CCMA Political greenBrief
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
According To Former Justice Department Official John C. Yoo, President Trump Has Can End The Federal Prohibition On Cannabis Without Any Action From Congress
“Poverty should not be a barrier to getting your medicine. We don’t tax prescription drugs. Why should we tax medical cannabis?”Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) On His Introduction Of SB 34
“California seems to be a patchwork with different jurisdictions trying to pass their own laws. There is great variability throughout the state as to what local marijuana laws are.”Kenneth H. Lewis, A Los Angeles Drug Defense Attorney, On How It’s Tough For Cannabis Entrepreneurs In CA To Keep Track Of The Changing State Laws
EVENT: Malibu Fire Fundraiser On February 15th (Los Angeles – Cannabis Events)
On Friday February 15th, help the CCMA and Future Cannabis Project bring the cannabis community together for a fundraiser to benefit victims of the Woolsey Fire in Malibu. Daytime activities include conference sessions and yoga classes. The evening kicks off with a four course dinner prepared by a team of chefs followed by a party in a beautiful venue in downtown Los Angeles. Tax deductible proceeds will go directly to the Malibu Foundation, a non-profit working to assist in recovery for victims of the Woolsey Fire.
http://malibu.futurecannabisproject.org
California Gives Green Light To Marijuana Home Delivery (CA – Delivery Services)
Green Entrepreneur (February 12, 2019) The police didn’t want it. Neither did local officials. But the public demanded it. And now, pot companies in California can deliver marijuana directly to your home. Despite the new California regulation, local officials still could pass ordinances specifically banning home delivery. Some already have. The potential for legal entanglements involving contradictory state and local laws seems possible.
https://www.greenentrepreneur.com/article/327829
California’s Cannabis Legalization: Where Are We Now? (CA – Cannabis Industry)
KRON 4 Bay Area (February 11, 2019) Currently, there are 6,756 active seller’s permits issued for cannabis businesses in the state of California and each day more are added to the list. Cities who welcome cannabis can tax the businesses and that helps pay for police, libraries and other vital services. As the saying goes, there are only two things you can count on in life, death and taxes, and some feel right now that the high tax on the cannabis industry is killing the spirit of the law.
https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/california-s-cannabis-legalization-where-are-we-now-/1774976952
California Is The Fifth Best State For Pot Entrepreneurs, Report Says (CA – Cannabis Market)
The Orange County Register (February 9, 2019) The Golden State is fifth best in the U.S. for pot entrepreneurs, according to a new report. The study ranks states on a number of metrics, including legal environment, ease of entry, market entry costs, tax climate and market opportunity. California was topped by Oregon at No. 1, followed by Colorado, Michigan and Alaska.
Sheriff’s Office Raids Fraudulent Cannabis Cultivating Center Near Lompoc (CA – Illicit Market)
KEYT (February 11, 2019) Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Cannabis Compliance Team served a warrant at a cannabis cultivating facility in Lompoc on Monday morning. Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Cannabis Compliance Team served a warrant at a cannabis cultivating facility in Lompoc on Monday morning. The case will be forwarded to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Fontana To Pay $106,916 In Legal Fees, Revise City Policy After Losing Marijuana Lawsuit (CA – Cannabis Cultivation)
The Sun (February 11, 2019) Fontana is on the hook for $106,916 in legal fees after a judge ruled in favor of a resident who argued that the city’s restrictive policy for people who want to grow cannabis at home violated California law. ow, on the judge’s orders, city officials are drafting a new ordinance for marijuana growers. A revised policy is tentatively scheduled for a vote at the Feb. 26 City Council meeting.
Residents Fear Marijuana Nurseries West Of Modesto Will Change Their Way Of Life (CA – Local Ordinances)
The Modesto Bee (February 11, 2019) The Stanislaus County Planning Commission recommended denying one of the nursery permits on California Avenue, south of Maze Boulevard, and also turned down a permit for indoor cultivation on El Roya Avenue near the Beard Industrial District in southeast Modesto. The county plans to issue up to 61 commercial cannabis permits, including seven for retail shops, and has been processing applications for months.
https://www.modbee.com/news/article226097945.html
Is Hemp Cultivation Coming To Redding? City Council Is Checking Out Pot’s Kissing Cousin (CA – Hemp Industry)
Record Searchlight (February 11, 2019) The Redding City Council is examining whether to amend zoning rules to permit hemp growing within the city’s limits. California voters approved the growing of industrial hemp as part of the 2016 landmark ballot measure that made recreational marijuana legal. Last year, with California officials drawing up statewide regulations on hemp production, Shasta County passed a temporary ban on hemp growing in April 2018.
