CCMA Greenbrief October 30: CCMA Opens Memberships Opportunities… City Council to Prohibit All Commercial Cannabis Activities in Livermore… Former Blackrock Exec to Raise $250M to Invest in Pot Businesses…

 

 

Political greenBrief
Monday, October 30, 2017
“This is a pivotal time for our industry. We share many common goals which is why we’ve come to the Capitol to be the voice of the cannabis manufacturers in our state, the more members we have, the stronger our voice.”
CCMA President And Co-Founder Kenny Morrison, Founder Of VCC Brands About CCMA Membership Opportunities
“We have worked hard to position the organization as one of professionalism and integrity, the agencies and legislators are coming to CCMA for feedback and information about what’s happening in the field. It’s a beautiful thing when government and industry are working so closely together. CCMA has worked really hard to develop the lines of communication and get to this point.”
Kristi Knoblich Palmer, Co-Founder Of CCMA And Co-Founder At Kiva Confections
Cannabis Trade Organization CCMA Opens Memberships Opportunities (CA – Cannabis Industry)
The Daily Telescope (October 26, 2017) The California Cannabis Manufacturers Association (CCMA) today announces that it is expanding membership beyond its Executive Board of nine California cannabis companies. The association, which since its inception has strived for sensible regulation for manufacturers in California’s growing cannabis industry, cites the new regulations and 2018 implementation as core reasons for bringing on additional members.
http://dailytelescope.com/pr/cannabis-trade-organization-ccma-opens-memberships-opportunities/3678
California’s Third Largest County Bans Legal Marijuana (CA – Cannabis Ban)
The Fresh Toast (October 28, 2017) Kern County is known for its rich farming tradition, oil extraction and the “Bakersfield sound” made famous by the likes of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. It will now also be known as a big gaping marijuana-free expanse in California, which voted overwhelmingly for legalization nearly one year ago. By a vote of 4-1, county supervisors last week prohibited commercial cannabis growing and retail sales. The supervisors cited the “destructive impact” the herb has had on local communities.
https://thefreshtoast.com/cannabis/californias-third-largest-county-bans-legal-marijuana/
Land Development Regulations To Allow Medical Marijuana Dispensaries (CA – Medical Cannabis)
Keechobee News (October 29, 2017) The Okeechobee County Commission voted 4-1 Thursday to amend the Land Development Regulations (LDRs) to allow medical marijuana dispensaries in the county. Commissioner Kelly Owens cast the lone dissenting vote. The public hearing was scheduled for 7 p.m. in order to make it easier for members of the public to participate. Dr. Ramesh Kumar, who has a cancer practice in Okeechobee, was the only member of the public to address the commission.
http://okeechobeenews.net/government/land-development-regulations-allow-medical-marijuana-dispensaries/
Marijuana Dispensaries Prohibited In Livermore, For Now (CA – Cannabis Dispensaries)
Livermore Patch (October 27, 2017) Earlier this month, the Livermore City Council adopted an ordinance to prohibit all commercial cannabis activities in Livermore, both recreational and medicinal, city officials said. That decision may change, depending input from the public. Alameda County is also exploring allowing dispensaries in the eastern part of the county, according to city officials. City officials said several public workshops were held in June in order to gather public input to help the council with their decision.
https://patch.com/california/livermore/marijuana-dispensaries-prohibited-livermore-now
Massive Marijuana Greenhouse Under Construction In Yolo County (CA – Cannabis Dispensary)
CBS Sacramento (October 27, 2017) Construction is taking place on a new, massive, legally-permitted greenhouse at a cannabis cultivation site in Northern California. Smart Cannabis made the announcement, saying once the project is complete, it will be one of the largest legally-permitted sites in the state. Barry Cooper has owned a home in Yolo County since the mid-1970s and recently started noticing a big stench blowing into his neighborhood.
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2017/10/27/massive-marijuana-greenhouse-yolo-county/
Pot Ban: Can The City And County Truly Enforce Prohibition On Marijuana Shops? (CA – Cannabis Bans)
Bakersfield (October 28, 2017) There is now a ban on marijuana shops in nearly every community in Kern County. But it’s going to take a lot more than words on an official-looking piece of paper to remove the scores of dispensaries selling cannabis across Kern. In the past decade both the City of Bakersfield and the County of Kern have struggled, with mixed success, to bring enough criminal and financial pain to bear on the people who run dispensaries in order to shut them down.
http://www.bakersfield.com/news/pot-ban-can-the-city-and-county-truly-enforce-prohibition/article_8ebb60e8-bb77-11e7-b404-cfb22c6443cf.html
Private Equity Fund To Invest In Pot Businesses (CA – Cannabis Industry)
The Bulletin (October 28, 2017) A private equity fund co-chaired by a former BlackRock executive plans to raise $250 million to invest in marijuana businesses in places such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and midtown Manhattan. MedMen Opportunity Fund II, which looks for companies that cultivate, manufacture and sell pot, is setting up operations in the nation’s most popular tourist destinations. The effort is timely because New York recently added chronic pain as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana. California’s recreational market opens in 2018, and Nevada legalized adult weed use in July. Canada plans to legalize the plant nationally by July.
http://www.bendbulletin.com/business/5703873-151/private-equity-fund-to-invest-in-pot-businesses

