Regulations

Washington state is updating its cannabis packaging and labeling rules. The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) used information derived from a workgroup of I-502 stakeholders, the Department of Health, and the Washington State Poison Control Center to take a “global” look at cannabis packaging and labeling. They also included consumer surveys in the […]

On July 1, Vermont’s new adult-use cannabis laws will go into effect, overlapping the state’s existing medical cannabis rules, the Burlington Free Press reports. Soon, Vermont’s some 6,000 patients will find themselves in a confusing mire of regulations with no clear government guidance. “We need to figure out how to have two systems. Or for that […]

Detroit city officials are considering an ordinance that would create new location restrictions for medical cannabis operators and cap the number of medical cannabis companies allowed in the city at 75, according to a Detroit News report. It is the latest effort by Detroit officials to reign in the city’s medical cannabis industry. The changes, submitted […]

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 Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs is allowing unlicensed medical cannabis dispensaries to remain open until Sept. 15 without risking future licensing eligibility. Operators had faced a June 15 deadline; however, regulators have been slow in issuing licenses under the new regime approved by lawmakers in 2016. According to LARA, the extension allows […]

The California Bureau of Cannabis Control has proposed the state readopt and extend the current, emergency cannabis industry regulations. Previous regulations called for the merging of the medical cannabis industry (MCRSA) and adult-use industry (AUMA) into what’s now known as MAUCRSA, governed by the Bureau of Cannabis Control. As part of the current regulations, applicants have […]

Doug Esposito is the Cannabis Practice Leader for Owen-Dunn Insurance Services, a Sacramento-based shared partners brokerage. In the following interview, Doug joins our podcast host TG Branfalt to talk about insurance options for the cannabis industry as it continues to take root and grow into the mainstream. We hear from Doug what typical cannabis industry […]

In order to address ongoing issues with Leaf Data Systems (LDS) — Washington state’s traceability database, built by MJ Freeway — the Washington State Liquor Control Board (LCB) is in negotiations with Gartner Consulting to do an independent evaluation of the LDS’ implementation. Already holding a contract with the LCB, the firm will be asked […]

Maine lawmakers have overridden Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of the recreational cannabis implementation bill, setting the stage for sales to begin in early 2019, the Bangor Daily News reports. The House voted 109-39 while the Senate voted 28-6 to override the veto. The re-written law is opposed by Legalize Maine. The measure makes significant changes […]

The Boston, Massachusetts Zoning Commission has approved regulations that will allow retail cannabis businesses to operate in any of the city’s business districts, the Boston Globe reports. The rules neither allow cannabis businesses from opening within a half-mile from one another, nor within 500 feet from kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools. City officials have said […]

Maine’s Senate has passed the bill to implement the voter-approved recreational cannabis laws 24-10, making it veto-proof from Gov. Paul LePage, the Portland Press Herald reports. A final legislative review of the measure is still required before it heads to LePage but barring any issues the first recreational licenses will be issued in spring of […]

Maine’s House has passed a bill that would see the state’s first recreational cannabis licenses issued in spring 2019, the Portland Press Herald reports. The measure passed 112-34, which gives it a vote-cushion from a potential veto by Republican Gov. Paul LePage. What’s in the bill: Recreational retailers would be allowed to purchase product from […]

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission has received more than 200 adult-use cannabis industry applications since they began accepting some applications on Tuesday, the State House News Service reports. Presently, the agency is only accepting applications from current medical cannabis dispensary owners who wish to sell their products to adults 21-and-older and empowerment applications. The majority […]

Starting today, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission will begin accepting applications for priority certification as registered marijuana dispensaries and economic empowerment applicants. Those granted priority certification will be allowed to apply for commercial applications on Apr. 16; all other license types will start their application process on May 1 or June 1, depending on the […]

Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory affairs have sent cease and desist letters to more than 200 medical cannabis businesses throughout the state over the last two weeks, despite regulators failing to issue a single operator license in the year-and-a-half since the medical cannabis program reforms were signed into law. According to a Detroit Free […]

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission has finalized the regulations for the state’s voter-approved recreational cannabis industry, four months before the program is set to go live, according to a WBUR report. The commission will begin accepting applications for industry operators on Apr. 1. What’s in, what’s out? Social consumption and home delivery is off the […]

West Virginia’s House of Delegates has passed a measure that would increase the number of cultivators, processors, and dispensaries allowed to operate under the state’s medical cannabis program, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reports. The bill does not include allowing patients to access raw flower products. The measure would allow businesses to vertically integrate – allowing them […]

We’re not expecting the Wild West in Vermont – think pre-legalization California with its semi-legal dispensaries and quasi-legal delivery services – but, as you might expect, we are expecting the law’s “loopholes” to be exploited by savvy industry enthusiasts. Coming from a New York native (more or less), Vermont has been a green beacon for […]

The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office has released its audit of the state Liquor Control Commission’s cannabis regulation systems, identifying eight information-technology security issues and making 17 recommendations for addressing the program’s weaknesses. The audit comes on the heels of a summit in the state held by U.S. Attorney Billy Williams with members of the […]

Kern County, California — somewhere along Highway 5 The driver belonged to a collective and was transporting about $2 million of unprocessed product, from Northern California to Los Angeles. He had with him various documents, including a bill of lading and authorization from the collective to transport. The collective had corporate counsel and had established […]

Maine Gov. Paul LePage has agreed to delay the implementation of new medical cannabis rules that were set to take effect Feb.1, which included allowing unannounced caregiver inspections by the Department Health and Human Services, the Portland Press Herald reports. The new regime is on hold until at least May so the Legislature’s Health and […]

The Government of Canadian territory Nunavut has released their draft rules for cannabis regulation, setting the legal purchase and possession age at 19 and keeping the possession limit at 30 grams – in line with federal proposals. The rules also provide landlords the ability to ban smoking or growing cannabis on their properties but suggest […]

A temporary change in Oregon’s penalties for selling cannabis products to minors took effect last week, providing higher fines and cannabis worker permit suspensions for employees who knowingly sell cannabis to individuals under 21-years-old. The new rules up the fine from 1,650 to $4,950 and the permit revocation from 10 days to 30. The Oregon […]

According to September 2017 data from the federal Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), more than 300 banks and nearly 100 credit unions are providing services to cannabis-related businesses. The number of institutions doing business with the sector has been steadily increasing since the second quarter of 2014. According to the data — first reported by […]