than it does in California. According to Associated Press, the new law that recently went into effect did not include provisions for how to tax and regulate marijuana production. As our marijuana attorneys can explain, this means while residents can possess and consume cannabis, they cannot open up a business to sell recreational products.

Broken down into more precise terms, this is what adult-use legalization means for those in Vermont. Residents are allowed to have four immature cannabis plants and two mature plants in their homes, so while it’s true there are no stores to purchase from, marijuana can be grown at home. Plants must be in enclosures that are secure and obscured from public view. Renters, however, must have permission from their landlords before they are allowed to begin a grow. Those 21 years and older are allowed to possess up to one ounce of marijuana, but it cannot be consumed in public spaces.Aside from home grows and all their limitations, the only other options Vermont residents have is to procure marijuana by illicit means. This is not unlike the way medical marijuana started in Vermont. Medical marijuana was legalized in the state in 2004 with the passage of Senate Bill 76. This law offered protections to qualifying patients and their caregivers who possessed or cultivated marijuana. The move was more about making sure that people who needed cannabis for health reasons were not treated like criminals, rather than giving them a concrete way to access and distribute cannabis products. As anyone in the medical marijuana industry knows, this is problematic because it limits the ways patients can consume marijuana and is a really imprecise way to attain proper strains and dosages to treat specific symptoms. It wasn’t until 2011 that the infrastructure really began to take shape when Senate Bill 17 allowed four state-licensed nonprofit organizations to dispense medical marijuana.

Vermont is also unusual in that it is the first state to legalize recreational marijuana through legislation rather than a ballot measure. In 2015, legislators attempted to push bills through that would establish a regulated system for recreational cannabis sales, but could not get any traction. A few attempts to legalize possession hit walls in 2017. Finally in early 2018, a possession, use, and cultivation bill passed. Once again, the intention of the state is clear: officials know people are already using marijuana recreationally, and so long as they follow guidelines, there’s no reason they should not be allowed to carry on.

Our Los Angeles recreational marijuana lawyers hope this new law paves the way for a more official adult-use marketplace to be established in Vermont in the near future. Most states have already come to realize the medical benefits of cannabis. The more states recognize cannabis as a benign recreational alternative to already socially acceptable products like alcohol and cigarettes, the quicker we can move forward together as a country. Right now marijuana businesses in California are still stifled by federal laws. The sooner we all unite on this issue, the more opportunities we will have to expand cannabis business ventures nationwide.

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:

Vermont Medical Marijuana Laws & Regulations, Americans for Safe Access

More Blog Entries:

Vermont Governor Signs Recreational Marijuana into Law, Feb. 1, 2018, Marijuana Law Blog

owners of California with the implementation of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act at the start of this new year, legalizing recreational marijuana.

Commercial sales were legalized in California as of Jan. 1, but the exact date of implementation varies from region to region based on local laws and ordinances. Some areas have even decided to maintain a ban on recreational use, such as Kern County, while others have not yet decided the fate of their particular city or region yet.

Officials such as Lori Ajax, chief of the Bureau of Cannabis Control, explain that this complicates the rollout process, making it unclear to citizens as to what to expect throughout the state in the months ahead.According to a report from the Associated Press, Ajax said business owners need to secure local permits as well as state licenses before opening their doors. This has caused delays in some areas, including Los Angeles.

This can also cause ripples throughout the supply chain across the state. Retailers must coordinate with distributors, manufacturers, testers, and growers. If some links in the chain aren’t in compliance or don’t have licensing, it can affect businesses throughout the state. For example, if retailers are all set up, but they don’t have ready access to product, there is no business.

Beyond the basics of licensing are the many regulations required for a business to operate above board. It’s probable state officials will be making repeat visits to commercial establishments to ensure all guidelines are being met.

