CCMA Political greenBrief
Thursday, January 24, 2019
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
California Law States Local Municipalities Are Able To Set Their Own Rules On How Cannabis Is Sold; Many Cities and Counties Still Ban Legal Cannabis Storefronts
“We continue to engage in a constructive dialogue regarding this matter with state regulators and operators desperately trying to get access to licensing. And we look forward to working together to reduce the illegal market through effective setting of license density, tax rate, medical access and product variety.”Weedmaps Spokesman Carl Filichio On Assumptions Of Breaking CA State Laws By Posting Illicit Market Businesses
“No matter what rhetoric they use, it’s defending a policy that subjects hundreds of thousands of people to being arrested or incarcerated over a substance that is objectively less harmful than legal alcohol or tobacco.”NORML Political Director Justin Strekal On Anti-Legalization Groups Attempting To Hijack Campaign Finance Reform Initiatives
Former Yahoo CEO And Super Bowl MVP Invest $75 Million In California Startup For ‘Cannabis Curious’ (CA – Cannabis Investments)
Forbes (January 24, 2019) On Thursday, San Jose-based cannabis marketplace, Caliva closed $75 million in funding from investors that include former Yahoo and Autodesk CEO, Carol Bartz, and three-time Super Bowl MVP, Joe Montana. Caliva’s first round will go toward expanding production of the cannabis retailer’s recreational products which include marijuana flower vape cartridges and beverages. Since its launch, Caliva has opened a dispensary in San Jose and distribution center in Brisbane – about 41 miles north of Silicon Valley. It now employs over 400 people as drivers, wellness consultants, growers, bud trimmers and scientists.
Is Weedmaps Legal? Service Lists Unlicensed Pot Shops, Raising Questions That Could Touch Many Tech Companies (CA – Cannabis Apps)
The Orange County Register (January 24, 2019) It’s been eleven months since California cannabis officials told Weedmaps, the popular online directory that helps consumers find marijuana shops, to stop listing stores that aren’t licensed. It’s also been about eleven months since Weedmaps essentially told the state to pound sand; that it would continue taking ads from all comers. And the ongoing difference of opinion between state and company could affect the cannabis industry — and other technology companies — going forward. But taking ad money from all shops, legal and otherwise, is part of the business model at Irvine-based Weedmaps.
California Today: Marijuana’s New Crop Of Consumers, By The Numbers (CA – Cannabis Industry)
The New York Times (January 24, 2019) Nobody said it’d be easy, exactly. But nobody anticipated it’d be quite this hard to get Californians to buy legal weed. That’s been the dominant takeaway from the Golden State’s first year of legalized recreational marijuana sales. In its annual State of Cannabis report, the cannabis delivery platform Eaze highlighted that the market is rapidly expanding beyond young men.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/24/us/california-today-marijuana-consumers-by-the-numbers.html
California Issues Final Cannabis Regulations (CA – State Regulations)
SF Weekly (January 24, 2019) On Jan. 16, the California Office of Administrative Law released its final version of the state’s regulations governing the recreational cannabis market. However, when it comes to regulations, “final” may best be viewed as a somewhat arbitrary distinction. Other areas of focus include lowering taxes, reinstating a tax break for compassionate-care programs, and lowering testing standards to be more in line with other states.
http://www.sfweekly.com/news/california-issues-final-cannabis-regulations/
California’s Final Cannabis Rules: 8 Things To Know (CA – State Regulations)
Leafly (January 23, 2019) California crossed a major milestone Jan. 16 with the final approval of the state’s permanent commercial cannabis regulations. Effective immediately, the Golden State’s thousands of licensed farms, retailers, edibles kitchens, and testing labs must follow 358 pages of now-final rules. Most businesses had been following temporary “emergency” rules, but the state’s final rules have been rubber-stamped by the Office of Administrative Law, the last step before they take effect.
https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/californias-final-cannabis-rules-8-things-to-know
Calaveras County To Refund Cannabis Registration Fees (CA – Cannabis Industry)
My Motherlode (January 23, 2019) With a 4-1 vote, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors voted to refund $940,000 in fees collected through a medical marijuana registration program. Before a ban was placed on commercial cultivation one year ago, the county was collecting $5,000 grower registration fees. This was the second effort to approve the refunds.
