Border Patrol keeps seizing legal cannabis, and hemp, far from border in California
Federal marijuana prohibition is costing state-legal cannabis companies millions of dollars, as Border Patrol units have ramped up their harassment of state-legal commerce in California this summer. “They’ve intimidated my employees and cost me a lot of money.” Josh Swider, director of Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs On July 1, officials at Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs (Infinite CAL), a state-licensed San Diego cannabis lab, went public with their complaints of federal harassment after Border Patrol agents seized the lab’s legal hemp samples at an
California cannabis arrests down 27%, but racial disparities increase
The Associated Press | LOS ANGELES The number of felony marijuana arrests in California continued to decline in 2019 in the age of legalization, but another trend remained unchanged: those arrests fell disproportionately on Hispanics and Blacks, state data showed. The California Department of Justice, in an annual snapshot of crime rates in the nation’s most populous state released earlier this month, said there were 1,181 felony cannabis arrests last year, down from 1,617 in 2018, the first year of broad legalization.
California Considers Fines for Landlords and Companies Serving Unlicensed Dispensaries
The California Assembly has approved a measure that would levy civil fines up to $30,000 per day to those who provide building space, advertising platforms, and other aid to unlicensed operators, the Los Angeles Times reports. The bill was introduced by Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D) who said that as much as 80 percent of the cannabis sold in the state comes from illegal operators. The language of the proposed law would require it to be known that a cannabis business is illegal and
Are Your Old Cannabis and CBD Contracts Enforceable? Maybe Not.
It’s a good time to review your business contracts and here’s one example of why from the legal team at Cozen O’Conner. A court ruled that a contract was unenforceable because it must apply the law in effect at the time the parties entered into the contracts at issue. The contract was entered into in 2014, prior to legalization of recreational use. Individuals and businesses involved in the cannabis or CBD industry are likely in the habit of making sure they are apprised
Which Canna-businesses Got Millions in PPP Money? Jay-Z Backed Dispensary on the List.
It’s unclear what types of cannabis companies were eligible for PPP money and the picture gets foggier in the list of recipients released by the The U.S. Treasury. Marijuana-related companies were thought to be off-limits, yet celebrity backed dispensaries appear to have received help. What's less clear is the eligibility of businesses that serve the cannabis industry, or provide services to it without actually touching the plant. Businesses that "derive revenue from marijuana-related activities or that support the end-use of marijuana" are
Moxie Cannabis Makes Move from Plastic to Paper
Long Beach, Calif.-based Moxie, the first licensed commercial cannabis business in that state, has made a move to switch from plastic packaging to paper for the bulk of it cannabis products, despite having to pay more for the materials. “The packaging is more costly than the previous packaging we had,” confirms Moxie Chief Marketing Officer Tessa Adams, “but environmental sustainability is more important than profits. “At Moxie, we feel it’s our duty to protect the earth, which provides us the life
Contract cannabis farming gaining popularity and lawsuits in California
Is it a sign of a maturing industry? Small farmers operating under contract for a licensed cannabis grower are on the rise in California. Sharecroppers are a traditional practice used by mainstream agriculture. But, the legalities for cannabis are as usual, complicated. Full story from MJBiz Daily. To get around the enormous barriers to entry for California’s legal marijuana industry, a growing number of small farmers are increasingly turning to a practice mainstream agriculture has used for generations: so-called “contract farming.” It’s
Could Cannabis Help Save the Post-COVID Economy?
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc globally. In the U.S., with more than 3.3 million confirmed infections and at least 135,000 deaths attributed to coronavirus, states and municipalities struggle to allow businesses and the public to resume “normal” activities while implementing pandemic protocols. After four months of self-isolation and lockdown orders, businesses and individuals anxious to return to some sense of normality went back to restaurants, beaches, and other public venues and may have sparked spiking infection rates, especially in
CA Fish and Wildlife discovers illegal cannabis grows in San Benito County
Information provided by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. On July 9, wildlife officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) along with support from the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office, Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, California Department of Food and Agriculture and other allied agencies, served eight search warrants spanning 12 parcels in a rural part of San Benito County known as Willow Springs Ranch. According to a CDFW release, the warrants stemmed from surveillance of the area that
Nabis and NUG to Enter Exclusive Distribution Partnership Following Civil Unrest
OAKLAND, CA | PRNewswire Nabis, one of California's most prominent cannabis distributors, announced that the company has entered into a definitive agreement with a vertically-integrated cannabis operator, NUG, to provide exclusive distribution for all of its cannabis products in California. In addition to multiple retail storefronts and cultivation sites, NUG operates one of the largest manufacturing and processing centers in California, and its products are represented in more than 80 percent of the state's retailers. The company opened its first retail location