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Long before anyone even thought about the possibility of legalizing marijuana for recreational use, or even medical marijuana in the U.S., cannabis has been legal in Amsterdam. This led many college students to travel to the city and visit the fabled coffee shops where they could not only purchase marijuana, but could sit at the bar and smoke a joint, or “spliff” like a civilized person without the fear of being harassed or arrested by the police.  For this reason, Amsterdam was for decades the world’s leading destination for marijuana tourism.

When legalized recreational use marijuana came to Colorado, other western states, and now California as well, the concept of cannabis tourism became possible in the U.S.  The problem, however, is while it is legal to go to one of these states and purchase marijuana, assuming you are over the legal age of 21, laws prohibiting public consumption of marijuana made anything other  than the use of edibles very impractical. For anyone staying in a hotel, most are non-smoking entirely, and this also includes the use of marijuana products.

As our Los Angeles medical marijuana attorneys know, with very few places a tourist can legally smoke marijuana, it has resulted in a major setback in what could and should be a viable cannabis tourism industry. Those who come to area are still impressed by the large selection of quality products. But without the local equivalent to an Amsterdam coffee shop, the draw is not what it could be.

As discussed in a recent news …

When Canada legalized the recreational use of marijuana, the government set out to drive all black market cannabis sellers out of business.  They did this not through more rigid enforcement methods, but by making legal marijuana as cheap, if not cheaper, than buying it from a traditional dealer.  This was accomplished by setting the tax rate very low for legal sales of recreational marijuana.

On the other hand, when California legalized marijuana, the ballot initiative was sold to many as a way for the state to generate billions of dollars in revenue.  While this is certainly true, and a laudable goal, it was accomplished by setting a tax of 15 percent, which is many times higher than the tax rate set in Canada. There is also a separate tax on the cultivation of cannabis set at nine percent, which results in a direct expenses passed on to distributors and consumers as discussed in a recent news article from Forbes. As our Orange County recreational marijuana business attorneys can explain, this amounts to a tax or nearly 30 percent on top of the normal retail sales price of pot, which makes many still likely to buy it from the black market.  As discussed in this article, many of those trying to follow the law, are faced with a difficult task of competing with the black market dealers and also the ever-expanding marijuana grey market.

It is the licensed business people who must keep detailed records, collect sales tax, pay income tax, make sure all …

Despite appalling and misguided federal efforts to hold back marijuana businesses, the industry continues to blaze trails with expanded marijuana laws and opportunities, clearing away for progress and reason to prevail.

The latest example comes out of Colorado, where the state is looking to get rid of residency requirements for marijuana businesses. House Bill 18-1011 would allow non-Colorado residents and publicly traded companies own a stake in state-licensed businesses as well as make investments. Right now ownership for non-residents is limited to 15 people. A bi-partisan group of legislators is leading the charge on the bill, which they said will not only attract more investments in the state, but also allow local businesses to be publicly traded, according to The Cannabist.

Officials said Colorado law is causing the state to fall behind roughly a dozen other states that no longer have such limitations. Indeed, California already rid itself of residency restrictions with the creation of Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act in June 2017. The act combined the Adult Use of Marijuana Act and the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act in an effort to consolidate regulations and laws governing medical and recreational marijuana. Many regulations carried over from the two previous acts, but one notable change was the removal of a rule in AUMA to prohibit licenses from being issued to non-California residents until Dec. 31, 2019.

While residency restrictions can help protect small in-state businesses, our experienced Orange County marijuana business lawyers also know they can stifle investments and …

Attorneys at Cannabis Law Group are committed to helping marijuana dispensaries achieve  compliance with state and local regulations. We are experienced in civil and criminal cannabis-related cases and fight hard for the rights of our clients. We support the continued expansion of marijuana legalization and hope to see a day soon when businesses are free to operate on a national scale.

Too often, we see hard-working cannabis business owners who may be niave or unclear about the state and local regulations and their obligations. In a recent case in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, a former Congressional aid was recently convicted of taking advantage of a dispensary owner.

