Certainly, this is big news. But our Los Angeles cannabis business consulting lawyers would urge caution before rushing to your marketing firm for content.

Previously, the company only permitted ads for hemp-derived CBD topical products. This was still more progressive than other social media firms. TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook have had (and maintain) a strict no cannabis advertising policy – so long as it remains illegal at the federal level. (This despite the fact that 21 states allow recreational use cannabis – and more are on the horizon.) It’s likely only a matter of time before these other social media platforms adopt policies similar to Twitter’s.

However, despite giving the green light to “approved cannabis advertisers to target the U.S.,” cannabis companies on Twitter still aren’t allowed to advertise their actual products for sale. The only exception is for topical, hemp-derived CBD products that contain less than 0.3 percent THC (which is the government’s threshold for being classified as a CBD product rather than a more heavily-restricted THC product). Undoubtedly, there’s a market for these types of products, but it doesn’t represent the full array of cannabis products and services.

Further, cannabis companies seeking to advertise on Twitter must:

• Have a proper license.
• Pass through Twitter’s ad approval process.
• Limit their target audience to jurisdictions wherein they are licensed to operate.
• Do not target youth under age 21.

Advertisers are NOT allowed to:

• Create ads that promote or depict people using cannabis.
• Display advertising that shows people under the influence of cannabis.
• Claim any sort of efficacy or health benefits.
• Use any celebrities, images, icons, characters, or athletes in their ads that might appeal to children or those under 21.

These are somewhat similar to Twitter’s restrictions on alcohol advertising, although alcohol products themselves can be marketed so long as companies don’t appeal to minors or imply that drinking alcohol to excess is good.

Los Angeles cannabis consulting lawyers recognize that vague language pertaining to celebrities might be especially tough, particularly given that a number of high-profile athletes and celebrities who have cannabis companies or have been vocal supporters of marijuana use might have broad appeal to both adults and minors. For example, few would dispute that Martha Stewart, who launched a line of CBD products in 2020, appeals to a more mature audience. But what about Sha’Carri Richardson, Kourtney Kardashian, or Wiz Khalifa? They’re all adults over 21 themselves, but does their celebrity appeal to people under 21? The answer of course is subjective, and therein lies the concern.

This is where seeking guidance from a cannabis law firm may be to your benefit.

The rules only apply to the U.S. and companies therein. (Other countries, like Canada, that have more cannabis freedoms have broader leeway to advertise the products on social media platforms.)

Meanwhile, Google has also revised its advertising policy for marijuana companies, allowing FDA-approved CBD drugs and topical CBD products with less than 0.3 percent THC to advertise their products. However, these ads are strictly confined to markets in California, Colorado, and Puerto Rico. (Twitter’s previous CBD product ad policy also limited markets to 7 states – including California – but that restriction has since been removed.)

If you are a Southern California cannabis company hoping to advertise on Twitter, our Los Angeles cannabis business lawyers provide consulting to help ensure your ads are aligned with the law as well as the policies of advertising platforms.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, ancillary companies, patients, doctors and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia, Ads Content Policies, Twitter

This same group was reportedly also involved in helping San Francisco expunge more than 9,000 marijuana convictions earlier this year – even though some of those date back to 1975. The Los Angeles D.A. has said she expects the same to be the case here, pointing out that Department of Justice records in cannabis cases go back more than seven decades.

Los Angeles marijuana expungement attorneys know the chances of someone with a 1940s cannabis conviction is both alive and has any real interest in having their name cleared, is unlikely. The D.A.’s office has said they aren’t necessarily starting with the oldest cases first, and will instead be prioritizing those individuals who are looking for:

• Housing
• Employment
• A fresh start

It’s also worth noting that not all prior convictions are going to be expunged. Those who most likely would not receive an expungement would include:

• Registered sex offenders (regardless of whether the cannabis offense was related);
• Those convicted of violent offenses;
• Individuals convicted of large-scale drug trafficking or habitual drug offenses

Although she did not break down the details of the priority list, she did indicate her office would most likely be starting with cannabis cases involving low-level, first-time non-violent offenders.

This doesn’t mean anyone whose prior offenses see to fit the bill of the former category should assume they have no shot at prosecutorial review, and neither does it mean those in the latter category should automatically presume they’re home-free. People who have a pressing and vested interest in having their Los Angeles cannabis conviction expunged, dismissed or reduced should promptly contact an L.A. marijuana criminal law firm skilled in defense and expungement. It’s possible with the benefit of a qualified marijuana attorney, it may be possible to request for a case to be expedited.

The D.A.’s office said that while it lacked the resources to pursue wiping clean all these convictions with its own resources, the algorithm supplied by the third-party non-profit allowed it to quickly identify which cases would be eligible to have cases would have been eligible for the benefit. Although an expedited process is always welcome, it’s not impossible that a case may have been deemed “ineligible” by mistake. That’s why it’s a good idea to have your old California marijuana conviction reviewed for expungement eligibility.

The way prosecutor’s were going about it initially would have-all-but-required a lawyer. Individuals interested in having old cannabis cases expunged – and doing it right – needed an attorney to help review the forms, prepare them, file them, file them in the correct court and then pay to obtain the record.

The system of automatic expungement in Los Angeles means basically that the state handles the entire process for you – and you need never go to the trouble. Again, this is great – but only if the system works as intended and there are no glitches.

Even if your criminal record has been expunged of cannabis convictions, you may not even know it. Although the agency is working on the best way of getting word to people that their records are clean, they’re also trying to be cautious of privacy and avoid inadvertently revealing the expunged information to a third party.

The non-profit agency points out there are 1/3 people in the U.S. with a criminal conviction and in California alone (one of the more relaxed states on this front) those people face 4,800 legal obstacles – in housing, employment, education, parenting time and more. Consulting with an experienced marijuana expungement attorney in L.A. might spare you the trouble of being denied last-minute on a rental, applying for next year’s school financial aid or landing the next big job.

