CCMA Political greenBrief
Thursday, December 20, 2018
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Says The Passage Of The Farm Bill Is A “Bright Spot.” Legalizing Hemp Had Bipartisan Support In Congress, Especially Among Lawmakers From Areas Where Agriculture Is An Economic Engine.
“At a time when farm income is down and growers are struggling, industrial hemp is a bright spot of agriculture’s future. My provision in the Farm Bill will not only legalize domestic hemp, but it will also allow state departments of agriculture to be responsible for its oversight.”Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell On The Farm Bill
“It’s time we legalize marijuana, but at the minimum, we must reduce the conflicts between federal and state laws so that the industry can continue to create jobs and bolster state economies. This conflict hurts small businesses and constrains the economic benefits of legal cannabis—an industry that is estimated to reach $11 billion in sales this year and $23 billion by 2022. But in order to realize the benefits, we must act on legislation such as the STATES Act to help these businesses thrive.”Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) On Federal Legalization
Track And Trace Coming To California’s Pot Industry In 2019 (CA – Cannabis Transparency)
Sacramento Fox 40 (December 18, 2018) The first year of legal recreational marijuana in California is coming to an end. With that, the cannabis industry is looking at changes in the new year aimed at increasing transparency for customers. Track and Trace is a system that would allow the Bureau of Cannabis Control to track every marijuana plant using a tracking number and a new software system.
https://fox40.com/2018/12/18/track-and-trace-coming-to-californias-pot-industry-in-2019/
How California’s Proposed Cannabis Regulations Will Impact Your Business (CA – Cannabusiness)
Cannabis Business Times (December 19, 2018)
In California, the Bureau of Cannabis Control is charged with licensing and regulating distributors, testing labs, retailers, delivery-only retailers, microbusinesses, and cannabis events. The process of adopting permanent regulations started back in July of this year, which kicked off a 45-day comment period for public feedback. The BCC then released modifications to the proposed permanent regulations this October, with an additional 15 days for public comment. We are now close to the finish line as the BCC submitted their proposed permanent regulations for review by the California Office of Administrative Law.
Legal Cannabis Industry Gets Off To Bumpy Start In California North Coast (CA – Cannabis Industry)
North Bay Business Journal (December 19, 2018) The day finally came for the California cannabis industry. On Jan. 1, marijuana became legal for recreational use in the state, but the road to legalization remained bumpy throughout 2018, including the lingering illegal status for the business under federal law. But legalization also brought challenges. Mendocino, Sonoma and Lake county governments were inundated with hundreds of cultivator and business license applications, and officials continue to define where such businesses can go and how much they will be taxed.
Large Cannabis Cultivation, Delivery Facility OK’d For North Sacramento (CA – Cannabusiness)
The Sacramento Bee (December 18, 2018) The Sacramento City Council cleared the way Tuesday for a large cannabis cultivation and delivery business to open in a north Sacramento warehouse. The business, called Dragon’s Lair, plans to open in the coming months in a warehouse at the southwest corner of Iris Avenue and Plover Street in the Ben Ali neighborhood.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article223214715.html
West Hollywood Approves Cannabis Cafes And Consumption Lounges To Open In 2019 (CA – Cannabis Consumption)
Los Angeles Eater (December 19, 2018) In a surprise announcement yesterday, West Hollywood released the names of businesses sure to up the city’s cannabis game beginning in 2019. The City spent seven months screening 300 applicants for highly-coveted cannabis licenses, which includes cannabis restaurants, cafes, and consumption lounges. Each businesses must now secure a West Hollywood business license within the next 12 months, and find a physical location.
Chula Vista Cracks Down On Illegal Marijuana Shops Ahead Of Legalized Recreational Sales (CA – Illicit Market)
ABC 10 News San Diego (December 19, 2018) As the City of Chula Vista prepares to license legal recreational marijuana sales, law enforcement and a handful of other agencies are cracking down on illegal pot shops. In the last three years, they’ve shut down 44 of them. The city’s cannabis information page on its website also lists a handful of locations that are currently facing lawsuits or other “enforcement actions.”
