City of Los Angeles Voters Approve Measure M. The City of Los Angeles is making moves to change its current marijuana policies, which have so far made it impossible to start and operate a new cannabis business in the City. Yesterday, voters in the City were asked to decide between two ballot measures to repeal
Yesterday, we wrote about the various ways that enforcement of federal cannabis laws could ensue, if the current administration were bullheaded enough to attempt such a thing. The day before, we wrote about the Washington State Attorney General’s promise to fight any potential enforcement action. Today, we offer a brief primer on what rights the
Individuals and companies looking to join the Oregon cannabis market often ask us lawyers whether we know of any licenses for sale. Some of these requests come from states like Washington, where licenses are no longer being issued and are frequently bought and sold. Others come from outside the regulated marijuana space altogether, from people
The confirmation hearing for Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump’s nominee to serve as the U.S. Attorney General, begins this morning at 9:30 a.m. ET. You can view the live feed here. Sessions is opposed by civil rights groups and championed by law enforcement, which, together, signal poorly for marijuana. On the specific issue of federal
There has been a ton of speculation about what President-elect Donald Trump and his nominee for U.S. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, will do about state-legal marijuana in the next four years. Some industry and political experts think a renewed War on Drugs is coming, while others believe neither Trump nor Sessions will undertake the politically
Residency requirements are used to award rights or privileges to residents of a state in favor of non-residents. Though they’ve long been used by colleges to provide discounted tuition to in-state residents, they’re appearing more recently as a tool states use in the cannabis industry to benefit their own residents. For businesses looking to expand
Last week, I spoke on an Oregon Business Magazine panel regarding the state of the Oregon cannabis industry. The event drew a diverse group of industry entrepreneurs, investors, consultants and observers, despite its 7:30 a.m. start. The panel also covered an array of topics, from state and federal regulation, to product branding and marketing, to
Asset forfeiture is a serious concern for cannabis businesses across the United States. The government has the authority to seize assets involved in the manufacture, importation, sale, or distribution of a controlled substance, such as marijuana, and in the past decades it has not shied away from using this power. What’s more, property seized by
In state level marijuana programs, compliance is king. Last week we wrote about the final, permanent rules for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s (OLCC) recreational marijuana program. In that post, we mentioned that all cannabis business employees must hold a marijuana worker permit, not just retail employees. We also mentioned that information about the permit
As cannabis business attorneys, we tend to see and hear more than our share of kooky and downright bad business pitches. Bad business ideas are one thing, but total scams and rip-offs are another. Unfortunately, like any new and high-growth industry with complicated and constantly changing rules and regulations, the marijuana industry is chock-full of
