CCMA Political greenBrief
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
Oakland Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) Hopes That In Taking On The Role, She Can Encourage And Inspire More People Of Color To Get Involved In Cannabis Politics
“We look forward to expanding our footprint in California, delivering innovative and integrated solutions to a highly regulated market. California is a leader in logistics regulation, and we are excited to be working in a progressive jurisdiction paving the way for the rest of the world.”Trackloop CTO Zayn Kalyan On Becoming The First Company To Provide Track-And-Trace Services In California
“In order to create a clean-slate and increase engagement with the incoming administration of Governor-elect Gavin Newsom, CalGrowers’ Executive Committee has voted unanimously to dismiss its lawsuit filed against the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) in January of 2018.”California Growers Association’s Press Release Regarding the Dismissal of Their Lawsuit Over the Loophole For Mega-Farms
California Regulator Approves Trackloop As First And Only Vendor For Refrigerated Supply Chain Tracking (CA – Track & Trace)
Markets Insider (January 23, 2019) Trackloop Analytics Corp. has become a verified California METRC software vendor, with its fully functional API integrated with the State mandated compliance platform and is the first company with a cold chain tracking solution to be approved by METRC. METRC is the State of California’s ‘track-and-trace’ system used to track commercial cannabis activity and movement across the distribution chain. Any individual seeking a cannabis license must complete a training session for the track-and-trace system within 10 days of receiving notice that their complete application has been approved by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.
California Marijuana Growers Association Drops Suit Over Loophole For Mega-Farms (CA – Cannabis Lawsuits)
Marijuana Business Daily (January 22, 2019) The California Growers Association (CGA) has dropped a lawsuit it filed a year ago against the state over a regulatory loophole that allowed commercial-scale cannabis farms to begin operating in 2018. In a Jan. 8 court filing in Superior Court of California in Sacramento, the CGA asked for the case to be dismissed. In a press release, CGA said the move was made to “create a clean-slate and increase engagement with the incoming administration of (Gov.) Gavin Newsom.”
https://mjbizdaily.com/california-marijuana-growers-association-drops-suit-mega-farms/
California Highway Patrol Confiscated $250,000 From Licensed Cannabis Transporters (CA – Delivery Services)
Ganjapreneur (January 22, 2019) Two owners of a cannabis transport company are suing the California Highway Patrol (CHP) following the arrest of two delivery drivers and confiscation of $257,000 in cash in late 2018. Seizures by the CHP have not gone down since adult-use cannabis was legalized in California. In fact, the amount of cannabis seized in 2018 was double what was seized in 2017.
Cannabis Reform No Laughing Matter For Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee (USA – Cannabis Politics)
San Francisco Chronicle (January 22, 2019) For Rep. Barbara Lee, the fight for justice runs through the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. The Oakland Democrat was recently named co-chair of the bipartisan group, formed in 2017 to advocate for more “sensible” federal marijuana laws. Lee described her work with the caucus as part of her broader criminal justice reform efforts and work to fight ingrained inequality in society. Her goals include addressing disparities in criminal enforcement and in the nascent legal marijuana industry.
Tomato Paste Capital Of The Country Expects $3.4 Million A Year From This New Cannabis Deal (CA – Cannabis Industry)
Forbes (January 23, 2019) Williams, California is a small town of 5,400 people 50-miles north of Sacramento where denizens are employed by the world’s largest tomato factory, ancillary services, and other agricultural jobs. Part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 established “Opportunity Zones” to encourage revitalization across the country’s most depressed areas without federal spending. These new Opportunity Zones created a serendipitous opportunity for one emerging cannabis company. Canna-Hub identifies, acquires, and develops or repurposes real estate to create Canna-Hub Campuses in California.