Lodi Police Find 6,000 Pounds Of Marijuana In Hash Oil Operation (CA – Illicit Market)
The Sacramento Bee (December 18, 2018) Two Sacramento residents and nine others were arrested on Thursday following a building inspection conducted by Lodi police that resulted in the discovery of a butane hash oil marijuana lab. Heather Keyes, 30, and Mitchell Rodriguez, 32, were contacted by law enforcement after Lodi police received complaints of a marijuana smell coming from the building, which had an expired building permit and was supposed to be housing a clothing and accessories storage location called Fly-N-High LLC.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article223250595.html
Congressional Democrats Release Report On Marijuana Legalization’s Economic Benefits (USA – Cannabis Industry)
Marijuana Moment (December 19, 2018) Democrats on the congressional Joint Economic Committee published a report on Tuesday highlighting the “economic benefits of legalized cannabis at the state and national levels.” Titled, “The National Cannabis Economy,” the report finds that the marijuana industry brought in more than $8 billion in sales in 2017, with sales estimated to reach $11 billion this year and expected to soar to $23 billion by 2022.
Hemp Is About To Be Legal Under The 2018 Farm Bill. You Can’t Get High From It — But You Can Wear It (USA – Hemp Industry)
Los Angeles Times (December 19, 2018) Hemp — a close relative of marijuana that can be used to make textiles and other products — has long been classified as a Schedule I drug by the federal government. That’s set to change. The bill, years in the making, comes as public support for cannabis legalization has increased over the years, offering a cover of sorts to politicians who see the potential for boosting state tax revenue.
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-hemp-farm-bill-20181219-story.html
How Hemp Legalization Could Bolster Marijuana Banking Bill (USA – Hemp Industry)
American Banker (December 19, 2018) Advocates of easing restrictions on marijuana banking were dealt a blow this week when senators rejected legislation that would ease the cannabis industry’s access to financial services. But bankers are not giving up the fight following passage of a separate measure that is viewed as a victory. The criminal justice reform bill passed by the Senate this week excluded an amendment that would have allowed banks to work with pot businesses in states that have legalized the substance. But banks won a consolation prize of sorts last week, when the farm bill passing both chambers of Congress legalized hemp, a less potent substance.
https://www.americanbanker.com/news/how-hemp-legalization-could-bolster-marijuana-banking-bill
Cannabis Attracts Big Tobacco, Alcohol, And Pharma. Which Big Industries Will Join Next? (USA – Cannabis Industry)
Forbes (December 19, 2018) The big news in cannabis over the past couple of weeks has been the announcement that Altria, the world’s largest tobacco company and owner of Philip Morris and Marlboro cigarettes, made a $1.8 billion investment in Canadian cannabis producer Cronos for 45% of the company. These developments of course come on the heels of the other major news from earlier this year, when alcohol giant Constellation Brands bought a 38% stake in the largest Canadian cannabis company, Canopy Growth, for $4 billion.
Budweiser Maker Teams Up With Tilray To Explore Pot Drinks (Canada – Cannabis Investments)
WLOX (December 19, 2018) The maker of Budweiser is partnering with medical cannabis company Tilray in a $100 million deal to research cannabis-infused drinks for the Canadian market. The alliance announced Wednesday is the latest foray by a major beer company into the cannabis business in Canada, which legalized recreational marijuana in October. Anheuser-Busch InBev and Tilray Inc. said each would invest $50 million in the project to study non-alcoholic drinks containing cannabidiol, or CBD, which some claim has calming and healing affects, and THC, the cannabis compound known for its psychoactive effects.
http://www.wlox.com/2018/12/19/budweiser-maker-teams-up-with-tilray-explore-pot-drinks/
