equally important, but less discussed, element is security. Considering some security measures are actually built into the regulations for marijuana businesses, this is certainly not something to be taken lightly. Cannabis Business Times recently broke down security recommendations and requirements for marijuana cultivators, and our experienced legal team can expand on these tips and explain the rules other types of businesses must also understand.

It may seem basic, but one of the most important steps the report outlined was assessing risk. You don’t want to be reactive to your security needs, only putting measures in place after a problem presents itself. It’s important to be proactive, and identify all the risk areas, particularly any touch-points where product could be removed from your facility without your knowledge.

Video surveillance is one of the top methods of security in any type of marijuana business, but there are many aspects that must be taken into consideration before choosing the system that’s right for you. Is the video quality high resolution enough? CA Code of Regulations Div. 42, Ch. 1, Sec. 5044 states that minimum camera resolution must be 1280 x 720 pixels. The ability to identify any person recorded must be clear and certain. Your system cannot be in-house only; it must be accessible through the Internet.State guidelines also very specifically outline camera location protocol. The fixed and permanently mounted cameras need to have a view of 20 feet around all entry and exit points. Rules around storage of back logged surveillance are also very detailed because they must be readily available to view by the Bureau of Cannabis Control, the government oversight organization in charge of setting and enforcing these regulations. Beyond video surveillance in and around your facility, it is often recommended that recording devices be installed in your delivery vehicles to protect your product once it leaves your establishment, as well.

Next consideration is man power. Hiring trained security personnel might not only be a smart thing to do, but it could be required depending on the type of cannabis business you are running. More specifically, retailers must have trained security on staff or hire them as contractors. Beyond the type of personnel your business might be required to have, there are also guidelines about the records you must keep for your employees: lists of who is allowed on the premises and what level of access they have, backlogs of employees for at least seven years, and personnel and training records.

Surely any business owner would have already thought of locks and possibly alarm systems, but many are not aware there are even rules in place about these points. Commercial-grade, non-residential locks are required at all exits and entrances to your facility, but also all limited-access areas in the building. Alarms must be installed, maintained, and monitored by a licensed professional who will also respond when the alarms are activated.

It’s true all of these points could come up in discussions about opening a new business. But the cannabis industry must also be aware that such precautions could also be mandatory for them. That is why it is so important to contact our skilled Los Angeles cannabis business attorneys. We have deep knowledge of the numerous regulations you must consider when running your business, including those associated with security measures.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients, defendants, workers and those facing criminal marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

7 Security Tips for Cannabis Cultivators, Aug. 27, 2018, Melissa Schiller, Cannabis Business Times

More Blog Entries:

Federal Banking Regulations Make Dispensaries Robbery Targets, Nov. 18, 2017, Cannabis Law Group

country in the world to legalize adult-use cannabis after Senate recently passed the long-awaited bill. Uruguay was the first country to pass legalization measures, with sales starting last year. Canada’s size and global standing, however, give it a unique opportunity to set the tone for what legal marijuana could look like for the rest of the world. It will still be a couple months of preparations, though, before legal sales can begin, according to Los Angeles Times.

Uruguay has had a complicated relationship with legalization, primarily because the motivation was to regulate out-of-control crime syndicates related to the black market marijuana industry. An micro-managed infrastructure has made for a rocky start getting the legal economy off the ground, but officials are still confident their plans will help eventually neutralize illegal sales.Our Los Angeles cannabis business attorneys know California has played an important role in setting an example for other states and countries. The state is the fifth largest economy in the world, so there has been a great deal of interest in how cannabis legalization would play out. California had an advantage in being the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996 with the Compassionate Use Act, so there was already a decent foundation in place when the state moved forward with recreational legalization at the beginning of this year. Still there are issues that exist simply because federal law labels cannabis as a Schedule I narcotic, which means all eyes are officially on Canada to see what comes next. Simply being able to legally trade between provinces opens up a whole new world currently unavailable to cannabis business owners in the U.S.

Indeed the move is already having influence. Britain is beginning to soften on its stodgy anti-marijuana stance by opening discussions about medical marijuana. Like in the U.S., the British government is having a difficult time continuing to deny the growing pile of evidence that cannabis can be a safe and effective treatment for a variety of medical ailments under the proper supervision. While the country is still staunchly opposed to the idea of recreational marijuana, it is no coincidence discussions of lifting its ban for medical purposes aligned with the timing of Canada passing their full legalization bill. Once the medical hurdle is cleared, a lot of haze about the dangers of marijuana is also cleared, and it is easier to have an adult conversation about the matter that isn’t steeped in propaganda.

Indeed it is an exciting moment in history to be at the forefront of what is surely to be the norm as time goes on. Our legal team is prepared to equip new business owners with the tools they need to be a part of this important and groundbreaking movement in a way that is flexible enough to adapt to changes as they occur. With a patchwork of local laws in California on top of state regulations and the federal ban, it is essential to seek the guidance of skilled counsel like ours. Cannabis is clearly the future, and our team will help put you on the right track to be a part of it.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients, defendants, workers and those facing criminal marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

After Canada, will U.K. be next to legalize marijuana?, June 20, 2018, CBS News and Associated Press

More Blog Entries:

U.S. Marijuana Stock Tepid, Canada Marijuana Stock Spikes, Dec. 20, 2016, Cannabis Law Group

Another major consideration that is coming into play is how to co-exist with other businesses. Partnerships between mutually beneficial businesses can be highly profitable for all parties involved. However forming such deals can be tricky given the perceptions around the cannabis industry as well as non-cannabis businesses wanting to remain compliant with all relevant laws.