Recently Michael Kimbrew, a former Congressional aide, was found guilty of attempted extortion and bribery. He was convicted of taking a $5,000 bribe, which he allegedly elicited from a pot shop that at the time was operating illegally, according to the Associated Press. Prosecutors allege he approached the Compton dispensary in 2015, when it was still illegal to operate such a business in the city. He then allegedly told the owners they would be shut down unless they could work out a deal with him. That deal reportedly included a $5,000 payment to Kimbrew, even though he did not have the connections to get them proper medical marijuana permits that he allegedly claimed he did.

Prosecutors said he went as far as bringing the owners to Compton City Hall, where the representative he worked for had an office. That representative …

Californians have known for decades the benefits of marijuana, especially as a treatment for certain medical ailments. Now the state is reaping the benefits of added tax revenue from recreational marijuana businesses pouring into cities that have chosen to legalize marijuana under Proposition 64.

In addition to taxes flooding into communities, so too are jobs, and people are answering the call. Recently in Sacramento, the Cannabis Job Fair had people standing in lines out the door, waiting for up to two hours, according to KCRASacramento, prompting planners to already set their sites on a bigger event next time around.

With such a burgeoning industry, workers of all levels are needed for success. The marijuana industry offers opportunities for those with skills in cultivation, testing, distribution, horticulture, production, kitchen work, sales, management, and more. But they also need people savvy in the typical tent poles of any industry, including finances, accounting, analytical tracking, marketing, and social media. That’s on top of the farmers across the state investing their abilities and resources in the cannabis market. This creates a wealth of possibilities for a diverse cross-section of people across the socioeconomic spectrum.Our experienced marijuana business lawyers in Orange County know events like this are the perfect demonstration that marijuana goes far deeper than the ridiculous stereotypes about lazy people just wanting to get high and be reckless. While opponents keep trying to peddle these misconceptions, hard-working, dedicated, and skilled Californians are stepping up to grow this multi-billion-dollar industry. They understand the profound benefit …

Cannabis business owners want to be able to operate in full compliance with California law and function as a legitimate business. They are open to paying taxes and following the rules. However, they are facing many barriers to achieving this end goal while operating a successful business – one of the biggest being the law itself.

This message was delivered loud and clear at a recent meeting in Ukiah, Calif., which included government officials and Northern California marijuana industry leaders in the first gathering of its kind, according to The Press Democrat.

The Sonoma County agriculture commissioner used this forum to address the seemingly endless patchwork mix of state and local regulations to which marijuana businesses must adhere and how detrimental they have been to established cultivators who want to operate legally under Proposition 64. Known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, Prop 64 went into effect earlier this year and allows adult-use marijuana legal in the state – but only for counties and cities whose leaders chose to adopt the law. Local governments have the right to continue to ban adult-use marijuana and to regulate it as they see fit.

Our experienced Riverside cannabis business attorneys know hyper-local regulations on top of the state regulations have become an onerous obstacle for smaller business owners. As such, the rules inherently favor larger corporations, which have the infrastructure and capital to adapt to the ever-growing list of guidelines and laws. Farmers at the meeting shared anecdotes of mega-operations nabbing licenses in bulk, …

We all know the importance of keeping Sparky away from the pot brownies. But is it possible your pet could receive medical marijuana as a recommended treatment from their vet?

A vast majority of rational Americans agree that the use of marijuana as a treatment for medical purposes is a decision that should be made between and doctor and patient. Recent polls show more than 90 percent of respondents favor medical marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. And California has long been a defender of patient rights by leading the nation in medical marijuana legalization with the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.

So why should the decision be any different when it comes to animals and veterinary professionals?

As it stands, California law does not extend to veterinarians the ability to recommend marijuana as a treatment for animals. But AB-2215, introduced by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-27), is looking to change that. The bill would put the power in the hands of the Veterinary Medical Board by calling on them to set the standards for state-licensed veterinarians to discuss marijuana treatment for animal patient clients, and it would also prevent veterinarians from being punished for having such discussions.

That all sounds great, but the bill is receiving criticism from the Veterinary Medical Board for not being broad enough, according to American Veterinarian. The board recently voted 4-2 not to support the bill, citing a primary concern over the word “discuss.” Board members felt this language was too soft, and still didn’t empower vets …

Marijuana legalization has been a decades-long battle that is finally paying off, with states all over the country legalizing medical and/or recreational cannabis. But in addition to fighting for your rights on the legal front, our experienced lawyers know there is another fight that must be won: the battle of public perception.

