california cannabis tax

California Cannabis Tax Relief: CDFTA and Assembly Bill 195

California cannabis tax relief is a big deal. And a real thing. What’s important now is how the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (“CDTFA”) interprets Assembly Bill 195. As I previously blogged, California is finally on board with a modicum of cannabis tax relief for cannabis licensees (mainly for the benefit of cultivators).

california medical marijuana

When Medical Cannabis Makes Sense in California

I wrote a post last year entitled, “Does Medical Licensing Make Sense in Recreational Jurisdictions?” The idea – which we’ve seen borne out countless times – is that in jurisdictions that allow recreational cannabis, medical cannabis usually becomes a relic of the past. That’s because medical cannabis is subject to many more restrictions than recreational

canna law blog

California Opens Hemp Registrations

For years, California has been a very bad state for the hemp industry. That started to change last year with the passage of AB-45, a bill intended to regulate CBD manufacturing and sales. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued proposed AB-45 regulations just a few months ago. And now it looks like California

cannabis tax

Update: California Cannabis Tax Holiday

When it comes to cannabis ballot measures, a common promise is made to voters that the increased tax revenue from cannabis sales will go back into the community. Cannabis taxes are therefore unavoidable. So is the debate over how high those taxes should be. In turn, all states have their fair share of cannabis tax

cannabis lender

California Cannabis Lender License Requirements

Cannabis businesses need money – and lots of it – to operate. Being mostly startups, operational profits are not enough to sustain their business. So cannabis businesses take on outside capital generally in one of two ways: taking on debt from cannabis lenders or bringing in equity investors. Due to industry volatility and a crash

large cultivation license

California Will Allow Large Cultivation Licenses

On January 1, 2023, California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) will begin accepting applications for large cultivation licenses for the first time ever. California law authorized large cultivation licenses years ago. But, the law caveat was that applicants could not apply for large cultivation licenses until 2023. And on June 17, the DCC announced it

los angeles cannabis retail license lottery

More on the LA Cannabis Retail License Lottery

We have more details for you regarding the Los Angeles cannabis retail license lottery, following last week’s post on the topic. We combed the Department of Cannabis Regulation’s (“DCR”) website and came up with answers to the three most important questions about the retail lottery. 1. When will the retail lottery occur? DCR anticipates that

cannabis litigation

Affirmative Defenses to Breach of Cannabis Contract Claims

In almost every cannabis litigation webinar we’ve done, and in many of our past posts discussing breach of cannabis contracts (the general breakdown of this claim is here), we’ve stressed the importance of memorializing good cannabis business agreements – in writing – to save yourself from potential or protracted litigation down the line. Still, even

los angeles cannabis retail license lottery

LA Cannabis Licensing: Retail Round Two is Here!

After many delays, controversies, and changes to the regulations, Los Angeles is getting closer to opening its second (and last) round of retail licensing. Based on the timeline laid out by the LA Cannabis Regulations, Retail Round Two will open either around the end of 2022 or sometime in early 2023. This round will be

independent contractor exceptions

California Cannabis Workers: Independent Contractor Exceptions

California deems nearly all kinds of workers employees. There are, however, some important circumstances where workers may be classified as contractors. In my first post of this series, “Classifying California Cannabis Workers,” I explained the basics of employee versus independent contractor classification. Today, I look at some of the key independent contractor exceptions for California