This past week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) unveiled the first draft of his long-awaited bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level. Along with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen....more
7/21/2021
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dispensaries ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Recreational Use ,
State and Local Government
Just before the start of Memorial Day weekend, U.S. House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler reintroduced the MORE Act – formally known as the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act – which would federally legalize...more
6/3/2021
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dispensaries ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Plant Based Products ,
Popular ,
Recreational Use ,
Sustainability
Legalization efforts (and victories) have continued to spread across the country in 2021. Over the last few months, we have seen New Jersey and, subsequently, New York legalize adult-use cannabis – programs that are expected...more
5/6/2021
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dispensaries ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Recreational Use ,
State and Local Government
Early this week, two special committees in the lower house of the Mexican Congress signed off on a draft bill to decriminalize cannabis nationally. Members of the chamber’s Health and Justice committees approved the cannabis...more
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act. This bill would decriminalize cannabis on the federal level and provide retroactive expungement for certain...more
Cannabis businesses face unique challenges when confronted with economic difficulties and financial challenges in an industry suffering from a lack of institutionalized capital. While cannabis remains federally illegal,...more
On Tuesday, October 20, 2020, the Cannabis Control Commission (the “Commission”) approved several policy changes with respect to its draft regulations; the most significant change being the re-categorization of two Marijuana...more
Since the era of cannabis legalization commenced, stakeholders, regulators, and ordinary citizens alike have been concerned about the lack of social equity and diversity in the cannabis industry. Even prior to the modern era...more
The Federal Reserve established the Main Street Lending Program (“Program”) to support lending to small and medium-sized businesses in response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The availability of additional...more
On Monday, Massachusetts adult-use cannabis retailers resumed sales after two months of lockdown in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Adult-use retailers are among the first “nonessential” businesses to return to operations...more
The cannabis industry, like nearly every facet of the economy, has been affected by the COVID-19 crisis, or the Coronavirus. Numerous states across the country have imposed a variety of measures to limit the spread of the...more
Now that the New Year is here and in full swing, B&L’s Cannabusiness advisory practice is taking some time to reflect on successes and shortfalls in the cannabis industry’s over the past 12 months. Following a momentous 2018...more
1/8/2020
/ Banking Sector ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Farm Bill ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
SAFE
With the cannabis space continuing its significant pace of growth, the industry has witnessed new players enter the arena: hemp and cannabidiol (“CBD”). The demand for hemp and CBD has skyrocketed in recreational, industrial,...more
11/19/2019
/ Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
FTC Act ,
Hemp ,
Interim Guidance ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
USDA
In both the Commonwealth and New England — and, indeed, the country — these are exciting times for the cannabis industry. As a consensus on the topic of legalization continues to build, technology and banking, specifically,...more
11/1/2019
/ Agricultural Sector ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Capital Markets ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Mergers ,
Professional Conferences
Since the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act (the “Act”) found bipartisan support in the House Financial Services Committee back in March, the industry has been waiting for even the slightest sign of its...more
10/16/2019
/ Banking Sector ,
Cannabis Products ,
Capital Markets ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Depository Institutions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Hemp ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
SAFE ,
Safe Harbors
In response to the growing crisis around vaping-related illness, Governor Baker has declared a public health crisis and issued a four-month ban on the sale of all vaping products in Massachusetts. The state’s Public Health...more
In early August, hemp farmers in central Oregon confronted a dilemma that every crop farmer fears. Severe thunderstorms – showering golf ball-sized hail – rolled through nearly five hundred acres of farmland, severely...more
The U.S. Justice Department (“DOJ”) has said that an Oregon woman who is employed by a marijuana staffing agency cannot use bankruptcy protection because of her firm’s ties to the cannabis industry. The U.S. Trustee—a DOJ...more
As we discussed in a post back in February, one of the biggest hurdles facing the legal cannabis industry today remains the lack of access to banking services. Despite the legalization of cannabis on the state level, banks...more
4/17/2019
/ Banking Sector ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Criminal Liability ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Committee ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
SAFE
On Monday, New Jersey legislators voted in favor of a measure that would both legalize marijuana and expunge past marijuana convictions. Many industry stakeholders were relieved last week, when Gov. Phil Murphy and Assembly...more
As described in last week’s post, 2018 proved to be an exceptionally exciting year for the cannabis industry: five states approved legalization initiatives, Canada ended its nearly century-long prohibition, and legalization...more
Last week, a House-Senate panel approved the 2018 Farm Bill, thereby ending a months-long stalemate over a piece of legislation that provides critical subsidies to farmers. While much of the bill mirrors current law, the...more
On December 23, 2018, the Department of Public Health will transfer oversight of the Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Program to the Cannabis Control Commission, the agencies recently announced, giving the CCC oversight of...more
The closely watched Massachusetts cannabusiness case, Crimson Galeria Limited Partnership, et al. v. Healthy Pharms, Inc., et al., has been dismissed. On November 9, 2018, Judge Allison D. Burroughs of the U.S. District Court...more
Following Tuesday’s midterm elections, three states—Michigan, Missouri, and Utah—adopted new cannabis laws: Michigan voters approved a measure that legalizes marijuana for recreational use, Missouri approved the creation of a...more