People in the cannabis industry know that marijuana is federally classified as a schedule I controlled substance. Schedule I means the drug has no recognized medical value, has a high potential for abuse, and cannot be safely administered even under a doctor’s supervision. Other schedule I drugs include heroin, methamphetamine, and several psychedelic substances including
Proposed social equity rule Following Washington’s creation of the Social Equity in Cannabis Task Force during the 2020 legislative session, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (“LCB”) approved draft social equity licensing rules for cannabis licensees on August 3. The proposed rules would add section “570 Social Equity in Cannabis Program” to Washington Annotated
In all of the news about New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) starting to accept applications for Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license applications, one glaring piece of information was missing: will the OCM review applications on a rolling basis starting on August 25, 2022? Or, will OCM review applications all together when the
It is finally here: New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced that it will begin accepting applications for the Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) Licenses on August 25, 2022. Applications will be accepted through the OCM’s online portal and the application window will close on September 26, 2022. This is obviously a huge deal
In May 2021, we wrote about the injustice of the Mississippi Court of Appeals affirming a life sentence without eligibility for probation or parole in the case of Allen Russell. Mr. Russell was found in possession of 43 grams (1.5 ounces) of marijuana. A legal basis for Mr. Russell’s brutal sentence was the fact that
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
New York is beginning its search for a fund manager for New York’s $200m social equity cannabis fund. In January of 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York is proceeding with the $200m fund (as contemplated in the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA)), with $50m of funds committed by the State and a
After a rollercoaster open market experiment, Oregon finally raised the walls on its cannabis program earlier this year. Typically, there are two broad approaches a state may take in walling off a regulated cannabis program, dormant commerce clause issues notwithstanding. The first is by enacting residency requirements for marijuana business ownership. Oregon did away with
In anticipation of today’s scheduled vote on the MORE Act by the U.S. House of Representatives, the Biden Administration just announced that cannabis is now decriminalized, and that all federal cannabis convictions are hereby expunged. Actually, none of that is true. Sorry! It’s what passes for an April Fools joke here at the Canna Law
Who is a “qualified applicant” under Oregon’s new marijuana license reassignment program? First, some context. House Bill 4016, which introduced the reassignment concept, represents a sea change for Oregon’s licensed marijuana industry. The bill presently awaits signature by the Governor, and no one is betting it won’t become law. Our take on all of Oregon’s