Eaze Releases 2018 Data Report On California Cannabis Trends (CA – Cannabis Industry)
Associated Press (January 23, 2019) Eaze, a cannabis marketplace, today released its fourth annual Eaze Insights: 2018 State of Cannabis data report, a comprehensive overview of consumer trends driving the cannabis industry year over year. This latest report in the Eaze Insights series reveals that the cannabis customer base is growing and diversifying, demonstrating a rise in popularity across all adult groups, regardless of gender or age. Consumers are also turning to cannabis to curb unhealthy habits. A majority of participants surveyed stated cannabis as a reason for reducing their alcohol and tobacco consumption, and cannabis reduced or eliminated participants’ need for over-the-counter and prescription pain medication.
https://apnews.com/3d2246a40489472289a869bc1a7368d7
Santa Cruz Attorneys Form Cannabis Law Firm (CA – Cannabis Industry)
Santa Cruz Sentinel (January 22, 2019) Three Santa Cruz attorneys are teaming up to form a new cannabis-centered law firm — aiming to help their clients navigate the maze of new state and local regulations and find their footing in the budding recreational cannabis marketplace. Longtime cannabis attorney Ben Rice is joined by former Santa Cruz County Cannabis Licensing Manager Robin Bolster-Grant and Trevor Luxon, an attorney specializing in cannabis business law. Among their growing portfolio of clients are some of Santa Cruz County’s biggest cannabis businesses, such as dispensary chain KindPeoples and grower Santa Cruz Canna Farms.
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2019/01/22/santa-cruz-attorneys-form-cannabis-law-firm/
Pot Website Offers Free Medical Marijuana To Government Workers Amid Shutdown (USA – Cannabusiness)
The Hill (January 22, 2019) Another business is joining those aiming to ease the pain of the partial government shutdown for federal workers — a marijuana marketplace says it’s giving away free weed. BudTrader.com, which describes itself as the “largest online cannabis marketplace” and has been dubbed the “Craigslist of weed,” will offer free medical marijuana to government workers who can’t pay because of the shutdown. The company said it’s working with an attorney to “ensure that all cannabis donations given to federal employees are confidential and compliant with California Cannabis adult use laws and regulations.”
The Cannabis Business Is Booming — But That’s Not Necessarily Good If You’re An Investor (USA – Cannabis Investments)
CNBC (January 23, 2019) The pot industry faces a “massive inflationary bubble,” and that means investors have to be careful, a cannabis CEO told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Richard Carleton, chief executive officer of Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE), told CNBC it’s only a matter of time until the United States approves cannabis at the federal level. The uncertainty about where the U.S. will go will bring volatility to cannabis stocks, according to the CEO of the financial services firm Canaccord Genuity.
Women And Baby Boomers Are Increasingly Embracing Marijuana, New Market Report Finds (USA – Cannabis Use)
Marijuana Moment (January 23, 2019) In the eyes of experts and the general public, the profile of the “typical marijuana consumer” continues to be a white male under 35, without children, who lives in or near a major West Coast city. But as the latest “State of Cannabis” report from San Francisco-based marijuana-delivery software platform Eaze suggests, that impression is increasingly wrong. Women and “baby boomers” are the fastest-growing consumer segments among marijuana users. And reflecting both the sizable increase in consumers overall —as well as the vanishing stigma associated with marijuana—the “total number of women consumers grew 92 percent,” according to the report.
Colorado Sheriff Warns Texas On Marijuana Legalization (USA – Legalization)
Fox San Antonio (January 21, 2019) According to one Colorado sheriff, Texas needs to learn from the mistakes made in Colorado before the legislature decides whether to expand what is on the books. The sheriff warns the Texas Legislature to do its homework and study what Colorado did wrong before Texas takes a vote this year to possibly expand the compassionate use act that allows people with uncontrollable epileptic seizures to get a prescription for cannabis from their doctor.
https://foxsanantonio.com/news/local/colorado-sheriff-warns-texas-on-marijuana-legalization
DC Lawmaker Proposes Same-Day Medical Marijuana Access And Social Use Spaces (Washington D.C. – Cannabis Legislation)
Marijuana Moment (January 22, 2019) A Washington, D.C. lawmaker introduced a bill on Tuesday that would make significant changes to the way patients are able to obtain medical marijuana in the nation’s capital. Instead of having to wait several weeks for regulators to process their medical cannabis approvals, patients would simply fill out an application with the city health department and would then automatically qualify to legally purchase marijuana on a provisional basis. The lawmaker argued that by expanding access to medical cannabis, the legislation could help combat opioid abuse.