Once Concerned About Cannabis Influence, Adelanto School District Drops No-Donation Rule (CA – Cannabis Industry)
Daily Press (October 28, 2017) The school district here has reversed a year-old resolution to not accept donations from the city, previously afraid it might inadvertently embrace gifts that were tied to the commercial cannabis industry. “The conversation at the time was significantly different,” said Debra Jones, an Adelanto Elementary School District board trustee, noting how California voters have since legalized recreational use. The Sept. 6, 2016, unanimous vote of trustees had set into rule that the board “would no longer accept donations” from the city’s general fund.
http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20171028/once-concerned-about-cannabis-influence-adelanto-school-district-drops-no-donation-rule

Wildfires Devastate California Pot Farmers, Who Must Rebuild Without Banks Or Insurance (CA – Cannabis Industry)
Los Angeles Times (October 28, 2017) She knew just where she had buried the gold and silver coins — down a ravine from her home by a big Douglas fir. After Cheryl Dumont lost her entire marijuana crop, her income for the year, she was anxious to see whether that savings had survived the Redwood fire. She hiked down to the tree with a shovel and started digging for the plastic box holding the coins. Two feet deep she found what a week before was worth $40,000. It was a melted mess of gold, silver, plastic, dirt and pine needles.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-fire-weed-20171028-story.html
Cannabis Business Groups To Host Fire Relief Fundraiser In Santa Rosa (CA – Cannabis Industry)
LGBT Weekly (October 29, 2017) In response to the devastating fires that swept through Northern California this month, the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) and its state affiliate, the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA), are hosting a cannabis industry fundraiser for community fire relief efforts Nov. 6 in Santa Rosa, Calif.
http://lgbtweekly.com/2017/10/29/cannabis-business-groups-to-host-fire-relief-fundraiser-in-santa-rosa/
Marin Board To Consider Medicinal Cannabis Licensing (CA – Medical Cannabis)
San Rafael Patch (October 27, 2017) More than two months after the County of Marin introduced a revised draft ordinance for delivery-only medical cannabis licensing for public review, the time for a formal vote is approaching. First, the Marin County Board of Supervisors would need to approve the first reading of the ordinance at 1:30 p.m. October 31, setting up a public hearing and potential vote for 1:30 p.m. November 14.
https://patch.com/california/sanrafael/marin-board-consider-medicinal-cannabis-licensing
Confusion Coming With California’s Legal Marijuana (CA – Cannabis Industry)
KCRA 3 (October 29, 2017) Ready or not, California kicks off recreational marijuana sales on Jan. 1. And, mostly, it’s not. Los Angeles and San Francisco are among many cities still struggling to fashion local rules for pot shops and growers. Without the regulations, there could be limited options in many places for consumers eager to ring in the new year with a legal pot purchase.
http://www.kcra.com/article/confusion-coming-with-californias-legal-marijuana/13114832
Council To Conduct Public Hearing On Cannabis Restrictions Nov. 1 (CA – Cannabis Restrictions)
The Daily Independent (October 28, 2017) When the Ridgecrest City Council meets November 1, they will be holding a public hearing on an ordinance amending the municipal code to prohibit, restrict, and regulate medical and non-medical cannabis and commercial cannabis activities to the fullest extent allowed under state law. The item on the upcoming agenda is for a first reading of the ordinance. Two readings are required before the municipal code can be officially changed.
http://www.ridgecrestca.com/news/20171028/council-to-conduct-public-hearing-on-cannabis-restrictions-nov-1
The Latest Effort To Map The Weed Genome Will Focus On Pot That Doesn’t Get You High (CA – Cannabis Industry)
Motherboard (October 29, 2017) As marijuana slowly enjoys wider public and legal acceptance, there’s still a lot to be learned about the plant. Scientists at the University of California Davis—one of the top agricultural research institutions—have started a new project to map the cannabis genome. They’re not the first to study cannabis genomics, but they’re less interested in weed that gets you super stoned, and more focused on the medicinal and nutritional parts of weed’s DNA.
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/ywbwmm/the-latest-effort-to-map-the-weed-genome-will-focus-on-pot-that-doesnt-get-you-high-marijuana-genomics