Before joining forces with sister businesses, it’s important for cannabis entrepreneurs to speak with a marijuana lawyer with an expertise in laws to guide you in best practices for a partnership.

One such partnership has recently come into question in California’s neighbor state of Nevada, which voted to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana in 2016. However, according to the law, cannabis can only be consumed in a private residence. That means the abundance of tourists who pour into Las Vegas and the surrounding areas each year cannot use marijuana in casinos, hotels, or the many other attractions in the area.

That’s why the Nevada Gaming Policy Committee recently began reviewing ways for the casino industry to work with cannabis businesses, both recreational and medicinal, according to a report by casino.org. While many states with marijuana legalization on the books prohibit public use, the issue affects Nevada more than other states due to its massive tourist industry.

The 12-member panel, consisting of top government and business leaders in Nevada, will hear arguments as to why marijuana use should be allowed inside casinos from experts, including the CEO of Colorado’s Marijuana Business Daily, host of the Marijuana Business Convention & Expo.

However, Nevada’s Gaming Commission has already taken a strong stance against marijuana use in gambling resorts, reinforcing that it has no interest in changing the laws, but rather wants to interpret the current law and apply it accordingly. Thus far, the commission has ordered casinos to not only forbid marijuana use on property but also to refuse to host conventions and events related to the cannabis business industry. One resort took it a step further and has denied known representatives of the cannabis industry access to its rewards program.

This type of oversight is going too far, considering the economic boon available to casinos and resorts that play ball with the marijuana industry. Marijuana-related conventions and meetings could still be forced to comply with the laws regarding usage while resorts capitalize on the influx of attendees. For example, the most recent Marijuana Business Conference & Expo brought more than 10,000 visitors and 700 vendors into Las Vegas, a perfect opportunity for many cross-promotional benefits that could still comply with state law.

It is the hope of many cannabis business owners and convention operators that the committee will recommend the commission ease up on some of these restrictions, particularly the ones that seem to be overly cautious and not actually a reflection of the laws at hand. California marijuana attorneys will be watching these events very closely as the state continues to establish its own rules and regulations.

The Los Angeles Cannabis Law Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Marijuana in Casinos? Nevada Gaming Policy Committee to Review Position, November 27, 2017, By Kevin Horridge, Casino.org

Nevada Marijuana Legalization, Question 2 (2016), November 8, 2016, Ballotpeedia

More Blog Entries:

Medical Marijuana Now Available in Las Vegas, August 22, 2015, by Cannabis Law Group

The Scope of the Task of Regulation Regulating an entire industry – let alone an industry on the scale of California’s marijuana market – takes volumes of work beyond the simple processing of business license applications. Background checks must be run on applicants. Environmental conditions must be monitored, such as the level of cannabis derivatives in streams near grow houses and farms. Enforcement, too, will be a large part of the work of state and local governments, which must ensure businesses operate within existing legal regulations, and that illegal operations are shut down. Each of these tasks requires a variety of professional expertise. Stream levels, for example, will require the input of environmental scientists to develop acceptable standards. Engineers must monitor groundwater and water diversion patterns. Environmental lawyers will be needed to help the state government resolve complex matters of environmental law that are created by the new grow operations. All of this is in addition to the administrative tasks of processing applications and issuing business licenses. Growth in State Regulators The number of state employees in cannabis regulations is rising dramatically. The Bureau of Cannabis Control started with just eleven full-time employees in January 2017. By February 2018, this is expected to rise tenfold to one hundred employees. New hiring is extending to many other state agencies, as well, including the Public Health Department, the Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Consumer Affairs, and the Food and Agriculture Department. Law enforcement agencies across the state are also likely to experience an increase in hiring, in response to tasks of targeting impaired drivers and illegal grow operations. As the head of the California Police Chiefs Association puts it, this must be considered an investment in the prevention of illegal activity. Of course, government entities are not the only employers who will experience a hiring binge as the result of legal sales of recreational marijuana. The cannabis industry is an aggregation of farmers, manufacturers, distributors, transportation companies, and retailers of online, delivery, and brick-and-mortar sales. All of these employers must ensure that their business model conforms to the new regulations which will take effect in January 2018. Employment within the cannabis industry can cause legal complications for both employers and employees. Consult with an experienced Orange County cannabis tax lawyer to ensure that your payroll taxes are paid, your business taxes are paid, and your business plan will sustain profitable operations for years to come. The Los Angeles Cannabis Law Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734. Additional Resources: Government jobs sprouting as legal marijuana looms in California, September 30, 2017, by Michael R. Blood, Associated Press More Blog Entries: Marijuana Industry Poised to Generate Many New Jobs, January 4, 2017, by Cannabis Law Group