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

Additional Resources:

Two More California Counties Will Use Tech To Expunge 54,000 Marijuana Convictions, April 1, 2019, By Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment

More Blog Entries:

California Declares “War” on Illegal Marijuana Farmers, Retailers, April 3, 2019, Los Angeles Expungement Layer Blog

Looking back, 2018 has been a banner year for legalized marijuana across the country – including here in California, where it all started. One legislator and long-time marijuana advocate commented that “this was the year the movement crested,” meaning action that would overturn the federal ban is imminent now that two-thirds of all states have some form of legalized medicinal marijuana, 10 allow recreational marijuana and more are sure to follow.

After voters approved legalization of recreational marijuana in 2016, the legal market couldn’t simply swing open the doors the next day. The state established an oversight board, set product standards, carved out power to local communities and allocated the tax revenue generated. This year marked the year California became the biggest legal marijuana marketplace in the U.S.

Meanwhile across the country, we saw even conservative states like Oklahoma and Utah. States on the East Coast saw commercial marijuana stores opening for the very first time.

U.S. regulators here in the U.S. finally approved a marijuana pharmaceutical for the very first time, an epilepsy drug that has shown great promise. Cannabis companies across the country have seen something of a “green rush,” with billions of dollars being poured into the industry. The federal farm bill recently signed by the president removed hemp from the list of controlled substances, expanding the cannabis market substantially.

Internationally, Canada legalized a broad recreational marijuana measure. South of the border, a ruling this year by the Mexican Supreme Court set the stage for legalization there too. In Europe, Luxembourg is likely to become the first country there to approve recreational marijuana legalization. South Africa probably isn’t far behind. In Israel, the parliament passed a measure allowing legal exports of medicinal marijuana. Medical pot was also approved by Thailand, and several other countries in Southeast Asia are on the cusp of doing the same. Cannabidiol (CBD) is likely soon to be legal in South Korea.

Companies that serve the marijuana industry have skyrocketed – computer software engineers, lab analysts, research and data development, marketing and consulting, security personnel, insurers, bankers – and yes, attorneys specializing in California marijuana business. They’re entering the market because they see opportunity. We’ve been here from the beginning because we saw it all along, helping defendants and dispensaries and doctors and farmers navigate this complex, rapidly-evolving legal landscape and commercial marketplace.

There were many ways in which one might interpret 2018 as a less-than-stellar year, but as far as marijuana is concerned – we hope to see more and more like it.

Cheers!

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

Additional Resources:

Legal marijuana industry toasts banner year, Dec. 27, 2018, By Gillian Flaccus, Associated Press

More Blog Entries:

More California Cannabis Testing Regulations on the Horizon, Dec. 17, 2018, California Marijuana Attorney Blog

James, a running back, injured his ankle during a football game in 2013. According to a CNN report, he was prescribed opioid painkillers. In short order (as so often happens) he became dependent on the pills. He became aware that an addiction was forming and wanted something safer to ease the pain.

After some research, he concluded marijuana was truly the best option – to ease the pain, end his addiction and maintain his physical prowess. James had some reservations about this decision, witnessing the way drug addiction in general harmed his family and his childhood communities. But, like a majority of Americans, he soon learned that cannabis does not belong in the same category as other street drugs at all, and decided to take the leap.

The NFL, unfortunately still takes a hard-line stance with marijuana use by players, who are drug-tested regularly. (Yet League officials see no problem whatsoever with players consuming dangerous opioid pain relievers.) CNN points to to a study from Drug and Alcohol Dependence, in which over half of ex-NFL players surveyed said they used opioids, with 71 percent of them admitting they misused them. Support for prescription painkillers continues, despite many leaders – President Trump included – have declared opioid addiction an epidemic. When it comes to medical marijuana, though, which can be a safe, effective, and non-habit forming treatment under proper medical guidance, this is where NFL leaders choose their line in the sand.

As our Los Angeles medical marijuana lawyers can explain, the NFL is sticking by Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 812, which categorizes marijuana as a Schedule I narcotic. That means the federal government has passed judgment that cannabis has no medical benefits, is dangerous, and is addictive. Conveniently for marijuana naysayers, this Schedule I classification makes it nearly impossible for U.S. scientists to conduct studies to prove otherwise. Meanwhile, other countries, such as Israel, are leading the way in medical marijuana research, including a study that demonstrate how the drug can be a safer alternative to opioids. The Schedule I classification puts marijuana in the same category as heroin, which is a total farce. Ironically (and infuriatingly), heroin has far more in common with many legal painkillers, as it too is considered an opioid, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

What does all of this mean? Mike James is now being forced to choose between an effective medical treatment that is not causing him long-term harm and his football career. He recently became the first NFL player to file for a therapeutic use exemption, the only way around the league’s anti-cannabis rules. The league denied his application. James has said he will continue to fight. While he has his wealth and fame on his side, you have a team of skilled lawyers on your side. We know all too many average citizens must make these same critical choices when it comes to their career and their health, and our team is here to use our extensive knowledge of medical marijuana law to fight for your rights.

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:

Israel Scientific Study: Cannabis Safe and Effective for Regular Use in the Elderly; Can Decrease the Use of Other Prescription Medicines, Including Opioids, Feb. 20, 2018, PRNewswire

More Blog Entries:

Marijuana as a Replacement to Opioids, Dec. 6, 2017, Los Angeles Medical Marijuana Lawyers Blog

Even though politicians on both sides of the aisle favor both medical marijuana access and even recreational marijuana, there is concern that the new U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will crack down on businesses and individuals abiding state-level marijuana laws. There are currently 28 states that have legalized the drug for medical use, and eight, including California, that allow it to be used for recreation.

For this reason, three new bills have been introduced that protect the rights of pot growers, distributors and users. In addition, advocates are coming out in full force to encourage lawmakers to support pro-marijuana measures.

For example, on April 20th, a group of marijuana advocates showed up at a joint session in Congress to pass out joints – and spread awareness that the rule preventing the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Justice from interfering in states’ medical marijuana laws is about to expire. Without that protection, Sessions and the Trump administration could start cracking down on states like California that allow the drug to be used for both medical and recreational purposes.

