All Practice Areas Archives - Page 13 of 16

Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation Recommends Major Changes to its Phase III Storefront Cannabis Retail Licensing Process

Major Changes Recommended for Los Angeles’ Phase III Storefront Cannabis Retail Licensing Process

On February 8, 2019, the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (“the DCR”) issued a report to the City’s Rules, Elections, Intergovernmental Relations Committee (the “Committee”) recommending a number of amendments to the City’s cannabis program that it believes will make the licensing process more efficient, transparent and equitable. The ten-page report signals a significant shift in DCR policy and

Rogoway Law Group February 12, 2019

California recently tasked CalCannabis with developing a process for licensed cannabis cultivators to establish state cannabis appellations - the CalCannabis Appellations Project.

What the CalCannabis Appellations Project means for California Cannabis Cultivators, Manufacturers & Retailers.

Tequila from Mexico, Roquefort cheese from France…cannabis from Humboldt?! Consumers around the world place great importance on the place of origin for many agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts, and industrial products. This trend holds true in the cannabis industry. Many in cannabis companies recognize the importance of promoting the geographic origin, otherwise known in trademark lingo as

Josh Zetlin February 11, 2019

FDA Regulation of Hemp Post Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018

On December 20, 2018, the Agricultural Improvement Act (“AIA”) of 2018 was signed into law. Among the changes made within the AIA was the long-awaited legalization of industrial hemp. The AIA removes hemp (defined as cannabis and derivatives of cannabis with less than 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis) from the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). This removal of hemp

Rogoway Law Group January 17, 2019

“Gram Shop” Laws For Cannabis Businesses in California

“Gram Shop” Laws – What They Are and Why We Need Them in California

Consumer product companies typically reduce their product liability risk by focusing on product design, safety testing, and quality control. If a product is well made (for example, if it is not defective or adulterated), then its seller generally knows no one is likely going to sue for injury or harm arising out of the product’s use. However, this is

Rogoway Law Group January 9, 2019

Bureau of Cannabis Control California's Proposed Regulations for Cannabis Businesses

Bureau of Cannabis Control’s Newly Proposed Regulations

The Bureau of Cannabis Control recently announced the release of final proposed cannabis regulations which were submitted December 3, 2018 to the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) and are currently under review by OAL. The proposed changes will not be in effect until they are approved by OAL but we expect them to go into effect, as drafted, upon

Rogoway Law Group January 8, 2019

A Wage & Hour Primer for HR Managers of California Cannabis Businesses

A Wage & Hour Primer for HR Managers of Cannabis Businesses

We are offering the following observations so that HR managers in the cannabis field can better understand some of the rules that govern wage and hour requirements here in California. These rules are important because failure to follow them can expose employers (the operating cannabis companies) and sometimes their executives to significant civil fines and penalties and, in the case

Rogoway Law Group December 20, 2018

Will Cannabis Companies Slowly Become Life Science Companies? : A Perspective from a “Life Science – Cannabis” Attorney

People from the cannabis field will often ask me how practicing “cannabis law” compares to my time spent practicing “FDA” (a/k/a life science) law at two publicly traded biotechs and a global medical device manufacturer. Given the many similarities between the two industries, cannabis and life science, but with one industry firmly established on the national scene and the other

Rogoway Law Group December 19, 2018

Anticipating Due Diligence for Cannabis Industry Transactions

Due diligence plays an important role in many types of cannabis industry transactions. Due diligence involves a third-party conducting a thorough review of certain documents and records related to a business. As a best practice, cannabis companies should remain aware of the various times when third parties may conduct due diligence with respect to their business. Often investors participating in

Rogoway Law Group December 17, 2018

Hemp Industry New and Proposed Regulations

How Proposed and Current Regulations May Affect Your Hemp Business.

Federal Regulation of Hemp In 2014, US Congress passed the Farm Bill, which authorized states to implement pilot programs to study the cultivation of and market for industrial hemp. Within the Farm Bill, Congress defined industrial hemp as “Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than

Rogoway Law Group December 4, 2018

The Cannabis RICO Cases – Where Are They Now?

If you’ve been keeping up with cannabis litigation recently, you’ve probably noticed a growing number of cases brought against cannabis cultivators and dispensaries by angry neighbors alleging violations under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the federal anti-racketeering laws. This blog provides an update on the current status of these “cannabis RICO” cases, along with a prediction for

Rogoway Law Group November 27, 2018

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