LA Update- Phase 3, Social Equity, Budget Approval, and Enforcement.
Over the last several weeks, the City of Los Angeles has been very busy! The city has approved a budget for funding the DCR, funding for Enforcement against unlicensed shops, approved LADWP to shut off utilities, and recommended that the city start to enforce high fines and compensatory damages against landlords who continue to allow […]
Are Delivery “Pop Up Shops” Legal?
In case you missed it, Barneys New York made headlines this past February when it announced that it was opening its very own cannabis pop-up shop at its Beverly Hills flagship location; making it the first major retailer to introduce a whole section devoted to cannabis lifestyle and wellness. Dubbed “The High End,” the head […]
California’s Regulatory Problems Are Far From Temporary
California is experiencing some serious growing pains. Business owners and cannabis supporters are still battling against local jurisdictions to have them open their doors for cannabis regulations; some locals are suing the state for allowing delivery regardless of their current rules on cannabis; social equity programs are seriously struggling to get off the ground; elected […]
CBD – Somehow Everywhere, Even Walgreens
CBD, or cannabidiol, is somehow everywhere. You can now find it in patches and creams at Walgreens or CVS. You can get it in coffee and even doughnuts, at least in Portland, Oregon. So, that means CBD is completely legal, right, at least if it is derived from hemp, right? No, not exactly. As discussed […]
The Cannabis Advisory Committee: Going from Puppeteering to Action
California’s Cannabis Advisory Committee (CAC) was scheduled to meet on March 27 for its first meeting of 2019. But now that the regulations are finalized, what’s left for the CAC to do? Officially formed in October 2017 as a result of statutory mandate, the CAC is tasked with advising the three cannabis licensing authorities “on […]
Will Federal Law Change This Year? Likely Not, But We Get Closer Every Year
As Congress begins considering 2019 legislation in earnest, the national cannabis community wonders which bills may change federal cannabis laws, or at least, make banking easier. Each year, we see more bills introduced with higher profile sponsors. We have already seen our first congressional hearing on access to banking for the cannabis industry this year. […]
First-come, First-served Retail and Delivery, OH MY – LA’s Phase 3 considerations and an indication that new retail applications may become available soon
The whiplash in LA continues as the city ventures to create plans and procedures for its anticipated phase 3 application window. In the most recent REIR committee meeting in Los Angeles (March 5, 2019), city council issued its newest series of recommendations for the much anticipated Phase 3. After much back and forth, the city […]
House Hearing Historic First for Cannabis Banking Policy Reform
Written by: Talyor Ulrich, Esq. Currently, 30 U.S. states have laws on the books legalizing cannabis in some form. But it is still considered illegal by federal laws, leaving most risk-averse banks too scared to do business with legal marijuana businesses for fear of angering their regulators. However, change may be on the horizon. The House […]
Take Two for California Cannabis Legislation
The ink on California’s state cannabis regulations is barely dry, yet legislators have already introduced nearly 20 bills that could impact the rules governing the industry. Some of the bills are reincarnations of those that were vetoed or killed through the legislative process last year. Take, for example, SB 34 by Senator Wiener (D-San Francisco) […]
Harborside’s Battle with Section 280e
Written by Abraham Finberg, CPA and Simon Menkes, CPA In December of 2018, the Grinch visited more than just a few unlucky homes in America. He also appeared in the guise of a couple of judges who ruled on the Harborside and Alternative/Wellness (Donald Duncan) cases. The Harborside Case in a Nutshell: In the Harborside case, […]