The three bills introduced in Congress, all part of The Path to Marijuana Reform, introduced by Democrats from Oregon. are:

• Small Business Equity Tax Act. This provision would carve out an exception to U.S. tax code 280E, which currently prohibits cannabis-based businesses from taking the kind of business tax deduction all other businesses enjoy. If cannabis business operations could retain more profits, they can grow more quickly and reinvest greater sums.
• Marijuana Policy Gap Act. This measure help resolve the discrepancy between federal and state marijuana laws. Specifically, it would do away with civil asset forfeitures and criminal penalties for companies that are operating in compliance of state-level marijuana laws – even if those laws are accepted at the federal level. It would also open the doors to banking for marijuana businesses, as well as allow military veterans to obtain access to medical marijuana that is legal at the state level.
• Marijuana Revenue and Regulation Act. This law would de-schedule marijuana (currently considered a Schedule I narcotic), tax it and set up a regulatory framework. Essentially, it would give the federal government a means to treat marijuana like alcohol. Importers, producers and wholesalers would have to obtain federal government permits to operate. States could still choose to make the sale or distribution of the drug illegal within their borders.

This package of reforms, if passed, would erase a number of the key challenges and legal grey areas so marijuana businesses face.

During the campaign, Trump insisted medical marijuana was a states rights issue. However, recent statements by Sessions – and others in the administration – have resulted in a lack of confidence that policy will continue. For example, secretary of homeland security John Kelly called it a “dangerous gateway drug” that leads to harder drugs, and supported the position that violations for possession be against federal law.

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

Additional Resources:

In Case You Missed It, Lawmakers Just Introduced 3 New Marijuana Reform Bills in Congress, April 9, 2017, By Sean Williams, Fox Business

More Blog Entries:

Marijuana Equipment Business is Booming, April 14, 2017, L.A. Marijuana Attorney Blog

If one of his recent speeches is any indication, the answer is likely: Absolutely.

The speech took place in Virginia at a summit on violent crime. In part of his message, he called marijuana use a “life-wrecking dependency” that could be considered only slightly less terrible than heroin.

Sessions in that speech advocated for a federal government response to drugs that would effectively be a return to 1980s “Just Say No,” tough on drug crimes stance. There are so many problems with this approach, it’s hard to know where to start.

First, we consider the fact that it doesn’t work. Imposing severe penalties for possession, cultivation and sales of marijuana did not make people any less likely to use it.

Secondly, the greater impact was that people and communities were devastated by these policies. Hundreds of thousands were jailed on non-violent drug charges that upended their lives. Communities lost the benefits of otherwise productive citizens – or those who could have been productive citizens. And prison populations became bloated and unable to handle the overflow.

That Sessions would liken marijuana to heroin at a time when heroin and opioids have sparked an actual crisis of epidemic proportions seems nonsensical and irresponsible. The national opioid addiction and overdose crisis is killing 140 people every day. Meanwhile, Sessions is making statements like “marijuana will destroy your life.” These words have zero basis in fact. There is no proof whatsoever that someone who uses marijuana is next going to begin dabbling in heroin.

But that’s not even what Sessions is saying. He is saying marijuana – in and of itself – is just as bad as heroin.

Meanwhile, the government’s own research has proven that states with medical marijuana programs have seen opioid overdose death reductions of between 15 to 30 percent.

Despite so much evidence to the contrary of his statements, Sessions merely framed his views as “unfashionable.” He went on to say he was “astonished” that some might assert that heroin addiction could be curtailed with legalized marijuana.

Certainly, we don’t want to harm Session’s delicate sensibilities here, but the reality is the scientific evidence supports the notion that access to legal marijuana makes people less likely to use powerful painkillers in the first place, and it has been used as a means to wean people off an addiction.

Sessions said “I think” the benefits of cannabis had been overly hyped, but he failed to provide any concrete evidence of his assumption.

He did, however, concede that “much” of the Cole memo, which the Obama administration put forth to deprioritize federal marijuana enforcment in states that have made the drug legal, was likely valid. He doubted that from a practical standpoint federal law enforcement agents would be able to enforce laws generally handled by the state.

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

Additional Resources:

Jeff Sessions Goes Full ‘Reefer Madness’ on Pot, March 15, 2017, By Tom Dickinson, The Rolling Stone

More Blog Entries:

Funeral Director: I Was Fired for Using Medical Marijuana, March 19, 2017, California Marijuana Lawyer Blog

There was a blog recently that indicated White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told a reporter that the administration would “unlikely” pursue action against states that have legalized the drug. However, when reached for confirmation of this comment, Spicer reportedly responded in an e-mail that he had “no clue where (that report) came from.”

There could be some insight provided in a recent report published by Capital Public Radio. In that piece, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones commented on a recent meeting he had with Sessions, where they reportedly discussed both marijuana and immigration. In that discussion, Jones said Sessions commented that he didn’t think the federal government would put much if any time or energy on marijuana use or low-level local and state crimes. However, he reportedly said he had not ruled out the possibility of federal prosecutors getting involved where there are larger-scale operations.

Although the federal government previously went after marijuana dispensaries with a vengeance for violation of federal law – even when those operations were in compliance with state statutes – Jones said Sessions didn’t say anything to lead him to believe the U.S. Justice Department would revert back to the pre-Cole Memo policy. As for marijuana policy, the sheriff said he expected most Justice Department operations moving forward would focus on illegal drug cartels engaged in drug trafficking.

Cartels, it should be noted, are in worse shape these days then ever before with the expansion of marijuana legalization across the U.S. As it now stands, most states in the country have some type of law that allows people access to medical marijuana, though 14 states only allow for the use of cannabis extracts that are low in THC and high in the non-psychoactive cannabinoid compound. Most of these states restrict use for severe and debilitating conditions, such as epilepsy and cancer. A handful of other states – including California – now allow for possession, use and sale of restricted amounts of the drug for recreational purposes.

