and thereby reduce license costs. This will be a huge benefit. I write a lot about the woes that California’s cannabis industry faces
A Tradition of Excellence For thousands of years, Native tribes across North America have harnessed the benefits of the hemp and cannabis plants. These plants have held sacred and significant roles in many Indigenous cultures, deeply intertwined with spiritual practices, medicinal applications, and traditional ways of life. It’s no wonder, then, that Indigenous people are
With every election season that comes, it’s become almost inevitable that at least one or two more of the states will legalize cannabis for either fully recreational usage or at least medical reasons. Even if it was but a midterm election, the 2022 election season still resulted in two more states legalizing cannabis for recreational
Can a creditor, landlord or other third party take a security interest in an OLCC license? Can an OLCC licensee collateralize or pledge its license– as if that license were personal property, and not just a permission conferred by the state? These are two sides of an academic question we’ve been batting around for years
The OLCC announced several changes to the tax compliance rule this weekend at the Cannabis & Psychedelic Section of the Oregon Bar Association’s annual conference (where I was pleased to moderate a panel on the failures of legalization). This rule has been a hot topic in Oregon cannabis for several months and the OLCC will
During New York’s Cannabis Advisory Board’s meeting on September 26, 2023, the Office of Cannabis Management’s (OCM) Executive Director Christopher Alexander revealed that the OCM anticipated issuing “over a thousand, closer to 1,500 licenses” as part of the initial licensing window that is currently scheduled to open on October 4, 2023. As referenced in this
Cannabis leasing is incredibly complicated for both lessors and lessees. But things can get a lot more complicated in competitive license jurisdictions. I’ve worked with both lessors and lessee-applicants in competitive licensing jurisdictions, and today want to highlight some of the key things I’ve seen over the years. #1 Why competitive licensing is different from
