marijuana after its city council voted overwhelmingly to regulate industry operations. The council passed a series of amendments that will set guidelines for cultivators, testing labs, distributors, and dispensaries in the city, according to an article from Press-Telegram. The 7-1 vote reflected a strong support from council, with the support of the mayor as well as the residents who voted for Proposition 64 in November 2016.

City staffers estimate the move could bring in about $750,000 in taxes from recreational sales next year and a whopping $4.5 million from medical marijuana taxes. City officials also hope to stimulate the economy with a clause that requires collective-bargaining agreements with United Food and Commercial Workers 324, the union that represents cannabis workers, raising the bar on the quality of jobs provided by local establishments. Long Beach also joins other California cities in creating social equity programs, designed to lift up communities most harmed in the past by reckless marijuana law enforcement policies. Those who qualify will have certain fees waived, have their applications fast-tracked for review, get access to special workshops, and qualify for tax deferrals. Restrictions for the program include meeting certain income requirements. More specifically, a person would need to have less than $250,000 net worth and fall below 80 percent of the local median income. They also would have to have an arrest, conviction, or citation spurred by a marijuana-related offense before recreational marijuana was passed in the state. In lieu of legal troubles, a person could also qualify if they lived in a census tract of Long Beach in which more than half the population lived below 80 percent of the median income.

The city also has a network of rules they are putting in place in regards to licensing, how many dispensaries are allowed to operate, and where all operations are allowed to set up shop. This is where the help of an experienced attorney can make a big difference in how you manage your business. If you’re thinking of opening a new shop, setting up a consultation with one of our skilled Los Angeles marijuana business lawyers is the first step toward success. Our legal team knows the ins and outs of state and local laws, keeping up with changes that occur day by day, and can help you stay in compliance with those laws. This service alone takes a huge weight off your shoulders so you can focus on running your business with confidence knowing you don’t have to look over your shoulder for compliance officers. We also help you with the licensing and application processes, which you might not even realize often require more than just paperwork. Depending on the city, you likely will also have to appear before city council and planning commission for application reviews, a process which is much more relaxed with a knowledgeable attorney by your side.

Smart business owners seek out these services upfront so their operations are built on a solid foundation. Otherwise you might be seeking our help down the road to undo costly mistakes made in the beginning that can cause damage to your reputation and your business’s bottom line.

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:

City Council Moves Forward With Recreational Marijuana Sales Regulations, June 20, 2018, By Chris Haire, The Grunion

More Blog Entries:

Long Beach Moves Forward with Recreational Marijuana Business Plans, Dec. 30, 2017, Cannabis Law Group

concrete relief from the oppressive federal law that continues to bind the hands of marijuana businesses despite state legalization. The STATES Act, Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States, is a more formal way of declaring that state laws regarding cannabis usurp the federal government’s Schedule I classification under Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 812.

According to a report from Leafly, the bill allows representatives who refuse to step into the 21st Century to support marijuana businesses without taking a stance on marijuana at all. It turns the matter purely into a states’ rights issue, which has become the great unifier in the cannabis debate. It also removes industrial hemp from the definition of “marijuana,” freeing many industries that create products unrelated to the psychoactive properties of cannabis.The bill would help marijuana businesses owners clear a key hurdle they face daily in running a proper business: lack of banking options. As our L.A. marijuana business lawyers can explain, banks are under federal jurisdiction, and therefore must be in compliance with federal rules. By housing funds for cannabis businesses, they would knowingly be engaging in criminal activity in the eyes of the federal government, regardless of the laws within the state. The STATES bill would establish a federal law that would act as a buffer, declaring that following state guidelines in regards to marijuana would not be considered trafficking, thus freeing the banks. The importance of this step cannot be stressed enough. Not only will it make it easier for businesses to function at a base level, but it also will make operations infinitely safer. No longer will owners have to haul massive amounts of cash down long stretches of highway trying to get funds to tax offices. Retail locations as well will not have safes with troubling amounts of cash on-site. These are legitimate businesses and it is about time they be allowed to operate as such.