A recent report by the Los Angeles Times indicated that medical and recreational marijuana in the U.S. has caused a market crash in Mexico, where prices on the black market have fallen by some 70 percent. Grower with the infamous Sinaloa Cartel told the reporter that prices had fallen over four years from $100 per kilogram to just $30. Because of a drop in profits, the amount of product being produced and smuggled has also fallen. It’s really simple supply-and-demand. Back in 2008, about two-thirds of the marijuana consumed in the U.S. came from across our Southern borer, according to the RAND Corporation. Today, that has fallen substantially, accounting now for only about a third of marijuana consumed.

If that is the case, it wouldn’t be far off from the Obama-era policies that were enacted later, and involved a laissez-faire approach to the state-by-state marijuana legalization movement. However, the Obama administration still targeted a number of legal state operations – many of those in California – that still endured substantial legal woes as a result of federal raids.

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

Additional Resources:

Sheriff Jones Meets With Attorney General Nominee Jeff Sessions, Feb. 7, 2017, By Bob Moffitt, Capital Public Radio

More Blog Entries:

Report: Most Police Officers Support Relaxed Marijuana Laws, Feb. 15, 2017, L.A. Marijuana Attorney Blog

We have a duty in states where marijuana has been legalized for recreation, to also press our leaders for justice reform for those who have been caught in the long-standing war on marijuana, a war that has very clearly failed. Here in California, we are one of just two states that have taken action on this issue. Oregon is the other.

The Drug Policy Alliance reported in 2015 that more than 6,000 people were serving time in California state prisons or jails for non-violent crimes that involved cultivation or distribution of marijuana. When Proposition 64 passed legalizing the drug for recreation, it came with the caveat that allowed those individuals to apply for early release or parole and also to have their records expunged. It’s not clear at this point how many have taken up this offer or realize that it even exists.

Our L.A. marijuana lawyers are here to help those convicted of marijuana crimes in California to apply for this relief. We recognize that a long-standing criminal record for a drug offense can have a life-long impact on one’s future ability to secure financial aid for school, obtain a loan, to vote, maintain a professional license, get a job, find a place to live or adopt a child. It can also be a factor in certain child custody proceedings.

It’s troublesome that in so many other states where we have vast farms where marijuana is now legally grown and we have people making multi-million dollar profits that others are sitting in jail cells serving time for the exact same action. Still others are grappling with the fall-out of a felony record.

It’s illogical that while we have state laws that grant people the right to smoke and possess marijuana, government workers can still be fired for having a positive blood test or urine screen.

To this day, marijuana arrests account for more than half of all drug arrests in the U.S. Worse, there is a significant racial bias in this. We have a prison population where blacks and Hispanics comprise two-thirds the total, while comprising less than 30 percent of the population. The marijuana arrest rates are astronomically higher for these groups, even though we know that usage rates are the same. Blacks are four times more likely to be arrested than whites and Hispanics three times more likely. That’s not justice.

Beyond all this, if we’re looking purely at the economics, freeing non-violent marijuana prisoners is fiscally sound policy. It doesn’t make sense to continue to house these individuals in costly prisons when they pose no long-term threat and the crimes of which they have been accused or convicted are now legal.

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 legalization must include justice reform, Jan. 31, 2017, By David Dinenberg, The Hill

More Blog Entries:

Players Ask NFL to Reconsider Rules on Marijuana, Jan. 27, 2017, L.A. Marijuana Attorney Blog

The L.A. Times recently reported on a local businesswoman who alongside her partner launched a packaging company that caters to the cannabis industry. They produce containers, bags, logos, labels, custom-printed jars and boxes. They currently have about three workers and are preparing to bring on three more. They provide marketing and branding assistance to growers and distributors, and the owner describes it as “all very upscale.” The biggest problem, however, has been the banking.

She explained how she met with a single accountant last year who informed her she would likely only be paid in cash and that her workers and suppliers would need to be paid in cash as well. Payroll, sales and income taxes – all of it has to be done in cash. The accountant advised her to stash the cash under her mattress and then somewhere down the line find a time to make a large deposit into her bank account. When she told him that sounded illegal, he shrugged, saying that’s how everyone does it.

That kind of exchange is exactly why having a marijuana lawyer help you develop a business plan is so imperative. If you as a business owner get dragged into court for violating state guidelines or federal laws, it’s not going to be a valid defense to say, “But my accountant told me to do it.”

The fact is, marijuana is illegal at the federal level, and business owners need to proceed with appropriate caution. Operating everything safely and above board can be tricky when you don’t have a bank to keep your money safe.

Ultimately, this kind of conflict imposed on legal businesses by the federal government’s refusal to budge on the cannabis classification is not tenable long-term. As a direct result of this, there are about 70 percent of marijuana businesses that have no bank accounts.

This leaves businesses vulnerable to all kinds of issues, including crime. Five years ago, the owner of a medical marijuana dispensary in Orange County was kidnapped and tortured with genital mutilation when four men sought to rob him. Other dispensary owners have been robbed at gunpoint, and many pay a great deal of money for extensive security measures. In another case, a dispensary owner was pulled over by police while transporting about $30,000 to the company’s headquarters. She was able to produce all the right paperwork to show the money was legitimately sourced, but she still had to hire a marijuana lawyer to help her get it back.

There are also practical problems. For example, how do you physically store $250,000 in cash? How do you keep it organized and secure?

Recently, these stores were shared at the Cannabis Banking Working Group’s first meeting in December. The goal is to come up with recommendations for federal legislation that would allow marijuana businesses to access legal banking. The problem is that because cannabis is illegal under federal law, banks fear they will be violating federal drug and money laundering statutes.

Marijuana business owners want to abide by the applicable laws, but this kind of disconnect between state and federal laws is making it incredibly hard. Some companies estimate they are losing $1 million annually to the various burdens that being a “cash-only” business imposes.

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

Additional Resources:

Your business is legal, but you can’t use banks. Welcome to the cannabis all-cash nightmare, Jan. 29, 2017, By Robin Abcarian, Los Angeles Times

More Blog Entries:

SB 65 Would Ban Marijuana Use While Driving, Jan. 28, 2017, L.A. Marijuana Attorney Blog

A recent poll of 8,000 officers by the Pew Research Center finds that almost two-thirds of them believe marijuana should be legal for either medical or personal use.

