Although the California marijuana industry has hoped for tax relief as it struggles to compete with a thriving illicit market, a tax increase could be on the way. A tax hike would hit cannabis companies’ bottom line and could drive more consumers into the illicit market in search of cheaper marijuana products. But an increase […]
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MedMen taking Miami Beach to court over cannabis dispensary regulations
Multistate marijuana operator MedMen is suing Miami Beach, Florida, claiming a local regulation – which requires medical cannabis dispensaries be at least 1,200 feet from each other – violates state law. According to the Miami Herald, MedMen is charging the city’s zoning ordinance would limit the number of dispensaries in Miami Beach to seven – which […]
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California cannabis firms struggle to make sense of new track-and-trace system, fanning fears over its expanded rollout
Many California marijuana business executives welcome the state’s newly mandated track-and-trace system as an opportunity to ensure industry transparency – but they worry the technology’s rollout could prove rocky. Industry officials report widespread confusion about how to operate Metrc, the software the state relies on to power the track-and-trace system. Confusion also swirls around how […]
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California environmental regulations and marijuana: Q&A with Green Wise’s Pamela Epstein
Before joining the cannabis industry as an attorney and business consultant, Pamela Epstein practiced environmental law. Epstein, founder of Los Angeles-based Green Wise Consulting, specialized in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a law that all companies in the state – cannabis or otherwise – must take into account. It mandates a review of any […]
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Massachusetts cannabis RICO case settled out of court for ‘substantial’ amount
A Massachusetts racketeering lawsuit against a marijuana shop was dismissed, but the victory for that cannabis business didn’t come without a cost. The parties agreed to a “substantial” but confidential out-of-court settlement, according to recent information published by Masslive.com. A civil racketeering case – utilizing the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) statutes – was filed […]
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NY marijuana trade group expels MedMen; company says it hasn’t been notified
The New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association (NYMCIA) has expelled California-based MedMen from its ranks, an organization spokesman confirmed to Marijuana Business Daily, but the company said it has yet to be notified of such a move. “(MedMen) didn’t resign, but then we threw them out,” said the spokesman, who requested anonymity. “They are no […]
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‘Wide divide’ might delay New York vote on recreational marijuana until 2020
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he’s “no longer confident” an agreement to legalize recreational marijuana in New York will be included in the state budget that’s due by April 1, raising the possibility the state Legislature won’t approve retail sales of cannabis this year. There are just too many details on legalization that must be agreed […]
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CA class action suit set to proceed against county that banned marijuana grows
A class action lawsuit against a rural California county that prohibited marijuana grows after collecting taxes and fees from hundreds of cultivators is poised to proceed after a judge’s ruling that overruled objections from the county. The lawsuit – filed last August on behalf of several hundred MJ farmers in Calaveras County – seeks the […]
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Chart of the Week: California marijuana business licenses expiring at a rapid clip
California’s cannabis industry is facing a licensing quandary, which state legislation likely will address, but the situation could still prove problematic for businesses that want to comply with the law instead of joining the illicit market. The problem: Thousands of temporary business licenses – under which most of the legal MJ supply chain has operated since […]
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L.A. City Council moves ahead with marijuana licensing and enforcement proposals
The Los Angeles City Council on Friday forged ahead with two cannabis industry proposals: one to clamp down on illegal shops and one to start another licensing round. The first proposal, to cut off utilities for unlicensed shops that have been running amok in L.A. for years, passed quickly. The second, however, involved much more heated […]
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Three cannabis reform bills reintroduced in Congress
The list of pro-marijuana reform bills in Congress just got a little longer. Not only was the anticipated bipartisan SAFE Banking Act reintroduced on Thursday after a much-publicized congressional hearing last month, but two more members of the House of Representatives held a news conference on Capitol Hill to call for federal reforms. Flanked by […]
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L.A. push to start new marijuana licensing round angers social equity backers
Several proponents of the Los Angeles cannabis social equity program – which is designed to better involve minorities and those affected by the war on drugs in the city’s marijuana industry – said Wednesday that officials are moving too quickly to the next round of MJ business licensing. The L.A. City Council’s Rules Committee on […]
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