Our Los Angeles recreational marijuana lawyers are here to provide expertise and assistance to business owners in California looking to secure licenses, permits, and ensure compliance. This will make the process much less complicated for you as the owner, and cut back on delays that could derail your business. We can teach you all you need to know to set up and successfully run your company.

Such education is key to long-term success of the marijuana marketplace, according to the Bureau for Cannabis Control. The economy depends on as many businesses getting on board with regulations as possible. Otherwise the black market will be an unruly competitor, able to operate without necessary regulations and taxes.

It could also mean that enforcement of regulations is weighted by priority. The bureau said, for example, that egregious violations of course need to be punished, but businesses that are making an honest effort to be in compliance should not be treated as harshly. This will encourage more businesses to adhere to guidelines rather than operate in the shadows. Our lawyers applaud efforts to make this transition to legal operations as smooth as possible for law-abiding business owners and understand the steps necessary to help businesses get there.

These same local regulations make it complicated for average residents to know their rights as well. Similar to tobacco use, smoking is restricted in public, particularly around schools, daycares with children, and while driving. Recreational use inside a business will be up to local governments.

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

Additional Resources:

Q&A: California’s Marijuana Czar Explains Legalization, Dec. 23, 2017, By Michael R. Blood, The Associated Press

Other Blog Entries:

Concerns About Recreational Marijuana in California, July 15, 2017, L.A. Marijuana Lawyer Blog

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

In response to this, a number of Sessions’ fellow Republicans – including Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman – are urging Sessions to reconsider.

Specifically, Coffman told The Denver Post she extended an invitation to Sessions to come to Colorado and see how the state has managed and regulated its recreational marijuana industry. Coffman’s invitation was reportedly extended in a meeting with some of Session’s top staffers in Washington D.C. Coffman noted that Colorado is a good place for Sessions to start any inquiry on the matter, as Colorado is the state with the longest history of recreational marijuana in the country.

Coffman had been attending a meeting for the National Association of Attorneys General, for whom Sessions gave a speech indicating his firm believe that drugs are at the core of criminal activity. He further voiced his fierce opposition to marijuana legalization, and voiced skepticism that “marijuana sold at every corner grocery store” makes us a healthier, better country.

Still, Coffman reported Sessions’ staffers did express interest in coming to Colorado and reviewing the regulatory framework for recreational marijuana. She said his comments appeared to be broad policy statements, absent any specific plans for how he would address legalized marijuana in his new role.

The remarks offered by Sessions weren’t much different than what was revealed by White House Pres Secretary Sean Spicer days earlier, when he told reporters the Department of Justice is likely to bolster enforcement of federal anti-marijuana laws, even in states that have legalized the drug.

Coffman opined the Trump administration hasn’t determined yet an exact approach, or whether they will do anything starkly different from the Obama administration. She said the sense she gets at this juncture is that legal marijuana may be left alone in states where it is legal, but that federal government agents will be dogged about ensuring the substance doesn’t cross state lines.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has made halting the flow of black market marijuana from Colorado to other states a top priority over the last two years. The agency has partnered with local law enforcement agencies to halt marijuana grow operations – mostly in residential homes – that exist for the purpose of providing supply for out-of-state distributors. The DEA has launched numerous investigations, served search warrants and seized large amounts of marijuana.

The Colorado attorney general said that if conflicts arise between the federal government and the state on the issue of recreational marijuana laws, she plans to uphold state laws. However, our cannabis lawyers understand she did warn there could be situations in which her office would not have the authority to intervene. For example, if there were cases that involved specific businesses or individual marijuana users, action would likely be under the federal government’s purview. That would mean the state wouldn’t have standing to be a plaintiff or even a party in certain cases.

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 AG invites Jeff Sessions to come visit a recreational marijuana state and “see what we have done”, March 1, 2017, By Jesse Paul, The Denver Post

More Blog Entries:

Sessions Focus on Cannabis Appears to be on Cartels, March 6, 2017, L.A. Cannabis Lawyer Blog