This was a survey that was nationally representative, which mean it took into account a myriad of factors of police demographics. It was also one of the largest surveys of its kind ever conducted.

According to the report, a third of officers said cannabis should be legal for both recreational and medicinal use, while 37 percent opined it should only be allowed if someone needs it as medicine. Thirty percent said marijuana shouldn’t be legal whatsoever.

Still, police are more conservative than most on the issue. In a poll querying all Americans, it was decided that almost 50 percent supported legalizing the drug for recreational use, while 35 percent said they supported it only for medicine. Fifteen percent of the general public said the drug shouldn’t be legal.

However, among law enforcement, there was a generational divide too – similar to what we see with the general public. Pew discovered that police officers under the age of 35 were more likely to support marijuana for recreation (37 percent) than those officers between the ages of 50 and 60 (27 percent). Within the general public, those numbers are at about 67 percent/ 45 percent, respectively.

Historically, law enforcement groups have been among those who most fiercely oppose laws that would legalize marijuana. Last year, these law enforcement groups were small in number, but they were powerful in terms of significant contributions that served to undercut marijuana legalization in California and Arizona. These groups noted things like impaired driving and marijuana use by minors are key platform issues.

One vocal group we heard a lot from last year was the Association for Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputies. The president of that organization commented publicly numerous times in the lead up to the November election, noting that while people view marijuana as less harmful than alcohol, there was no question that it resulted in impairment of faculties.

That in itself may be a legitimate point, but there are some law enforcement organizations comprised of active-duty and retired officers who are vocal about the numerous failures of the War on Drugs. Representatives of that group note that law enforcement personnel are still being trained with materials that are drug-war-oriented, outdated and not scientific. Still, the newest poll still shows that 1 in 3 officers believe marijuana should be legal – and that’s a substantial shift.

The poll was conducted prior to the election, between May and August of last year. The respondents included local police and sheriff’s officers (not including state law enforcement agencies).

As one Rolling Stone article noted, officers may have good reason to want to see marijuana legalized. Those include:

• Public safety. With less of the drug on the black market, that’s fewer dollars in the pockets of dangerous cartels and gangs.
• They want to focus on real crimes with real victims. Marijuana accounted for more than 7 million arrests in the last 10 years, and nearly 90 percent of those were for possession. This policy had a far greater impact on black citizens, and many police officers could see their resources and skills were being wasted.
• Police want to form stronger relationships with the community. They aren’t going to do that when they are arresting people constantly arresting people for low-level marijuana crimes.

If you have been arrested for marijuana in L.A., our experienced marijuana lawyers can help.

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

Additional Resources:

How do cops feel about changing marijuana laws? New survey, Jan. 11, 2017, By Christopher Ingraham, The Washington Post

More Blog Entries:

California Pot Dispensaries Seek Sleeker Look, Jan. 16, 2017, L.A. Marijuana Lawyer Blog

Marijuana remains illegal for all reasons per federal law, which the DEA staunchly defended over the summer. The agency spent a full 22 pages of its Drug Threat Assessment report on marijuana. Compare this to the 16 pages it spent going over the risk of prescription painkillers, which claims 14,000 lives annually. Many of the pages on marijuana wove through the state-level differences in law for medicinal and recreational pot, as well as some of the legalization trends of the U.S. For anyone who has been following the changing landscape of marijuana laws in California, none of this is really new information.

However, one of the more interesting claims made by the DEA in that report is that media attention on marijuana-related issues has made it tougher to enforce existing marijuana laws and to prosecute those who violate these statutes. The agency also seems to be blaming “the media” for providing the public with information that is not accurate on the effects and legality of using marijuana.

Specifically, the DEA reported that the public has received “contradictory and often inaccurate” information when it comes to the benefits and legal sanctions of using marijuana. This in turn has meant that law enforcement and prosecution of marijuana offenses is more challenging, particularly in states that have approved some type of marijuana law.

Of course, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that poor information about marijuana is available online. That’s true of just about every topic. There are those who will erroneously purport that marijuana is fully safe or in no way a risk. Of course, this isn’t true. Responsible use, particularly while driving or when it involves minors being medicated, is imperative. But the truth is, these risks are typically far less severe than what we would see with prescription opioids or even alcohol. And as far as which media reports the DEA is referencing, that’s not clear because the agency did not respond to a request for clarification on this issue from The Washington Post.

In reality, our marijuana lawyers know a good deal of the misinformation being distributed to the public seems to have started with the DEA. For example, the agency’s head in 2012 refused to concede that crack and heroin are more harmful than marijuana. The agency didn’t officially reverse that position until 2015. Also in the last couple of years, officials with the DEA have been trying to convince legislators that non-psychoactive hemp plants were being used by people to get high (not true), and used this as grounds to seize large shipments of industrial hemp seeds. This ultimately resulted in a lawsuit filed by the state of Kentucky. And the DEA has clung to this notion that marijuana is a gateway drug to all others, which has been disproved time and again. Officials with the DEA testified before state legislative committees, making claims like, “Wild rabbits could develop a taste for marijuana if the plant is allowed to be used as medicine by humans.” And the acting administrator has characterized medicinal use of the drug as “a joke,” even as there has been study after study indicating it may hold real promise for children with seizures, soldiers suffering from PTSD, cancer patients and those grappling with chronic pain.

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

Additional Resources:

Is the media making it tough to put people in jail for pot? That’s what the DEA claims, Dec. 9, 2016, By Christopher Ingraham, The Washington Post

More Blog Entries:

More States Approve Medical Marijuana, DEA Still Refuses to Acknowledge Benefits, Dec. 4, 2016, LA. Marijuana Attorney Blog

A recent report published in The Cannifornian indicated that government leaders and industry insiders have posited that difficult regulatory challenges have to be hammered out before recreational marijuana becomes legal. Speaking at the recent Emerald Cup, held at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, government regulators noted that prohibition on cannabis lasted so long and was so complicated, that the process of ending it is not going to happen overnight – even with this vote.

