cannabis legalization

What Do Prohibitionists Really Hope to Accomplish?

Federal cannabis legalization will happen. It is no longer a matter of “if”, but of “when.” So what do prohibitionists really hope to accomplish? A few weeks back, the House of Representatives again advanced the MORE Act (Marijuana Opportunity and Expungement Act), which puts cannabis one step closer to federal decriminalization (more on that here).

colombia cannabis foreign trade regulations

Colombia Issues New Cannabis Foreign Trade Regulations

Colombia has issued regulations on the import and export of cannabis products. Joint Resolution 539, issued in concert by four Colombian ministries on April 1, 2022, follows up on Decree 811 from last July, which expanded the scope of legal activities involving cannabis. The regulations specify which approvals are needed to import or export different

more act cannabis legalization

Cannabis Legalization: MORE Act Again Clears the House

Yesterday, March 31, 2022, the House of Representatives again voted to end federal prohibition of marijuana by removing it from the list of banned substances. The bill—the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (the MORE Act)—passed by a vote of 220-204, largely along party lines. Next the bill goes to the Senate for approval, where

federal marijuana legalization

BREAKING: Biden to Decriminalize Cannabis and Expunge Convictions

In anticipation of today’s scheduled vote on the MORE Act by the U.S. House of Representatives, the Biden Administration just announced that cannabis is now decriminalized, and that all federal cannabis convictions are hereby expunged. Actually, none of that is true. Sorry! It’s what passes for an April Fools joke here at the Canna Law

puerto rico cannabis marijuana

Opposition to Cannabis in Puerto Rico: Uninformed

During a recent interview, Puerto Rico Sen. Joanne Rodríguez Veve (of the conservative Proyecto Dignidad) expressed her misgivings about the legalization of adult-use cannabis. As I have made clear before on this blog, Puerto Rico’s failure to fully legalize cannabis strikes me as dreadfully self-defeating. At a time when the island is in dire need

spain cannabis

Cannabis in Spain: ICBC Notes

This past weekend, I was finally able to attend the renowned International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) here in Barcelona, Spain. The event had been cancelled for two consecutive years due to the pandemic. I attended interesting panels on everything from cannabis 3.0, to cannatech, to the current challenges of cannabis clubs in Spain. I want

new york conditional adult use retail dispensary license

New York’s Conditional Adult-Use Dispensary License

The creation of New York’s conditional adult-use retail dispensary license has made headlines. Although New York plans to issue only 50-100 of this new license type, the license type and its underlying rules and regulations is incredibly significant. Why? First, because the OCM and CCB have issued actual rules and regulations that will apply to

california provisional cannabis license

California Cannabis Provisional Licensing is Winding Down

California Cannabis provisional licensing is beginning its wind down process at the end of this month. Here is what’s happening: Until June 30, 2022, with certain exceptions, the Department of Cannabis Control (“DCC”) may issue provisional licenses only if applicants submit a complete annual cannabis license application with the corresponding fee on or before March

california dcc cannabis rulemaking

California DCC Engages in New Cannabis Rulemaking

The California Department of Cannabis Control (“DCC”) is undertaking new cannabis rulemaking pursuant to the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act. Unlike other states, California hasn’t implemented sweeping changes to its cannabis regulations with immense impacts on the industry. Instead, it has adopted a series of emergency rules with substantive changes here and

SB:CaliforniaCannabisTaxesOverhaul

SB 1074: California Cannabis Taxes Overhaul

I’ve written a couple of times about the ongoing struggle that is the California cannabis tax situation, and I was recently on a great panel about the future of cannabis taxes in the country. California cannabis taxes are some of the highest in the U.S.. The situation seems to be, thankfully, evolving for the better