Canna Law Blog™

The ancillary companies that provide goods and services to the cannabis industry are legion. From equipment, real estate, legal services, and technology to packaging, labeling, intellectual property, hardware, and apparel, the list is basically endless for the opportunities that abound in the cannabis ancillary sector. One of the cooler ancillary areas that hasn’t gotten a ton of play is the cross section of telehealth and medical cannabis, especially where medical cannabis has overwhelmingly been deemed…

Canna Law Blog™

BCC Announces Proposed Regulations re: AB 1525 and Financial Services

By Alison Malsbury

January 16, 2021

On January 14th, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) issued an announcement of proposed regulations pursuant to AB 1525, which was approved by the Governor in September 2020. The purpose of AB 1525 was to: provide that an entity, as defined, that receives deposits, extends credit, conducts fund transfers, transports cash or financial instruments, or provides other financial services, including public accounting, as provided, does not commit a crime under any California law…

Canna Law Blog™

California Tries Again with CBD

By Griffen Thorne

January 15, 2021

California has a rocky history when it comes to hemp-derived CBD. Despite the fact that the state adopted a robust medical and recreational cannabis program, for years it has taken the mystifying position that many kinds of hemp-derived products simply can’t be sold. Essentially, foods, beverages, and dietary supplements are a no-go according to the CA Department of Public Health (you can read an older analysis of mine on the CDPH’s position here). For…

Canna Law Blog™

Oregon Cannabis: What to Watch for in 2021?

By Jesse Mondry

January 9, 2021

As we recently wrote, 2020 was a remarkable year for the Oregon cannabis industry for several reasons including COVID-19 and raging wildfires. This post follows up on the “State of the State” and is a sister poste to our California Cannabis: What to Watch for in 2021. OLCC Enforcement: Although the OLCC began to shift toward a less punitive approach to the enforcement of rule violations in 2020, at least for a few…

Canna Law Blog™

California Cannabis Litigation in 2021 – Back to Discovery

By Jihee Ahn

January 7, 2021

Back in June, I wrote this post about the nearly stalled status of litigation since the pandemic began. While some courts are still incredibly backlogged (and, will give priority to criminal cases once they bear any semblance of “back to normal”), other courts have been surprisingly quick to adopt new procedures and technology in the latter half of 2020. As trials, hearings, and even status conferences have resumed in most districts we practice in, we…

Canna Law Blog™

California Cannabis: What to Watch for in 2021

By Griffen Thorne

January 4, 2021

It goes without saying, but 2020 was a pretty wild year for the California cannabis and hemp industries. We think 2021 will be a pretty active year and want to list out some things to watch out for as we kick off the new year. Agency Consolidation: It was announced in January 2020 that California’s three cannabis agencies’ regulatory authority would be consolidated into a single, new agency, the Department of Cannabis Control. We expect…

Canna Law Blog™

Mexico Cannabis Trademarks: Register Them NOW!

By Fred Rocafort

December 31, 2020

In a recent blog post we considered the evolving situation concerning the registrability of cannabis trademarks in Brazil. Today we turn our attention to Mexico. As a starting point, it is important to remember that cannabis legalization efforts are considerably more advanced in Mexico than in Brazil. The Mexican legislature is in the midst of considering a legalization bill, which the Senate has already approved. Medical use is legal and recreational use is…

Canna Law Blog™

Oregon Cannabis: State of the State

By Vince Sliwoski

December 29, 2020

Here we are at the end of 2020 (thank goodness!), which means it’s time for the fifth annual “State of the State” post on Oregon cannabis. The year 2020 was remarkable for the Oregon cannabis industry, mostly due to COVID and its effects, including record sales on the THC side. But there were also key regulatory changes, raging wildfires and other unforeseen developments to recall as we take stock on a tumultuous year, and look…

Canna Law Blog™

The FDA Objects to the Sale and Marketing of Nasal, Ophthalmic and Inhalable CBD Products

By Nathalie Bougenies

December 27, 2020

On December 22, the Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) issued new warning letters to five companies that illegally sold and marketed unapproved CBD products, which the companies claimed could prevent, diagnose, mitigate, treat or cure various medical conditions. This latest round of enforcement actions was triggered by specific concerns with the manner in which many of these CBD products were administered, namely through nasal, ophthalmic and inhalation routes. The five recipients of these warning…

Canna Law Blog™

Mexico Cannabis Legalization is Postponed (And That’s OK)

By Adrián Cisneros Aguilar

December 23, 2020

As I recently reported on this blog, last November the Mexican Senate approved an amended Cannabis Law bill. That bill was sent to the Lower Chamber for discussion and approval. The Lower Chamber duly received the bill on November 24 and has already held public hearings with various stakeholders in the country, which we have been following closely. It really did seem Congress would do its part on cannabis legalization. We were rather disappointed…