For example, Lori Ajax, chief of the California Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation, noted there are a number of challenges created by the different structures of the two new marijuana laws, and there may be conflicts between the two that need to be resolved. Each take very different approaches to things like residence requirements, timelines, license categories and ownership. One of the primary questions, says Assemblyman Jim Wood, is whether this will result in two parallel marijuana regulatory systems or a single system that somehow combines the two.

On top of that, the two have separate tax provisions. The California medical marijuana law levies just a retail tax. However, the recreational marijuana law imposes two taxes: A 15 percent retail tax and then also cultivation taxes that may vary depending on whether the product is in flowers or leaves and stems. Growers are pushing back on the cultivation tax, in particular the provision that would charge them $2.75 per ounce of stems and leaves, which are probably never going to make it to the market. The only way to change this, though, is with a two-thirds vote by the state legislature.

Another major issue that has cropped up is that of technology platforms. The law requires the state to adopt new licensing software, as well as a track and trace program that will allow officials to follow the drug in real time from seed to sale. Neither one of these currently exists in a capacity tailored to California’s law. The creation of two technology platforms essentially from scratch in under a year is something industry insiders say is “very ambitious.”

The other potential snag? President-elect Trump. Although he has been a staunch supporter of states rights, Trump chose Sen. Jeff Session (R-Alabama) for the attorney general position. Sessions declared just last year that those who use marijuana are “not good people.” He has long been an opponent of marijuana legalization, even as medicine.

There is much at stake here because California is the sixth-largest economy in the world. It’s expected that market sales will grow to $4 billion in this state by 2020. The fate of many marijuana dispensaries, cultivators and citizens hangs in the balance.

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

Additional Resources:

Why marijuana legal sales rollout could be delayed, Dec. 11, 2016, By Lisa M. Krieger, Bay Area News Group

More Blog Entries:

Will New President Embrace Cannabis Economy? Nov. 30, 2016, L.A. Marijuana Attorney Blog

First up is Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Trump’s pick for attorney general. Sessions has a strong record of opposing marijuana reform, saying just this past April during a legislative hearing that, “Good people don’t smoke marijuana.” He added that Washington needed “grown-ups in charge,” who would be willing to assert that marijuana is “not the kind of thing that ought to be legalized.”

Then, Trump appointed Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to the post of Secretary of Health and Human Services. A consistently anti-marijuana politician, his position could afford him even greater control over whether the drug is available for medical purposes.

Our Los Angeles marijuana lawyers will be watching closely over the next few months and years. It would be wise for those who are in the marijuana industry or who are weighing entering California’s recently-approved recreational marijuana market to consult with an attorney experienced in the complexity of cannabis law.

Although neither cabinet member has outright stated they will fight against legalization or the relaxed policies set by President Barack Obama, their voting history gives us some insight into their legislative philosophy.

Let’s start with Sessions. His comment this year judging the “goodness” of people by their marijuana use is, to say the least, problematic. Not only is it very out-of-sync with the attitudes of the rest of the country, it’s also not in line with what we all know to be true. Many of those who have been using the drug for years are people who are gravely ill with serious conditions like cancer, AIDS and seizures.

Despite Sessions’ characterization of the drug’s users, this is not a fringe issue. Sessions characterized as “one of Obama’s greatest failures” his lax policy on marijuana. Obama’s stance on this issue, Sessions reasoned, reversed almost two decades of drug policy. This is true. However, the so-called War on Drugs has not been won because it is unwinnable. If Obama made any real mistake, it was in not going further in pushing to reclassify the drug and in protecting those who who use it because now, any attorney general can step in and begin enforcing the law that is on the books. That means people could once again be facing jail time for engaging something that is legal in their state. The drug is still illegal under federal law.

Then there is Price, who is one of the most consistently anti-marijuana lawmakers in the legislature. Federal oversight of illicit drugs is in the purview of the U.S. Justice Department, but as HHS secretary, Price could hold some power to restrict its availability in states that have legalized it for both medicinal and recreational use. For example, he could start penalizing doctors or take legal action against sellers who work with medical marijuana.

Price has opposed even modest marijuana policy reforms in vote after vote after vote in the U.S. House of Representatives. He voted six times against amendments that would prevent the DOJ from interfering with state-level marijuana laws. He voted three times against bills that would have given Veterans Affairs doctors the ability to recommend medical marijuana to ailing veterans. He has earned a “D” grade on marijuana policy from NORML and Drug Policy Action.

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

Additional Resources:

Donald Trump adds another marijuana opponent to his Cabinet, Nov. 29, 2016, By Christopher Ingraham, The Washington Post

More Blog Entries:

Will New President Embrace Cannabis Economy? Nov. 30, 2016, L.A. Marijuana Lawyer Blog

As legal access to marijuana has expanded in recent years, with 28 states now allowing medicinal marijuana and more than a handful allowing recreational use, there are still questions (at least where the federal government is concerned) about whether the drug has legitimate medicinal benefits. Although study of the drug has been impeded by harsh marijuana laws, it’s this same lack of research that has been cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its hesitancy to recommend marijuana be rescheduled from a Schedule I narcotic (meaning it has no recognized medical purpose).

Marijuana is prescribed for a variety of physical illnesses and conditions, from cancer to arthritis. It contains more than 100 compounds, which are known as cannabinoids, that we know have some type of effect on the human biological system. In addition to physical troubles, marijuana has also been recommended by some doctors for help in easing certain mental conditions – namely, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Now, a new study, published in the journal Clinical Psychology Review, suggests additional evidence exists that marijuana can help people dealing with mental illness.

Researchers from both the U.S. and Canada conducted the review, and reported back that marijuana does have promising potential for those grappling with a myriad of mental illnesses. It could, however, not be a great treatment for those with bipolar disorder, as there was some suggestion that there are more negative side effects than positive ones. Study authors say we need to be considering it in the same way and by the same standards as many other drugs.

