California cannabis lawyers

December 5, 2018

California Cannabis Insurance: Risks and Regulations

Almost all California businesses know they’ll need to secure some type of insurance. Unfortunately, as our Los Angeles marijuana business attorneys know full well, companies that deal in cannabis face a host of major hurdles for this essential service. Although the California Insurance Commissioner has approved a handful of insurance carriers to offer insurance coverage to the cannabis industry this year, giving growers and distributors at least some options, there is a good argument to be made that cannabis companies need an insurer tailored to meet the unique needs of the industry – just like they require an attorney who specializes in marijuana law. Los Angeles marijuana lawyers

Although it has become easier this year for cannabis companies to find insurance coverage than ever before, Los Angeles marijuana business attorneys recognize the industry is still very under-served.

Most cannabis insurance primarily focuses on product liability coverage, as explained in a recent article by Insurance Journal. However, there are a number of other potential liabilities too for which cannabis companies likely could use insurance coverage. That’s an opportunity for insurance companies, but of course many are keenly aware of the risk, given federal laws pertaining to money laundering when doing business with any enterprise that derives income from illegal sale of cannabis. Continue reading

November 28, 2018

California Cannabis Lawyers Explain Why “Free Samples” Could Cost Your Pot Business

By Cannabis Law Group

Many retailers extend promotional offers to drum up new business or garner awareness of a new product. However, just as with almost every other aspect of operation and sales, California cannabis companies must be especially careful about how they market and promote their product. Otherwise, as our California cannabis lawyers can explain, distributors may find their green business deep in the red – and themselves in handcuffs. marijuana lawyer

Recently, The Olympian reported recently that a pot shop owner in a Washington state suburb drew the attention and ire of state regulators for allegedly passing out free samples in violation of the state’s recreational marijuana laws. An undercover investigation was launched after officials received an anonymous tip about an alleged illegal marijuana club on site. Social media advertisements indicated free samples to the product were provided upstairs. Undercover officers began investigating the pot shop, and were offered free samples by an employee, who told them they could try it in another section of the building that wasn’t licensed. The officers reported that when they got to this portion of the building, they saw several individuals smoking marijuana.

The problem is marijuana retailers cannot, as Los Angeles cannabis business lawyers can explain, offer a ‘try it before you buy it” sort of deal for marijuana customers. This is largely owing to the fact marijuana business licensees in California, just as in Washington, are required to keep track of their product from seed to sale. By diverting products to be distributed as free samples, they are in violation of the law. Continue reading

June 13, 2018

Hashing Out Cannabis Supply Issues

By Cannabis Law Group

California could learn a thing or two from those who paved the way for cannabis legalization. For example, Uruguay cannabis lawyer was the first country to fully legalize marijuana, and the South American country has learned much as a result of trial-by-error. Cannabis was legalized there five years ago, but it wasn’t until last year that legal sales began. Since then, Uruguay has experienced a number of supply problems. Residents report having to travel long distances to licensed pharmacies, and sometimes once they arrive, the supply is dry.

According to a report from High Times, the issues are two-fold. First an excess in government oversight is creating supply chain issues. Only registered pharmacies can sell cannabis, and there have only been 14 licenses issued out of the 1,200 pharmacies in Uruguay. The government is also in charge of cultivation of marijuana, but only two cultivators have received licenses. Much like in California, when too many restrictions come between buyers and their marijuana, many consumers will choose black market options, even though there are legal options.

Second, the head of the Uruguay National Drug Council said there is an issue of farming capacity. Farming cannabis on such a large scale was not common, and there certainly was not a guidebook available. This led to a learning curve for cultivators to catch up on technology and processing on a mass scale. The two cultivators have just recently reached the allowed capacity of 4 metric tons per year. Continue reading

November 10, 2017

Whoopi Goldberg’s Cannabis Business Looks to Corner the Market on Female Marijuana Users

