Article by: Counsel Tomas Ortiz Every year there is a case or two that promises change in what has been considered by many as an insurmountable wall of law – that is, bankruptcy relief is not available for those distressed businesses who transact in or around cannabis. And, every year, that case or two…
Article by: Partner Christopher Parrington In 1964, Minnesota music legend Bob Dylan warned the world that “the times they are a-changin.” Sixty years later and this lyric is true with regard to Minnesota’s cannabis industry. Within the first few days of the 2023 legislative session, a bill was introduced for the legalization of recreational cannabis…
Article by: Counsel Tomas Ortiz As the end of 2022 quickly approaches, where are we on a federal cannabis program? Federal legalization remains frozen in time – re-scheduling versus de-scheduling, the SAFE Act, the MORE Act; none of these important cannabis initiatives is settled. Biden’s pardon gave people something to talk about, but did it…
Article by: Janet Jackim, Co-Chair of the Cannabis Practice Group, jjackim@zuberlawler.com. (Phoenix, Arizona) New MMJ Licenses to be Issued. Yes, Arizona’s Department of Health Services recently (the day before Thanksgiving, 2022) notified the public that it may issue new medical marijuana licenses in February or March, 2023. Historical Context. Historically, Arizona voters narrowly passed Prop…
Article by: Partner Christopher Parrington In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana. Sixteen years later, Colorado and Washington legalized recreational cannabis. The industry has since exploded. To date, 19 states have legalized recreational cannabis. Eighteen states have legalized medical marijuana, and 10 states have legalized cannabidiol (CBD) or low-THC cannabis. In…
Article by: Counsel Raza Lawrence On October 6, President Joe Biden announced that he will be issuing pardons to everyone who has been convicted of “simple possession” of marijuana in federal courts. At the same time, President Biden directed Xavier Becarra, the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, along with the Attorney…
By: Counsel Raza Lawrence The cannabis industry is gradually becoming more widely accepted in America and starting to feel more like a normal part of the economy. For decades, cannabis was bought and sold outside the law. In the illicit market, norms and standards developed organically and were enforced not in the courts, but…
By: Counsel Raza Lawrence In New State Ice Co. v. Liebmann, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis in 1932 referred to the 50 states as laboratories of democracy, writing: It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory…
By: Counsel James Raza Lawrence California recently provided a jolt to its cannabis industry by eliminating its cannabis cultivation tax, effective July 1, 2022. The cultivation tax has, for years, created a drag on California’s licensed cannabis market and caused many businesses to continue operating in the illicit, unlicensed market. Given that the cannabis…
By: Counsel Tomas Ortiz As businesses struggle through the rough currents of today’s economy, inflation, and post-pandemic conditions, many are considering and reconsidering their options in navigating through the rough seas and rocky shores – how to survive and stay in business or how to exit gracefully and effectively. This is particularly true in…