Although they concur more study is necessary, they say there is also some evidence that marijuana could play some role in helping people grappling with a major drug addiction to powerful painkillers or amphetamines. This potential “substitution effect” is something the researchers said they were “excited about.” If people can use marijuana as a means of replacing dangerous and incredibly addictive substances like opioids, the public health benefits could be dramatic.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine reports that of the 21.5 million Americans over the age of 12 struggling with substance abuse, 1.9 million were addicted to prescription pain relievers and approximately 590,000 were addicted to heroin. It’s believed that about a quarter of those who are heroin-addicted will ultimately develop an opioid addiction. Drug overdose is the No. 1 cause of accidental death in the U.S., killing more than 47,000 people in 2014. Opioid addiction in particular drives this, accounting for 19,0000 overdose deaths.

Other studies have supported the notion that marijuana could help wean other drug users off more dangerous substances. For example, a recent report published in the journal Health Affairs showed that in states where medical marijuana is legal, prescriptions for certain painkillers has dropped. In one medical marijuana state, there were an average of 1,826 fewer painkiller prescriptions written.

The researchers say that more evaluation is needed to further parse out the potential merits – and downsides – of the drug. They acknowledge that much of the research that is taking place is funded by medical cannabis producers, but they note this could change if marijuana-related research was better supported by the government.

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 Appears to Benefit Mental Health: Study, Nov. 16, 2016, By Alexandra Sifferlin, Time.com

More Blog Entries:

Marijuana Investors Seek High Returns, Nov. 6, 2016, L.A. Marijuana Attorney Blog

Election night turned out to be a clear success for the support of medical and recreational marijuana legalization. California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Maine legalized recreational use. Florida, Arkansas and North Dakota approved medical marijuana initiatives.

So now the question is, what type of approach will the Trump administration take? It’s a major question because, while Obama took a hands-off approach and we knew Clinton was expected to do the same, there is uncertainty about Trump’s stance.

There is some reason to be optimistic. Earlier this year, a writer for Merry Jane pointed out that Trump has long been critical of the failed War on Drugs. In 1990, he went on record with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune to say that drug enforcement was a “joke” and that drugs should all be legalized in order to siphon profits away from drug czars. Tax revenues from legal drug trade, he said at the time, could be used to help educate the public on drug dangers. That stance was pretty ahead of its time.

Trump has also been a strong proponent of walling off Mexico, in large part due to the violence of the drug trade, as perpetuated by various gangs and cartels. He has said the only way to truly win the War on Drugs is to legalize drugs.

However, it’s worth it to point out that he is something of a chameleon when it comes to his political positions. He used to be pro-choice, remember? More recently, he has said women who have abortions should in some way be punished. Plus, we know that the politicians he is surrounding himself with are very conservative. Rudy Giuliani, who is being considered for the attorney general position, is strongly against the legalization of cannabis and has long been for the War on Drugs. So perhaps it should not come as a surprise that in a GQ interview last November, Trump indicated that medical marijuana is “absolutely fine,” but suggested we may need to hold back when it comes to legalizing the drug for recreation. That question, he said, should be left to the states.

On the other hand, we know politicians regularly pander to their base in order to garner votes. Long before Trump was a Republican, he defined himself as “more of a Democrat.” So could he swing back to a more liberal stance now that he actually has the job he was vying for?

It’s tough to say.

Certainly, our cannabis lawyers know the revenue the federal government might take in from legal marijuana would be attractive, especially because he’s hoping to slash taxes. We’re all waiting anxiously to see how this unfolds.

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

Additional Resources:

Will the ‘Entrepreneur’ President Embrace the Cannabis Economy? Nov. 11, 2016, By Andrew Bourque, Entrepreneur.com

More Blog Entries:

Economy of Cannabis: Buying vs. Growing, Nov. 14, 2016, L.A. Marijuana Attorney

Case-in-point: In January, officials with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, alongside police officers from the San Diego Police Department, raided Med-West Distribution. This was a legal medical marijuana business that carved its niche refining cannabis oil for use in vaporizer pen devices. Officers decked out in helmets, tactical vests and heavily armed barged in, pointed guns at workers, handcuffed those inside and scoured the property for valuables. They seized a safe with $325,000 in cash. Officers high-fived one another as they left. Subsequent to that, in June, local police served to seizure warrants on the business’s cash as well as on the owner’s own family. The department pilfered nearly $100,000 from the family’s personal savings and checking accounts – funds that are totally unrelated to Med-West. Their two teen daughters lost their entire college savings – about $11,300.

The owner today says he is baffled. He was operating a marijuana business legally in compliance with state laws and local regulations. Neither the owner nor his wife has been charged with any crime. None of his employees, several of whom were arrested, were indicted in connection with that raid. And yet, the police department has refused the family’s repeated requests to return their money. Further, prosecutors have yet – more than 10 months after the fact – to file a civil forfeiture action against their bank accounts.

Without access to this money, the business has gone under. Thirty-five employees are out-of-a-job. The owner is scrambling each month to pay his personal bills, worrying how he will cover his daughter’s tuition. He’s struggling to cover the support of his octogenarian mother.

Desperate, the family is taking legal action, and according to Forbes.com, recently filed a motion in a San Diego Superior Court to ask the court to force law enforcement to return their property.

These types of civil forfeiture actions have the potential to ruin lives. Take, for example, the college student whose entire life savings was seized by federal drug agents, even though he’d never been charged with a drug-related crime. Then there was the attempt by agents in Anaheim to seize a $1.5 million property because a landlord there rented to a medical marijuana dispensary that sold four grams of marijuana to an agent acting in an undercover capacity without a valid prescription.

Our marijuana asset protection attorneys in Los Angeles know that civil forfeiture is a blatant abuse of power. Yet it’s perfectly legal because, even though medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996, detectives are able to justify these actions by citing federal law or even state bans of “chemical extraction” of cannabis concentrates. Never mind the fact that the law being cited here was intended to target methamphetamine laboratories and other operations that produce highly combustible and dangerous materials. But either way, it shouldn’t matter in the San Diego case because there wasn’t any raw marijuana or extraction equipment discovered at this cite. This company wasn’t performing extraction.