Nowhere is that struggle better illustrated than in Texas, where a college baseball coach blew off an athlete interested in attending the school over the issue of marijuana. You might be wondering what the connection is. Did the student fail a drug test? Did he have a criminal record involving marijuana? Had he been penalized by his high school for coming to school under the influence?

All of these would be excellent guesses. But the answer to all three is “no.” According to an email to the athlete, which has since gone viral, it appears the coach deemed the student guilty by association of the entire state of Colorado, according to a report from The Washington Post.

The email claimed the school was not considering students from Colorado because in the past, recruits from the state had difficulty passing the drug test. “We have made a decision not to take a chance on student-athletes from your state. You can thank your liberal politicians,” the message went on to say.

This of course is a gross misrepresentation of the Colorado cannabis laws. Amendment 64 was adopted by the voters of Colorado, not liberal politicians, as part of a ballot initiative in 2012. …

The road to marijuana legalization is paved with regulations, for better or worse. And it’s a bumpy road that marijuana delivery service businesses have had to learn to navigate.

Delivery businesses specializing in cannabis have a unique set of rules to follow. They must abide by the laws in the local jurisdiction in which their home base is located. But they also have to take into consideration laws that dictate transport. This has led to a particular set of challenges in Sacramento County, according to the Sacramento Bee.

While adult-use marijuana was legalized in the state Jan. 1, under Proposition 64, each local government was allowed to set its own terms. Under the law, deliveries can only be made between cities that allow it.  This can be a real disadvantage to patients, some who have difficulty leaving their homes, and business owners. And product must be kept in the city where the business has a license.

In Sacramento County, as of now only the city of Sacramento has plans to receive deliveries. The city has not issued any permits yet, but eight delivery companies have registered while the permit program is being established. Meanwhile Sacramento’s pot czar says many businesses are operating without licenses, and he is on a mission to rein them in. A recent tally on a marijuana delivery website showed about 200 delivery businesses in the county.Our experienced marijuana delivery business service attorneys in Los Angeles know it’s difficult establishing a new company with numerous laws and regulations …

There are many questions that have been answered with the legalization of recreational marijuana in California.

• What? Proposition 64 was approved by voters and made legal adult-use marijuana.
• Who? Residents 21 years or older.
• When? As of Jan. 1, 2018.
• Where? Now, that’s a trickier matter.

Firstly, the state law did not automatically go into effect everywhere. From county to county, city to city, local governments have been making decisions about whether to maintain a ban on recreational cannabis or to legalize and set up regulations. Some of the big cities, like Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego have permitted recreational sales. Some areas, like Orange County, cultivation is allowed with restrictions, but manufacturing and retail are banned. Los Angeles took a different route, allowing retail but not cultivation or manufacturing. Other counties, like San Bernadino, don’t permit any recreational cannabis activity.

The confusion intensifies when you put a magnifying glass to one of those regions. Take Los Angeles for example, where the city is still ironing out where businesses are allowed to set up shop. Leaders have already agreed that marijuana retailers should not be within 700 feet of schools or public parks, also known as “sensitive use” locations. But the debate is still boiling as to what constitutes a “sensitive use” location, according to a report from KPCC, Southern California Public Radio.

Some council members have looked at areas where families and children congregate and have proposed adding extra restrictions to prevent marijuana businesses from opening nearby. While this in …

To discourage minors from using marijuana, officials have implemented many regulations. But in regards to medical marijuana and the children who benefit from it, there comes a question of who is really being protected.

Some children use cannabis oils, tinctures, capsules, creams, or liquids as treatment for medical issues with the recommendation and guidance of a physician. These treatments can offer relief to suffering that might otherwise prohibit the child from normal participation in school activities. However, the treatment itself has become a disruption: currently parents must remove children from school property before administering doctor recommended medical marijuana, according to a report from South San Francisco Patch.

Sen. Jerry Hill (D-Mateo) is hoping to put an end to this absurd practice with the introduction of SB-1127. The bill would allow governing bodies of school systems and charter schools to set their own policies, opening the door to allow medical marijuana use on school grounds for grades kindergarten through 12. It would still, of course, prohibit smoking or vaping, even if it is for medicinal purposes. The drug cannot be administered in a way that would be disruptive to the educational environment or that would expose other students. And storage of medical marijuana would not be permitted on school grounds.

