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The end of 2020 was not the end of the California Legislature’s focus on employment-related legislation.  Just two months into the new year, the Legislature has already introduced several bills addressing the workplace that could impact employers who still may be implementing coronavirus-related legislation.  This article discusses two such bills on the horizon that employers will want to follow as they work their way through the Legislature.
Continue Reading California Legislative Update: Employment-Related Bills on the Horizon

This article is the second part of a two-part article which provides an overview of Texas cannabis-related legislation and regulations affecting Texas cannabis operators and consumers.  Part I[1] covered the State’s regulations for limited medical cannabis use and consumption. In this article, we will discuss the State’s hemp program for both consumable and non-consumable products.
Continue Reading Hemp Revisited: Beyond Medical Use, Texas Cautiously Legalizes Consumable and Non-Consumable Hemp Products

Even two weeks after Election Day, jurisdictions nationwide are riding high after a number of positive wins related to the possible systemic legalization of cannabis use nationwide.  As of November 3, 2020, the pendulum now undeniably swings in favor of cannabis, with medical cannabis legal in 33 states and recreational adult-use permitted in 12 states and Washington D.C.
Continue Reading Green Wave: The Latest Election Cycle Brings Hope for Standardized Cannabis Legalization

The viability of California’s cannabis delivery businesses continues to hang in the balance as trial in the landmark litigation between the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) and over two dozen local municipalities was postponed at the eleventh hour. In her tentative ruling, issued the afternoon before the much-anticipated bench trial in County of Santa Cruz v. BCC (County of Fresno Super Court, Case No. 19CECG01224), Judge Rosemary McGuire questioned the ripeness of certain municipalities claims challenging implementation of California Code of Regulations, Title 16, section 5416(d) (Regulation 5416(d)), which allows delivery of cannabis to any jurisdiction within the state.
Continue Reading Long-Awaited Trial in Cannabis Delivery Litigation is Again Postponed Until November

By some estimates, sales of legal cannabis in the United States are expected to top $30 billion by 2025.  If cannabis is de-scheduled, this nascent industry is well-positioned to burgeon into the next great American capitalism story.  The obvious question is: “Who will benefit?”
Continue Reading Social Equity in the Cannabis Industry: Is It Working?

On June 29, 2020, Colorado adopted a statewide social equity program (SEP) for permitting cannabis operators.[1]  More specifically, House Bill 20-1424 (HB 20-1424) “defines social equity licensees, and modifies and expands the marijuana accelerator program to make it available for social equity licensees and retail marijuana stores.”[2]  The new law enables a social equity licensee to participate in the state’s accelerator program, which, as managed by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, supports cannabis business development.[3]  Colorado’s accelerator licensing program, originally slated to go into effect July 1, 2020,[4] pairs low-income entrepreneurs with existing cannabis businesses and, under the new law, effective January 1, 2021,[5] accelerator licenses will now be available to social equity applicants.[6]
Continue Reading Colorado’s Accelerator Program Paves Way for a Social Equity Program

As the novel coronavirus (COVID or COVID-19) continues to ravage the United States, the cannabis industry is feeling the pandemic’s negative impacts despite an initial spike in sales after cannabis operations were deemed essential under various state “stay-at-home” orders.[1]  This article details the most recent state-level responses activated in California and Illinois.
Continue Reading COVID-19’s Continued Impacts on Cannabis Operators

As with many states, Texas and the cannabis plant have a long, complex history – from the first citywide cannabis ban adopted in El Paso in 1915, to the enactment of state laws in 1931 that made possession of any amount of cannabis illegal statewide, to imposing in 1955 sentences of up to life imprisonment for cannabis possession by repeat offenders.
Continue Reading Easing the Pain: Relief for Texans in the Form of Low-THC Cannabis

In an effort to stem the tide of COVID-19 transmission, many state and local governments have enacted “shelter-in-place” or “stay-at-home” orders to protect the health and well-being of citizens, and…
Continue Reading Continued Cannabis Operation Deemed “Essential” In Many COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders

QR Codes for Retailers, Distributors, and Delivery

On February 13, 2020, The Bureau of Cannabis Control’s (BCC) emergency rulemaking for Quick Response Code (QR Code) certificate requirements was approved by…
Continue Reading California Update: New QR Code Certificate Requirements, Uptick in Enforcement Actions, and the Future of California’s Cannabis Regulators