Regulatory

These days, everyone is throwing a hat into the ring of cannabis reform. Many ideas are floating around; some of them are not so hot. Last week’s federal legislative activity is a good example of this. Two things happened on the same day: the Senate unanimously passed the CMRE Act (Cannabidiol and Marihuana Research Expansion […]

Real estate is on the forefront of many people’s minds with New York on the doorstep of adult-use cannabis applications. And for good reason: owning or controlling real estate will be a requirement for applicants (with some soon-to-be caveats for social equity applicants). We have fielded lots of calls from prospective adult-use cannabis applicants starting

Is the lawful use requirement for trademarks lawful? In a recent Vanderbilt Law Review article, Robert A. Mikos compellingly argues that it is not. The article is a must-read for anyone interested in the topic of cannabis trademarks, but highlights a problem that goes far beyond cannabis, and indeed trademark law. For those unfamiliar with

OLCC rules are complex and change frequently, so compliance can be challenging and violations occur frequently. Over the years, we’ve represented clients in administrative proceedings across the west coast, and each system has its own quirks. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you find yourself in the process. Focus on compliance

Who is a “qualified applicant” under Oregon’s new marijuana license reassignment program? First, some context. House Bill 4016, which introduced the reassignment concept, represents a sea change for Oregon’s licensed marijuana industry. The bill presently awaits signature by the Governor, and no one is betting it won’t become law. Our take on all of Oregon’s

Even though California has been issuing cannabis licenses since January 2018, I still get the same questions around cannabis regulatory, corporate and transactional items even from seasoned California cannabis licensees. This post constitutes a California cannabis FAQ list for readers with common California cannabis questions. Who can own a California cannabis business? Literally anyone at

This past weekend, I was finally able to attend the renowned International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) here in Barcelona, Spain. The event had been cancelled for two consecutive years due to the pandemic. I attended interesting panels on everything from cannabis 3.0, to cannatech, to the current challenges of cannabis clubs in Spain. I want

On March 7, Oregon law makers passed Senate Bill 1564 (SB 1564) which empowers counties to impose hemp moratoriums within their jurisdictions. To impose a hemp moratorium, a county must simply declare a state of emergency related to cannabis and notify the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) of the declaration and request that the ODA

With little fanfare or advance notice, the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (“DASNY”) released a request for information (“RFI”) last month to determine interest and solicit information from qualified parties for an investment fund to finance “the establishment and development of adult-use retail cannabis dispensaries (“RCDs”)” for social and economic equity applicants.

Unfortunately, it looks like Mexico may leave hemp out of the cannabis law bill. That is right folks, after much discussion, lobbying and attempts to educate the government on cannabis legalization in Mexico (yes, we have also made our small contributions), the Mexican Senate seems more focused on creating the appearance that it will go