The process would therefore still be a disruption for caregivers, who would need to come to the school to dole out the necessary dosage. Parents would still be required to manage and administer the drug without assistance from a school nurse or administrator. …

While many Californians are finally enjoying the freedom to use recreational marijuana, some are questioning how safe their private information is when they make a purchase. When Proposition 64 went into effect Jan. 1, adult-use marijuana became legal in the state, with local governments able to set up their own regulations or bans.  But there are currently loopholes that threaten the privacy of customers.

Assembly Bill 2402 seeks to tighten those loopholes. Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley) introduced the bill, which would prevent cannabis retailers from selling customer information to third parties. It would also protect customer information from employers looking to investigate employee use, according to Capital Public Radio. It mirrors similar rules that are currently in place for medical marijuana users.

Because you must be 21 or older to purchase cannabis in California, dispensaries require a valid ID to prove your age. Though it is not mandatory, some dispensaries will keep a record of the information on file. Some use this information for marketing purposes. Many also keep such records in order to monitor how much someone is purchasing in a day, according to Politifact. This could be necessary if a business needed to prove they are in compliance with state law, which caps individual recreational marijuana sales to one ounce per day.For deliveries, personal information is kept on file as record that the person receiving the delivery is 21 or older. And dispensaries are required under licensing regulations to videotape each transaction.

This bill would tighten up …

Even though medical marijuana has been legal in California for more than 20 years, patients might just now be getting protections in the workplace. A bill that would prevent employers from discriminating against employees because they use cannabis for medical purposes was recently introduced by Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), according to The Cannifornian.

California was the first to legalize medical marijuana with the passing of the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. Yet it is trailing woefully behind in protecting workers. Currently 11 of the 29 states (plus Washington, D.C.) that have legalized medical cannabis already have laws in place to protect employees who have a physician’s recommendation to use marijuana to treat a condition.

Assembly Bill 2069, if passed, would establish long overdue employee protections by prohibiting employers from firing or not hiring “a qualified patient or person with an identification card” solely on the basis that they use marijuana for medical purposes or for testing positive for cannabis on a drug test.The state failed medical marijuana patients by not including employee protections in the original bill. They failed even further by not doing anything since then. This gap in the legislation has since left patients beholden to employers and political whims.

More than a decade after medical marijuana legalization, the California Supreme Court ruled against an Air Force veteran (and medical marijuana patient) who was fired, citing the lack of employee protections in state law. Legislators tried to overturn the ruling, but were vetoed by the governor, solidifying that …

While excitement over marijuana legalization continues to rise at the state level, the incoming clouds of the federal government continue to threaten to rain on the parade. And while some hope to just wait out the storm, others are taking the matter into their own hands.

Berkeley City Council is putting its city and citizens first by becoming a sanctuary city for adult-use marijuana, according to CNN. The council passed a resolution recently that would prevent local agencies from using city funds to enforce federal marijuana laws. That means if federal agents try to come down on anyone in the city, they can do so within the boundaries of their own authority, but not with the assistance of the city or its employees. No financial assistance. No help from employees. No access to information.

The city is taking it a step further as well by actively fight against any steps by Drug Enforcement Administration to close down recreational marijuana businesses in the city.

Our marijuana legalization attorneys in Orange County are proud to be in a state that has always led the way on cannabis protections. California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana under Compassionate Use Act of 1996. And through Prop 64, it joins a select group of states in blazing a trail for adult-use marijuana across the nation. But shortly after recreational marijuana was legalized in the state Jan. 1, Attorney General Jeff sessions reignited his anti-pot agenda and began rolling back protections, namely the Cole Memo, …

MARIJUANA POLITICS – The News Source For an Informed Citizenry Post by Marijuana Politics

Leading social networks like Facebook have drawn their fair share of criticism over the past couple of years, with allegations of interfering with presidential elections through to poisoning the minds of our youths. But the rampant power of large social media companies goes further than that.

If there’s one thing that anyone who owns a cannabis related social media page on Facebook or Instagram will tell you, it’s that you never know when you just might be banned or censored. Reports constantly surface of legal cannabis businesses having their pages banned overnight with no explanation. Many cannabis based business have had their page closed even more than once, sometimes several times in a single year.