Sonoma County Expecting Dip In Tax Revenue From Cannabis Industry (CA – Tax Revenues)
KSRO (February 11, 2019) Sonoma County officials say they’re expecting a dip in tax revenue from the marijuana industry this year. County officials said they don’t know yet how much tax revenue will decrease but that it will likely be much lower than last year’s three-point-five-million dollars.
http://www.ksro.com/2019/02/11/sonoma-county-expecting-dip-in-tax-revenue-from-cannabis-industry/
Why Did Pro-Legalization Lawmakers Vote To Ban People With Drug Convictions From Employment? (USA – Cannabis Convictions)
Marijuana Moment (February 12, 2019) Drug policy reform advocates are wondering why several of their most trusted allies in Congress voted last week to bar people with controlled substances convictions from being able to land certain jobs. The proposal seemed to reveal fissures in the Democratic party’s attitude toward drug policy and reentry, with several newly elected members voting against the amendment.
Trump Can End Federal War On Marijuana, Former Top Justice Department Official Says (USA – Cannabis Prohibition)
Marijuana Moment (February 11, 2019) A prominent former Justice Department official says that not only does President Donald Trump have the power to unilaterally end the war on marijuana in the United States by withdrawing federal law enforcement from states where the drug is legal, this is exactly what he should do under a conservative interpretation of the Constitution. Marijuana has been illegal under federal law for decades, and presidents, including Barack Obama, have maintained that in order for cannabis to become legal—and thus be allowed to travel across state lines—Congress needs to change the law.
CBD Crackdown Continues As Infused Edibles Banned In Maine, New York City (USA – CBD Market)
Pot Network (February 11, 2019) The New York City Department of Health has ordered a number of eateries in the city to refrain from selling CBD-infused foods and beverages. The problem is not unique to New York. Over the weekend, Maine health officials also announced a ban on CBD edibles. Moving forward, the FDA is in the process of gathering input relevant to “the lawful pathways by which products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds can be marketed, and how we can make these legal pathways more predictable and efficient.”
https://www.potnetwork.com/news/cbd-crackdown-continues-infused-edibles-banned-maine-new-york-city
Bipartisan Support For Legalizing Marijuana Upends Politics As Usual (USA – Cannabis Politics)
Inside Sources (February 10, 2019) In today’s hyper-partisan environment, few issues enjoy majority support among those on both the right and the left of the political spectrum. But voters’ support for marijuana law reform is bucking this trend. As a result, most Americans now reside in a jurisdiction where some type of marijuana use is legally permitted and regulated.
https://www.insidesources.com/bipartisan-support-for-legalizing-marijuana-upends-politics-as-usual/
Where Presidential Candidate Amy Klobuchar Stands On Marijuana (USA – Cannabis Politics)
Marijuana Moment (February 11, 2019) Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced on Sunday that she’s running for the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination. Klobuchar hasn’t introduced any cannabis bills herself, but she has signed onto four pieces of marijuana legislation that her colleagues have filed. The former prosecutor also put her name on measures designed to expand research into marijuana by increasing the number of facilities permitted to cultivate cannabis for research purposes.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/where-presidential-candidate-amy-klobuchar-stands-on-marijuana/
4 Stats That Show How Big The Global Cannabis Market Is Becoming (USA – Cannabis Market)
Benzinga (February 11, 2019) Between new regulations, deals, and technological developments, 2018 was biggest year yet in the history of the cannabis industry. And if the predictions are right, 2019 will be even bigger. From a pure retail perspective, the U.S. is expected to account for $136 billion of sales between 2018-2025 while Canada will account for the remaining $36 billion.