Courts in California have firmly held that police must adhere to probable case standards. Authorities are acting as if they are carrying around a blank check for these seizures, but in reality, they do have to afford people their due process rights.

If your rights have been infringed or your property seized in a California civil forfeiture action, we can help.

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

Additional Resources:

Cops Raid Medical Marijuana Business, Seize Over $100,000, Including Teenage Girls’ College Savings, Nov. 2, 2016, By Nick Sibilla, Forbes.com

More Blog Entries:

Forget Trump, Clinton – Marijuana Will be the Real Winner of This Election, Oct. 22, 2016, L.A. Marijuana Attorney Blog

July marijuana sales also soared past the previous record, set in April 2016 (during a month that includes the yearly 4/20 marijuana holiday), which was $117.4 million. Medical sales accounted for about $41 million of that total, while recreational marijuana sales totaled about $77 million.

Meanwhile this July, sales of recreational marijuana in Colorado spiked at $83.8 million, according to the state’s department of revenue.

So what’s going on? There are a few different theories. For one thing, marijuana is becoming more mainstream. More people are trying it. More people are feeling free to buy it legally. More people are traveling from other parts of the country – or even other parts of the globe – to sample some sensimilla. On top of that, it was July, which means it’s the height of the summer party season. People are having backyard parties, there are concerts, festivals and all different kinds of events. People tend to be out-and-about more. School is out. More people are taking vacations, time off and traveling.

In general, this kind of pattern has been seen with alcohol too, so it makes sense that we’re seeing it now also with marijuana.

Historically, we’ve seen the most marijuana sales occur in July, August and September, state revenue officials report.

Another driving force was almost certainly the fact that Colorado lifted its previous restriction allowing tourists access to only a quarter ounce of the drug at any given time. As of June – the month before the sales spike – tourists are now allowed to buy and possess just as much as residents – up to one ounce a day/ at a time.

Including the July sales increase, the Colorado marijuana industry drummed up a total of more than $720 million in sales just in the first seven months of 2016. That’s a 34 percent increase from 2015, when a total of $538 million in sales were counted in the first seven months.

Of the total marijuana sales in 2016 so far, $465 million was from recreational marijuana. This gives us an idea in California of what we stand to gain by passing pro-marijuana legislation, especially when you consider that so far this year, the state has raked in almost $106 million in taxes and fees. Those go to bolster educational efforts, roadway construction and health programs.

Of course, the year-end 2015 total of $135 million represents just a small slice of the state’s $10 billion general revenue coffers, and it only chips away at the K-12 educational funding deficit of more than $830 million. Still, it doesn’t hurt.

Analysts estimate marijuana taxes will flatten out around $150 million each fiscal year. The state also has to consider how sales may fall once other states start passing similar legislation. Colorado is in a unique position now because it’s one of just four states that allow recreational marijuana use. Two of those – Alaska and Washington State – are largely inaccessible to most of the country, particularly those on the East Coast. That could change if/ when California approves medical marijuana.

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

Additional Resources:

Colorado pot shops post record-breaking sales figures topping $122 million in July, Sept. 12, 2016, By Alicia Wallace, The Cannabist

More Blog Entries:

Medical Marijuana May be Best Solution to Painkiller Epidemic, Sept. 3, 2016, L.A. Marijuana Lawyer Blog

Simultaneously, the Washington Post reports that there have been calls by the head of the legislative black caucus to prohibit elected officials from participating in the industry. Officials who backed the measure are questioning a fellow politician who also supported the legislation – and then later was welcomed aboard a company seeking a license to cultivate and distribute the drug. Del. Cheryl Glenn says the failure of Del. Dan Morhaim to make his dual roles clear. Both Glenn and Morhaim are Democrats from Baltimore.

These issues combined have proven impediments in a legalization process that has been marked with numerous missteps and delays since Maryland voters approved medical marijuana three years ago. Now, the state is clearing 15 companies for cultivation of the drug and another 15 companies for marijuana processing. None of those 30 companies are owned or operated by an African American – despite the fact that one-third of the population in Maryland is black.

Glenn, in addition to calling out Morhaim for his public support of a measure in which he stood to personally profit, urged Hogan to call for a special legislative session in the coming weeks to discuss the lack of minority ownership of marijuana companies. She added it may be possible to authorize regulators to dole out additional licenses to companies owned by minorities. If the governor refuses this request, the next regular session for lawmakers in that state won’t begin until January. That seems more likely because a spokesman for the governor said that while lack racial diversity in the marijuana industry is a concern, it doesn’t warrant a special legislative session. He has, however, asked his chief lobbyist and an adviser to hammer out possible solutions. Still, the governor doesn’t have any direct power to address the issue because the state’s Medical Cannabis Commission is operated separately from the governor’s office. The governor appoints the executive director and commission members, but doesn’t have any input in which companies get a license.

Another reason why this is especially pressing is because the medical marijuana law that was passed in 2013 specifically stated that regulators need to actively seek ethnic, racial and geographic diversity within the industry.

Commissioners granted the licenses on a preliminary basis using outside reviewers who combed through the applications (names redacted). They did consider geographic diversity by granting licenses to lower-ranked applicants who were located in in more rural counties, to ensure there would be growers in other areas of the state – and not all concentrated in Baltimore. However, when it came to consideration of minority-owned marijuana companies, the commission didn’t give extra weight based on race, due to the advice of the state’s attorney general. The attorney general warned it may be unconstitutional to award licenses partially based on the owner’s minority status in an industry that had no history of racial discrimination. However, an attorney general spokeswoman now says that didn’t mean the commission couldn’t consider race. Instead, it could have researched whether there exists a historical racial disparity in industries similar to medical marijuana or in other states that have medical marijuana programs. That would have settled the “no history of racial discrimination” issue.

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

Additional Resources:

Hogan, Frosh concerned about lack of diversity in Maryland’s medical pot licenses, Aug. 26, 2016, By Fenit Nirappil, The Washington Post More Blog Entries: Marijuana Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill Passed by California Assembly, Aug. 20, 2016, L.A. Marijuana Lawyer Blog