One blockchain based startup believe that the future of social media for cannabis users lies in something completely different. After having the social media page of a popular online community 420Smokers closed on multiple occasions the team behind Smoke Network decided that something needed to be done.

They now claim to be building the world’s first decentralized social network for cannabis users. While this might sound like a mouthful, there are many benefits that the idea of using blockchain brings to the cannabis social media conundrum.

Large centralized companies who control social media may have their own anti-marijuana rhetoric. Worse than that, these large companies can easily be pressured by the federal government, who still views cannabis as a schedule 1 drug, to …

While many politicians and other leaders continue to wring their hands, hemming and hawing ad nauseum over the best way to regulate the growing number of marijuana businesses, University of California San Francisco says the answer is right under our noses.

According to a study by the university published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, regulators need look no further than the tobacco industry for inspiration to create best practices for adult-use marijuana. By using what the tobacco industry has learned by trial and error over the years, the marijuana industry can avoid early mistakes and take a proactive approach.

Examples in the study include implementing clear labeling with conspicuous warning labels, avoiding marketing that appeals to minors, and restricting product potency.While our Riverside marijuana business lawyers know there is much to be learned from the tobacco industry, we also know cannabis does not have the same health risks as tobacco, no matter how many officials want to skew the facts. The World Health Organization released a study in 1995 claiming that even with increased use, marijuana would not have the same negative health effects of tobacco or even alcohol, each of which can cause deadly diseases with repeated use. No such findings have been connected to marijuana. And a 1999 study by the National Academy of Sciences showed only 9 percent of marijuana users developed a dependency on the drug versus a whopping 32 percent of tobacco users (even more than heroin users in the study).

Therefore, labeling and marketing akin …

Sales are booming for cannabis businesses after Prop 64 allowed recreational marijuana to become a legitimate industry in the eyes of the state. However, operations are still heavily regulated, and many new marijuana business owners find the task of abiding this onerous list of laws to be a difficult one. Without the help of a marijuana attorney to advise of potential problem points, businesses could easily find themselves under heavy sanctions – or worse, criminal prosecution.

The California Bureau of Cannabis Control recently sent warning letters to several hundred businesses suspected of operating without state marijuana business license, according to Leafly. The letters outline criminal and civil action planned if the businesses refused to either close or become compliant with regulations. Bureau leaders said they are pursing all delivery services and retailers who may not be operating legally.

Some of these businesses slipped into questionable business practice after legalization passed, but as officials ironed out the details of statewide regulation and oversight. In some cases, business owners have been trying to fly under the radar to avoid being taxed (practically out of existence). In many cases, however, these business owners were simply unaware of their obligations or haven’t filed the proper paperwork or gone through all the correct channels. This is where having a marijuana business attorney can be invaluable to protecting your investment.Our Los Angeles cannabis business attorneys know that in cities like Los Angeles and San Diego have taken decisive action. LA Police Department has raided eight businesses without licenses, …

In the David versus Goliath of weed, five plaintiffs are taking on the federal government’s archaic stance on cannabis, claiming they have “suffered harm, and … are continually threatened with additional harm” as a result of marijuana’s Schedule I classification under Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 812.

Arguments recently began in U.S. District Court Southern District of New York for the lawsuit filed against Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Department of Justice, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and its director Chuck Rosenberg, and, to top it off, the United States of America.

Plaintiffs include a military veteran who uses cannabis for post-traumatic stress disorder, a former pro football player with a business that sells hemp-based products, representatives for two young children, each of whom suffer from severe medical issues, and Cannabis Cultural Association, a non-profit organization meant to help minorities benefit from the cannabis industry, according to an article from Associated Press. The lawsuit also outlines that, while not a class action, it would benefit tens of millions of Americans who depend on marijuana’s medical properties.The military veteran, who also operates a program with a goal of ending veteran suicide, said one of the biggest challenges is not being able to travel across state lines with medical marijuana, even if you’re going to a state where it is also legal.

The lawsuit says the Controlled Substance Act has “wrongfully and unconstitutionally criminalized” cannabis. Our experienced Orange County medical marijuana lawyers know that at the heart of this matter is the blatant fact …