CCMA Greenbrief June 8: Pro-Cannabis Viewpoints Help Candidates Win in CA Primary Election…Data Privacy Rights Becoming An Issue With Licensed Operators…July 1st Regulatory Launch Gets Help With Compliance Consulting…

CCMA Political greenBrief

Friday, June 8, 2018

www.cannabismanufacturers.org

“My objective is any time someone invests in or operates a cannabis business, insurance is in place to cover risks, just as there is in any other form of business in California.  I’m doing everything I can as the regulator of the largest insurance market in the U.S. to encourage insurers to provide coverage for the cannabis industry.” 
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones On The First Cannabis Business Owners Policy (CannaBOP) In CA
 
“Product recalls are expensive and regulatory failure can jeopardize a business’ license. It’s best to avoid unnecessary problems by incorporating sound practices at the start. It benefits everyone when the industry complies with regulations. It is our collective goal to provide safe, effective medicine to patients and adult users.”
Lydia Abernethy, Director Of Cultivation Science At Steep Hill, On CA’s New Regulatory Framework In The Cannabis Industry
Pro-Cannabis Stances Help Candidates Win In California’s Primary Election (CA – State Elections)
Cannabis Now (June 6, 2018) Californians again proved their support for the elected officials who helped create and continue to fine-tune the world’s largest legal marijuana market. Across the state, these pro-cannabis candidates fended off challengers to find victory, while the state’s U.S. senator switched her position so her opponents wouldn’t have an anti-legalization stance as a tool to be used against her.
Californian Cannabis Buyers Deserve Data Privacy Rights (CA – Privacy Issues)
EFF (June 6, 2018) On January 1 of this year, it became legal under state law for California adults to purchase cannabis products for recreational use. But the more than 5,000 cannabis operators who are already licensed are amassing sensitive data about their customers. That’s why EFF supports a bill to stop vendors from sharing this data without customers’ consent.
California Weed Dispensaries Can Legally Sell Customer Information To Data Brokers (CA – Privacy Issues)
Motherboard Vice (June 7, 2018) In the days before the marijuana legalization movement, the relationship between a pot dealer and their customers was a sacred one. Both were at risk of running afoul of the law, so it was important to be discreet about each other’s information. Fake names were used, secret meetings were arranged, and the product itself was referred to by all sorts of codes, as if the cops wouldn’t be able to figure out what you were up to when you texted your “friend” for an eighth of “burritos” at 1 AM on a Tuesday.
California Regulatory Reversal: New Marijuana Delivery Rules Highlight Eaze’s Political Pull (CA – Cannabis Industry)
Marijuana Business Daily (June 6, 2018) ew cannabis rules in California released Tuesday highlight again how fractious the state’s industry remains. The regulations also put the spotlight on the political influence wielded by a technology company that isn’t governed by the rules it has been lobbying to change.
Cannabis Industry And Insurance: California’s Next Trend (CA – Cannabis Finances) 
Forbes (June 8, 2018) The cannabis industry has garnered a lot of hype. But the plant’s federal illegality hinders it from functioning as a legitimate line of business. The most common example of this is the lack of financial assistance (read: banking) available to the industry. Another crucial service withheld from cannabis businesses is insurance. Dave Jones, California’s Insurance Commissioner, has aimed to change that since the beginning of 2017.
California Extends Temporary Cannabis Licensing Rules (CA – State Regulations)
North Bay Business Journal (June 7, 2018) Emergency regulations for cannabis manufacturers put into place by California government as it continues to development permanent regulations for the cannabis industry have been extended for 180 more days. As state licensing agencies continue to refine permanent rules, temporary regulations remain in place, according to the California Department of Public Health on Wednesday.
Steep Hill Offers Compliance Consulting as California Approaches July 1 Regulatory Launch (CA – Cannabis Cultivation)
Ganjaprenuer (June 7, 2018) California’s adult-use cannabis marketplace opened for business in January, and although regulatory compliance has been mandatory for cannabis goods produced in 2018, many have avoided state-mandated testing. The second phase of regulations come into effect July 1, and cannabis companies in California are expected to be 100 percent compliant with all state and local laws.
The Ultimate Guide to 420-Friendly Summer Events In Los Angeles (CA – Cannabis Events)
High Times (June 8, 2018) Now that cannabis has entered the post-prohibition era in California, the party can last all year long—and all summer long, with these 420-friendly summer events in Los Angeles. From comedy shows to a cannabis carnival and cookout, these are the best places to toke up this summer in the City of Angels (and Angel OG).
Trump Voices Support For Bipartisan Pot Legislation (USA – Cannabis Market)
Politico (June 8, 2018) President Donald Trump said Friday he “probably will end up supporting” bipartisan legislation to bar the federal government from interfering with marijuana legalization laws at the state level, putting him at odds with efforts by his own Justice Department to crack down on the substance nationwide. The bill, unveiled by Sens. Cory Gardner of (R-Colo.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), lawmakers of two states that have voted to legalize certain types of pot use, would in effect give states the right to determine their own approach to regulating the drug.
Poll: Pot More Morally Acceptable Than Porn (USA – Cannabis Stigma)
Entrepreneur (June 8, 2018) Depending on who you talk to marijuana use is either becoming more mainstream, or we’re all going to hell. A new Gallup poll says that a majority of Americans think it’s “morally acceptable” to light up a joint. When asked if marijuana was morally permissible or morally wrong, sixty-five percent said they didn’t have a problem with it.
Why US Cannabis Companies Are Listing In Canada (USA – Cannabis Industry)
Investopedia (June 7, 2018) The legal status of cannabis in the United States remains a complicated issue. Although many individual states have moved to legalize the substance, legalization at the federal level remains elusive. Still, in states with legal cannabis like California and Colorado, eager business leaders have already created a new industry. Now, many of those companies are recognizing that the federal legal issues will prevent them from listing themselves as publicly traded entities on certain U.S. stock exchanges.
Is Your Cannabis Organic? Clean Green Will Help You Find Out (USA – Cannabis Testing)
Leafly (June 4, 2018) Officially, cannabis cannot be “certified organic” due to federal laws that do not recognize it as an agricultural crop. As a result, the cannabis industry does not have access to USDA organic labeling. That’s why some companies are taking it upon themselves to create industry-specific standards equivalent to those of the USDA.
California Company Buys Florida Medical Marijuana Operation For $53 Million (FL – Cannabusiness)
Orlando Weekly (June 6, 2018) A California-based company has bought a Florida medical marijuana operation for $53 million in the latest transaction in what investors hope will be among the nation’s most-lucrative medical pot markets. Under the agreement, the company MedMen will acquire Treadwell Nursery’s five-acre cultivation facility, located in Eustis, and the right to operate 25 dispensaries throughout the state, the maximum currently allowed under Florida law.