The bill has garnered support from banks and business owners, as well as Democrats and Republicans. It was introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sen. Corey Gardner (R-CO) and received backing from at least 12 governors petitioning for the bill to advance, including California Gov. Jerry Brown. Sponsors of the bill in the House of Representatives included Rep. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). Blumenauer has long been a champion of states rights for cannabis, acting as one of the sponsors of the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment (originally Rohrabacher-Farr), the amendment that has passed each spending bill since 2014. It created a patch that forbid the Justice Department from using funds to go after medical marijuana operations and users in states where it was legal. If passed, the STATES Act would go much further by putting an official law on the books, rather than something that would need to be passed again and again. It also would give blessing to the state activities, rather than the current system which continues to position the activities as criminal and simply prevents punishment of those crimes.

Navigating the tangled web of local, state, and federal cannabis laws can be a challenge for business owners. Our skilled marijuana business attorneys are well-equipped to clear those challenges and help your operations meet compliance standards so you can focus on your business and your customers.

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:

How Marijuana is Going to Become Bipartisan, June 7, 2018, By Paul Waldman, Washington Post

More Blog Entries:

Federal Budget Protects State Medical Marijuana Businesses, For Now, Feb. 14, 2018, Cannabis Law Group

According to Financial Post, this purchase could make Canopy Growth, the parent company, the owner of the biggest indoor marijuana production site in Canada, and possibly the world. The building was purchased with the help of a group of collective investors who backed Canopy. There was previously a medical marijuana facility of the site, but they were only a tenant and they only took up a third of the building’s space – a whopping 472,000 square feet.

This new space has the potential for add-ons of hundreds of thousands of square feet of production and processing space, which could include expanding the indoor facilities or creating greenhouse growing platforms. Even as there is a need for commercial processing of the drug, there is also space needed to convert the marijuana and cannabinoids into products that are higher margin means of profit, such as oils and edibles. Vaporizer pens and other medical delivery options too could be easily manufactured at this site.

The company expects this expansion will allow it to triple its potential for business in Ontario.

The building was purchased for $6.6 million, with about $925,000 in shares.

At this juncture, the company has already converted about 170,000 square feet of space into a licensed cannabis production space, with 12 of up to 40 possible growing rooms now operational. There are another dozen multi-level grow rooms that are either under construction or almost to the completion stage.

The mayor of the town, Smith Falls, has said the company’s impact on the community has already been overwhelmingly positive. The site sat vacant for years after the chocolate plant shut down in 2008. That’s when Hershey moved its production to Mexico. There was no other large-scale commercial production effort that needed that kind of footprint – until this.

Now, the town is looking forward to the promise of new jobs. As of right now, the company employs 200. It’s believed that number could at least triple. This goes beyond simple marijuana production. It’s likely going to involve partnerships with other dealers and businesses in the area, a highly-technical in-house quality assurance laboratory and a seed-breeding area. The company is also looking into whether it may be able to use any of the chocolate-making equipment left behind for the production of edible products.

“We’d love to come full circle and start producing chocolate again,” said the owner. “We just need a few laws to change before we can get going.”

Eventually, the owners say they are looking forward to opening up on-site tours, training and a “bud bar” for guests to relax and enjoy the fruits of this labor.

Other analysts have opined that California is primed for a “marijuana land rush,” particularly in the northern portion of the state. California could soon become the single largest marijuana market in the country, and possibly the world. We’re already seeing these kinds of real estate stories unfold. Those looking to invest or become otherwise involved should consult an experienced marijuana attorney.

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

Additional Resources:

Cannabis producer Tweed Inc. triples production space with purchase of former Hershey factory, Jan. 27, 2017, By Sabrina Bedford, Financial Post

More Blog Entries:

California Weighs Marijuana Billboard Ban, Jan. 30, 2017, L.A. Marijuana Lawyer Blog