Cannabis Dispensary Seeks To Open Between Santa Rosa Preschool And Trail House Pub (CA – Cannabusiness)
The Press Democrat (January 23, 2019) Santa Rosa planning commissioners are set to weigh in Thursday on a proposed marijuana dispensary that could present a new test case for the limits governing the expansion of the city’s cannabis industry. The cannabis ordinance approved by the Santa Rosa City Council in December 2017 prevents dispensaries that sell cannabis products from operating within 600 feet of kindergartens, elementary schools, high schools and other cannabis retail shops. But there is no such buffer required between a dispensary and a preschool or day care site.
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/9200368-181/cannabis-dispensary-seeks-to-open
Cannabis Conversation Revisited By Council (CA – Local Ordinances)
Cloverdale Reveille (January 23, 2019) The draft cannabis ordinance went back to city council Tuesday night, and while most of the discussion centered around points that had been discussed during prior council meetings, the two newest councilmembers were able to weigh in on the issues. One of the more hotly debated aspects of the ordinance, setbacks, was brought back to the council. This time, the council unanimously supported allowing the current setback distances — outdoor commercial cultivation, indoor commercial cultivation, dispensaries and micro businesses to be 600 feet from schools/daycares, 200 feet from parks/libraries/youth centers and 100 feet from residential zoning.
Which Politicians Get ‘Major Marijuana Money’? Anti-Legalization Group Unveils Congressional Weed Donation Industry Tracking Tool (USA – Cannabis Politics)
Newsweek (January 23, 2019) A group opposing the legalization of marijuana across the U.S., fearing it will become “the next Big Tobacco,” unveiled an online tool to track industry donations to federal politicians. Smart Approaches to Marijuana, or SAM, published the online tracker this week in a move which reveals the anti-legalization group’s fears that cannabis, marijuana and other products are moving closer to decriminalization at the federal level. The SAM marijuana industry donation tracking tool does not yet present data for thirteen states and the website notes the system is a “work in progress.”
Potential Attorney General Gives A Mixed Message On U.S. Marijuana Crackdown (USA – Cannabis Politics)
Profit Confidential (January 24, 2019) One of the major concerns for the marijuana industry when President Donald Trump first assumed office had much more to do with Trump’s people rather than the man himself. The next potential attorney general—William P. Barr—was recently questioned in Congress in the lead-up to his potential confirmation. One of the major topics of discussion was marijuana in the U.S. The good news is that, unlike Sessions, Barr has stated that he has no intention of using federal law to prosecute marijuana companies that are in compliance with state law.
https://www.profitconfidential.com/marijuana/attorney-general-mixed-message-marijuana-crackdown/
Congressional ‘Green Tide’ Could Make 2019 Marijuana’s Best (USA – Cannabis Politics)
The Growth Op (January 23, 2019) A lot of folks believe 2019 will be the best year the United States has seen yet in the realm of cannabis reform. Not only did the Democrats take back control of the House, there is no more Pete Sessions to block cannabis legislation from reaching the floor for debate. By all accounts, it seems likely that Congress will give some attention to pot reform in the coming months, which is a huge step forward from the stagnation the country has experienced on this issue for the past several decades.
https://www.thegrowthop.com/cannabis-news/congressional-green-tide-could-make-2019-marijuanas-best
Is Tesla The Next Great Marijuana Stock? (USA – Cannabis Investments)
The Motley Fool (January 24, 2019) Pretty much everywhere you look, corporate America is suddenly giving cannabis the time of day it never previously received. This leads to the question of which brand-name company might be next to dip its toes into the pond. While pure speculation on my part, that next great marijuana stock could be Tesla. While it’d be fun to suggest that self-driving Tesla EVs are going to deliver cannabis to your driveway, that’s not the answer. Rather, Tesla’s battery solutions could spark a revolution for marijuana growers.
https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/01/24/is-tesla-the-next-great-marijuana-stock.aspx
New Study On Cannabis And Autism Supports Parents’ Longtime Claims (USA – Medicinal Cannabis)
Leafly (January 23, 2019) Parents of some autistic children have long reported that their kids calm down with cannabinoids, are better able to communicate, and can do more tasks by themselves. But because of the restrictions on cannabis research in the United States, there have been precious few real-world studies to confirm those anecdotal reports. The aims of the study were straightforward: “to characterize the patient population receiving medical cannabis treatment for autism and to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this therapy.”
https://www.leafly.com/news/health/new-study-on-cannabis-and-autism-supports-parents-longtime-claims
