Legally-Blunt

Written By Simon Menkes CPA and Abraham Finberg CPA When we meet non-cannabis people at Hollywood parties and they find out the industry we serve, their reactions are pretty typical: “Do you get free weed?” and “Can you explain that 280E law? It's so confusing!” While we just smile at the f...

Written by Kristen Abajian Welcome to a murky new movement to bring psychedelics out of the shadows and into a medical and research forefront. This movement aims to decriminalize psilocybin, otherwise known as the “magic” in magic mushrooms.  What is psilocybin?  Psilocybin is the main ingre...

California policymakers have several time-sensitive decisions on their plate regarding the cannabis industry. Surviving state license backlogs, navigating tax burdens, and reducing barriers to local licensure are just a handful of the biggest concerns facing cannabusinesses, and as we reach the...

There's no such thing as a “basic” cannabis contract -- and commercial cannabis leases are no exception.  Unlike with standard commercial leases, cannabis landlords and tenants must navigate the inconsistencies (indeed, outright conflict) between federal and state law, the complexities of state...

Since last month's update, there have been several meetings where LA City Council and DCR discussed the different possibilities and processes for the upcoming Phase 3.  After much debate and public input, the city has released final ordinances which you can read here and here.  In addition, there...

By Abraham Finberg CPA and Simon Menkes CPA “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away …” It is a time of civil war, and the REBEL CANNABIS BUSINESS OWNERS are fighting battles on all fronts with the STORMTROOPERS from the federal, state, and local TAX AUTHORITIES. This article is about one su...

Legalizing hemp is one thing, regulating the hemp industry is another. The 2018 Farm Bill explicitly legalized hemp production in the U.S., but transporting it across state lines is still questionable.  In fact, the Farm Bill makes it clear that regulations for the hemp industry must be determi...

Over the last several weeks, the City of Los Angeles has been very busy! The city has approved a budget for funding the DCR, funding for Enforcement against unlicensed shops, approved LADWP to shut off utilities, and recommended that the city start to enforce high fines and compensatory damages a...

In case you missed it, Barneys New York made headlines this past February when it announced that it was opening its very own cannabis pop-up shop at its Beverly Hills flagship location; making it the first major retailer to introduce a whole section devoted to cannabis lifestyle and wellness.  ...

California is experiencing some serious growing pains. Business owners and cannabis supporters are still battling against local jurisdictions to have them open their doors for cannabis regulations; some locals are suing the state for allowing delivery regardless of their current rules on cannabis...

CBD, or cannabidiol, is somehow everywhere.  You can now find it in patches and creams at Walgreens or CVS.  You can get it in coffee and even doughnuts, at least in Portland, Oregon.  So, that means CBD is completely legal, right, at least if it is derived from hemp, right?  No, not exactly. As...

California's Cannabis Advisory Committee (CAC) was scheduled to meet on March 27 for its first meeting of 2019. But now that the regulations are finalized, what's left for the CAC to do? Officially formed in October 2017 as a result of statutory mandate, the CAC is tasked with advising the th...

As Congress begins considering 2019 legislation in earnest, the national cannabis community wonders which bills may change federal cannabis laws, or at least, make banking easier.  Each year, we see more bills introduced with higher profile sponsors. We have already seen our first congressional...

The whiplash in LA continues as the city ventures to create plans and procedures for its anticipated phase 3 application window.   If you'll recall, the DCR recently issued a series of recommendations for phase 3 that city council was considering.  DCR recommendations re: Phase 3   Shortly ther...

Written by: Talyor Ulrich, Esq. Currently, 30 U.S. states have laws on the books legalizing cannabis in some form. But it is still considered illegal by federal laws, leaving most risk-averse banks too scared to do business with legal marijuana businesses for fear of angering their regulators...

The ink on California's state cannabis regulations is barely dry, yet legislators have already introduced nearly 20 bills that could impact the rules governing the industry. Some of the bills are reincarnations of those that were vetoed or killed through the legislative process last year. Take, f...

Written by Abraham Finberg, CPA and Simon Menkes, CPA In December of 2018, the Grinch visited more than just a few unlucky homes in America.  He also appeared in the guise of a couple of judges who ruled on the Harborside and Alternative/Wellness (Donald Duncan) cases. The Harborside Case in ...

It's the beginning of the year and that means planning for springtime festivals -  Coachella, High Times, County fairs, Cannabis Cup, and StageCoach - to name a few. However, this year may bring a different flair to California events - Cannabis.  As cannabis events are tapping into the Golden S...

In case you missed it, California's regulators announced last week that the Office of Administrative Law (“OAL”) officially approved regulations for all commercial cannabis licensees.  One of the most controversial rules to come from the Bureau of Cannabis Control (“BCC”) is Section 5032 (which...

It's been a long time coming, but California's final regulations for the cannabis industry are here. And for once, there aren't any surprises. We saw the results of the last round of rulemaking in December, and the only thing standing between cannabis businesses and the sanity of their compliance...

We have now reached another dramatic change in the history of cannabis. As of January 9, 2019, the protections set forth under the historic MMP ceased. Instead, licensing and the regulations under MAUCRSA govern. Background In 2003, the California Legislature enacted Senate Bill 420, otherwis...

In December 2018, the president signed the Farm Bill into law.  The Farm Bill vastly expands the commercial prospects for industrial hemp in the United States, removing hemp from the Controlled Substances Act (though, not cannabis, which remains Schedule I).  Without question, the 2018 Farm Bil...

There is a lot of action making its way through the Los Angeles City Council and the Department of Cannabis Regulations (“DCR”). We've prepared a preview of some of the most pertinent and interesting: EMMDs Now Precluded from Relocating As of November 30th, Existing Medical Marijuana Dispensar...

Housing Rights for Tenants with Patient Recommendations Housing providers are free to regulate conduct unrelated to any fair housing protected class however they choose. An outright ban on the use, possession, or cultivation of marijuana on site does not violate any landlord/tenant or fair ho...

We're reaching the end of the California cannabis industry's first year operating in a newly regulated market. Businesses have seen the state's licensing authorities flip flop on key regulatory issues, costing them an arm and a leg to maintain compliance. Cities and counties that haven't banned c...