By Cannabis Law Group

Identifying the target market of a business is an important step for any entrepreneur. Profitability can be enhanced by spending advertising budgets effectively, and expanding into markets which have the best potential for sustained business growth and profitability. Entertainment icon Whoopi Goldberg is now breaking into the cannabis industry with this strategy. She and her business partner, Maya Elisabeth, are marketing their products to the medical needs of women. cannabis business lawyers

The Whoopi & Maya Market

Goldberg and Elisabeth launched their cannabis brand, Whoopi & Maya, with a focus on female users. The Daily Beast reports that this has allowed them to gain traction in California’s expanding market for topical cannabis products. And as their business has expanded its efforts to meet the needs of women, Goldberg herself has become vocal on another issue: the use of medical marijuana to treat menstrual pain. She lives in New Jersey, where Governor Chris Christie has rejected legislative efforts to add menstrual pain to the list of qualifying conditions for accessing medical marijuana in that state. Goldberg claims that Christie has stated “several times” that he doesn’t believe period pain is real pain. This has spurred her efforts to market Whoopi & Maya products to sufferers of menstrual pain, and raise awareness of the issue in her public appearances. Continue reading

September 12, 2017

Confusion Between State and Federal Law Makes it Unclear Who Will Be Prosecuted for Marijuana Offenses

By Cannabis Law Group

Here in the western states, the conflict between strict federal marijuana laws and increasingly-permissive state marijuana laws has created much confusion. The public, government officials, and even police officers on the front lines of marijuana law enforcement seem unable to reach a consensus on what cases will be prosecuted and why. Now, more than ever, it is critical that defendants facing marijuana charges have a the advice of a criminal defense attorney who is skilled in cannabis-related offenses. cannabis defense lawyers Continue reading

September 11, 2017

Wedding Industry Says ‘I Do’ to the Marijuana Industry

By Cannabis Law Group

It’s a new trend, but one that perhaps should not be surprising to Californians. More and more couples are choosing to make marijuana part of their special day. From cannabis buds in fl

cannabis wedding lawyers

oral arrangements to marijuana favors for guests, there are many ways to incorporate marijuana into the more classical wedding traditions. The Guardian reports on one wedding that featured a “pot sommelier”. Wearing a three-piece suit, the elegant professional presided over a “dab bar”, and gave guests guidance on the best marijuana pairings for their palettes. The Atlantic describes another couple who chose to share a “first toke” with their guests in lieu of a more traditional first toast to the newlyweds. Still other couples commissioned specialty versions of traditional wedding products, such as a four-foot ice bong, or a “unity bowl” with two mouthpieces, upon which the couple could share a ceremonial first toke together.

For wedding planners, caterers, florists, venue operators, and other wedding vendors, the legalization of recreational marijuana in California has created a vastly-expanded potential market of specialty services to offer their clientele. While the marijuana industry is still highly regulated, it is also very profitable. Wedding vendors can successfully execute business expansions with strategic operations, legal compliance, and other important business planning.

August 8, 2017

Cases Out of Marin County Show Anti-Marijuana Sentiment Runs Deep

By Cannabis Law Group

Marijuana use has always been an issue of heated political debate. Whether for recreational or medicinal use, staunch opponents fight he presence of marijuana just as vehemently as proponents fight its absence. California – with its diverse population and wide variety of political leanings – has a long list of cities and counties that are friendly to cannabis businesses, and just as many which fight to keep such businesses out altogether. These vastly different market climates can mean the difference between life and death for a business.

cannabis business lawyer

The Conundrum of Marin County

In the liberal cannabis climate of Northern California, Marin County is a conservative outlier on marijuana issues. Sonoma County has an estimated twelve thousand residents working in the cannabis industry. Nearby Humboldt, Trinity, and Mendocino Counties form an area quickly becoming known as the “Emerald Triangle” for its vast marijuana farms. In contrast, every city and town council in Marin County (other than Fairfax) has either taken public positions against marijuana dispensaries or banned them altogether. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that this lead Marin County officials to recently reject ten dispensary applications. The County also received two separate anti-dispensary petitions with hundreds of signatures. This is a confusing message from a county which approved the 2016 recreational use referendum by seventy percent. Continue reading