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
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
Maybe you didn’t know it when you voted for or against I-502, but it was inevitable that its passage would cause Washington State to examine its unregulated and unaccountable medical marijuana program, especially in light of the 2013 Cole Memo. And you may have been surprised when the Evergreen State decided last year to throw all
Last week, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (“WSLCB”) very quietly adopted a proposed rule that will allow out of state individuals and entities to finance marijuana businesses within Washington State. Sort of. In Out-of-State Investment in Washington’s Marijuana Market, we wrote how many cannabis industry stakeholders wrongly believed the WSLCB had already adopted new out of state financing
It is beyond unfortunate that the government-perpetrated War on Drugs has hindered the progress necessary for medical marijuana to be used by people that could truly benefit from it. Thus far, medical marijuana has been utilized by many to treat a vast array of health conditions such as cancer, seizure disorders, chronic pain, and digestive
In a major turn of events today, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it will finally drop its four-year long legal battle against Harborside Health Center (and its landlords) to seize the commercial properties in which Harborside operates in Oakland and San Jose, California. The DOJ’s opting to dismiss its own case before going to trial
On April 26, 2016, I moderated a panel discussion at the University of Washington School of Law called “Working in Weed.” The discussion focused on employment and labor issues in the cannabis industry. The panelists were as follows: Robert McVay of the Canna Law Group Lea Vaughn, Professor of Law at UW, with an expertise
Some of you may have noticed that on the day before 4/20 this year, Monsanto tweeted the following public service announcement: Tomorrow is 4/20. FYI: Monsanto has not & is not working on GMO marijuana. We address other Monsanto myths here: http://monsanto.info/23XSjum But what about in the future? Is Monsanto GMO marijuana a possibility? That’s
