San Luis Obispo County Microbusiness Licenses Now Available in Unincorporated Areas
The County of San Luis Obispo (“SLO”) recently announced the availability of cannabis microbusiness licenses for businesses operating within the unincorporated areas of SLO County. A microbusiness license permits the combination of at least three of the following activities: cultivation (less than 10,000 square feet), manufacturing, distribution, and/or retail sales. In order to qualify for […]
How Cannabis Rescheduling May Alter Operations of Current Cannabis Licensees
The Drug Enforcement Agency’s (“DEA”) proposed rule to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III marks the biggest shift in federal marijuana policy since the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) of 1970 was signed, thereby placing marijuana in Schedule I with no currently accepted medical use (“CAMU”) and a high potential for abuse. Thus, for […]
Trends and Key Provisions in California Cannabis Management Services Agreements
Often in the cannabis industry, companies looking to effectuate, otherwise normal, business decisions face countless regulatory hurdles and rely on custom tailored management agreements to address regulatory concerns with lesser barriers to growth. As discussed here, cannabis businesses often rely on Management Services Agreements to ease these pain points when they wish to acquire another […]
Psychedelic Policy Update: The Latest from California & Colorado
The Latest Effort to Legalize Psychedelic Services in California In October 2023, California Governor Newsom vetoed Senate Bill (“SB”) 58, proposed by Senator Scott Wiener, which aimed to decriminalize the personal use of certain psychedelics and lay the groundwork to build a regulated adult-use program where individuals could consume psychedelics under the supervision of a […]
Sacramento Update: 4 Key Bills Proposed in 2024
We are approximately a third of the way through the 2024 California legislative session, which convened on January 3, 2024. Legislators across the state have introduced some key bills which could affect cannabis operators across the state. Below, we outline several of the cannabis bills proposed this session, which includes legislation that would allow licensed […]
Psilocybin Spores in the US: What Operators and Consumers Need to Know
The laws governing psychedelics can be confusing, with legal “grey areas” arising due to ambiguous or conflicting laws. Confusion about what’s legal, and what’s not, can increase the risk of legal consequences for operators and consumers alike. The legality of psilocybin and psilocybin spores has long been debated and misunderstood. As laid out below, a […]
An Update on Federal Cannabis Policy Reform: The Cannabis Movement Calls for Complete Descheduling
Having worked in the California cannabis legal industry since 2008, we’ve helped state-legal cannabis operators make sense of federal policy discussions calling for changes to the classification of cannabis, and how potential changes could impact them, for years. In October 2022, President Biden famously requested the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) conduct […]
Corporate Transparency Act – FinCEN Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Requirements
As of January 1, 2024, U.S. domestic small businesses are required to report the individuals who indirectly and directly maintain “ownership and control” over the entity to the U.S. Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”). The mission of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is to safeguard the financial system from illicit use, combat money laundering […]
Los Angeles to Extend Temporary Licensing, Deadline to Secure Storefront Location for Equity Applicants Following SB 51
Following the passage of Senate Bill 51 (SB 51), which expanded the state’s provisional licensing for locally-verified equity retail applicants, the City of Los Angeles introduced an ordinance that would amend local law to coincide with SB 51. If signed into law, the proposed changes to Los Angeles Municipal Code will authorize the city’s Department […]
Psychedelic Decriminalization Vetoed in California: What Happened & What’s Next
California Governor Vetoes Psychedelic Decrim Bill Last month, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 58, which would have decriminalized the personal possession and use of certain psychedelic substances. The bill also would have laid the foundation to create a regulated adult-use program, whereby individuals above the age of 21 could have consumed psychedelics under […]