CCMA Greenbrief December 3rd: Final CA Regs May Not Be Available Until January…Illicit Market Activity Continues To Ravage Through CA’s Legal Market…New Technologies Are Helping U.S. Cannabis Markets…

CCMA Political  greenBrief

Monday, December 3, 2018

www.cannabismanufacturers.org

Santa Barbara & Humboldt Counties Continue To Be The Biggest Cannabis Distributors For CA’s Adult Use Supply

 

“What they’re doing with all the barriers to entry and all the taxes and the fees is they’re stifling the ability to control the supply. That should be the focus at this time: Take whatever steps you need to take to have the regulated market actually control the supply.”
Kenny Morrison, Founder Of The California Cannabis Manufacturers Association, On Cannabis Regulations
“Once CBD is fully legalized, we expect that market to absolutely explode, with sales hitting $22 billion by 2022, which is higher than the US Cannabis industry. That growth will absolutely be a result of legalization.”
Bethany Gomez, Director Of Research At Brightfield Group, On Hemp Provisions In The U.S.

Legalizing Marijuana Was Supposed To Slow Illegal Activity In California. It Hasn’t (CA – Illicit Market)

East Bay Times (November 30, 2018) One in five Californians said they’d purchased cannabis from an unlicensed shop in the past three months, according to a survey conducted this summer by marijuana delivery platform Eaze. Consumers in Southern California are more likely to purchase from an unlicensed source than are consumers from Northern California, and a whopping 84 percent of all respondents are inclined to buy again from an illegal source, saying products are cheaper and sometimes better.

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2018/11/30/has-legal-weed-boosted-californias-illicit-operators-so-far-yes/

 

Why Comply: A Closer Look At Traceability For California’s Cannabis Businesses (CA – Cannabusiness)

Cannabis Industry Journal (November 30, 2018) Compliance should be top of mind for California’s cannabis operators. As the state works to implement regulations in the rapidly-growing cannabis industry, business owners need to be aware of what’s required to stay in good standing. As of January 1, 2019, that means reporting data to the state’s new track-and-trace system, Metrc.

https://cannabisindustryjournal.com/feature_article/why-comply-a-closer-look-at-traceability-for-californias-cannabis-businesses/

 

Final California Marijuana Industry Rules May Not Be Made Public Until January (CA – State Regulations)

Marijuana Business Daily (November 30, 2018) Although California’s final cannabis industry regulations will reportedly be completed Monday, many industry insiders likely won’t be able to read them until January. That may be a disappointment to marijuana businesses that were anticipating being able to see the final rules sooner than later.

https://mjbizdaily.com/final-california-marijuana-industry-rules-may-not-be-made-public-until-january/

 

The Cannabis Industry Has A Plastic Problem (USA – Cannabis Packaging)

The Dieline (November 28, 2018) Legal cannabis comes with more than a few regulatory strings attached, and for plenty of good reasons as they are meant to satisfy the concerns of the public while providing a safe and legitimate market for consumers. Legalization, however, is a double-edged sword as every stakeholder has to be satisfied, from the public and consumers to the industry and the state. Currently, one major issue the industry is facing that doesn’t get a lot of attention concerns sustainable and child-proof packaging.

https://beta.thedieline.com/blog/2018/11/28/the-cannabis-industry-has-a-plastic-problem

 

Examining The First Year Of Legal Recreational Marijuana In California (CA – Cannabis Industry)

KCBS Radio (November 30, 2018) We’re creeping up now on just one year since recreational marijuana became legal in California. A momentous change after decades of prohibition, legalization was accompanied with great expectations including the promise of fewer drug incarcerations, the eradication of an illicit market, and the creation of a brand new stream of tax revenue from the legal market.

https://kcbsradio.radio.com/media/audio-channel/examining-first-year-legal-recreational-marijuana-california

 

Where Does California’s Recreational Marijuana Supply Come From? (CA – Cannabis Industry)

Marijuana Business Daily (December 3, 2018) While outdoor grows abound in California’s adult-use market, the state’s supply of recreational cannabis is dominated by indoor and greenhouse producers in Santa Barbara and Humboldt counties. More than half of all cultivation licenses issued in California went to businesses in two counties: Santa Barbara and Humboldt, both of which allow outdoor grow sites. Those counties account for approximately 42% of the state’s total production capacity.

https://mjbizdaily.com/chart-where-does-californias-recreational-marijuana-supply-come-from/

 

Oakland Cannabis Equity Program Yields First Retailer—Blunts + Moore (CA – Equity Program)

Leafly (November 29, 2018) Shoppers in California can vote with their dollars for equitable cannabis this Christmas at Blunts & Moore, the first dispensary to open under the city of Oakland’s revolutionary new social equity rules. Alphonso T Blunt, Jr. and partner Brittany Moore cut the red ribbon Thursday on the sleek, new retail store near Oakland’s Oracle Arena, drawing local officials, neighbors, media, and friends for speeches, hip hop beats, and tacos.

https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/oakland-cannabis-equity-program-yields-first-retailer-blunts-moore

 

The Cannabis Industry Is Scaling With The Help Of New Technologies (USA – Cannabis Advancements)

Forbes (December 3, 2018) While 2017 was the year of cybersecurity, and 2018 brought us the rise of temporary downfall of crypto, it looks like 2019 is shaping up to be the year of cannabis. With the marijuana industry growing each year as more and more states legalize, there are also concerns as how to regulate a product that is infamously secretive and under the radar. Blockchain technology has been trying to offer some answers to a lot of the questions raised, concerning how to legally sell a product that’s been illegal for so long.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/yoavvilner/2018/12/03/the-cannabis-industry-is-scaling-with-the-help-of-new-technologies/#6d0ff7355739

 

Expert Sees A ‘Strong Need’ For Insurance For Cannabis Industry (USA – Cannabusiness)

Insurance Journal (December 3, 2018) There’s “still a really strong need” for specialty insurance to cover cannabis businesses as well as medical professionals prescribing cannabis, according to an attorney who specializes in the sector. Ian Stewart, a partner in Wilson Elser and chair of the law firm’s cannabis law practice team, estimates there are nearly 30 surplus lines carriers and a few admitted carriers serving the cannabis industry across the U.S. While it has become easier for companies to find coverage, he believes that the industry is still underserved when it comes to insurance.

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2018/12/03/510706.htm

 

Legalized CBD In All 50 States Is About To Make America Chill Again (USA – CBD Market)

Live Kindly (November 30, 2018) Over the past few years, CBD, a non-psychoactive chemical compound found in both cannabis and hemp, has blown up in the wellness world. Due to restrictions, it is illegal to grow hemp in the U.S., but a provision in the pending 2018 Farm Bill may change that.

https://www.livekindly.co/cbd-to-become-legal-in-all-states-farm-bill