Judith Dyer, CPA, MS’ Post

From Buds to Bites: California Legalizes Cannabis Cafés California's cannabis microbusinesses and retailers are optimistic about a new state law that significantly expands their ability to serve food, drinks, and live music, aiming to drive growth and set a precedent for other regulated markets. The Artist Tree, a marijuana retailer near Los Angeles International Airport, has designed its latest store with kitchen space in anticipation of this long-awaited policy change. Other retailers, such as Sacramento-based Perfect Union, are exploring how to expand their offerings beyond traditional cannabis sales in light of the new law. "This legislation opens the door to a future where cannabis isn’t something to be hidden or restricted but celebrated alongside art, music, and food," said Angelica Sanchez, senior director of government affairs and compliance at Perfect Union, which operates nine stores mainly in Northern California. The law comes shortly after Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill allowing small farmers to sell cannabis directly to consumers but subsequently signed a measure on September 30 to legalize cannabis cafes similar to those in the Netherlands. The new law, Assembly Bill 1775, addresses workplace concerns by mandating that employers supply masks for workers and provide guidelines regarding the risks of secondary smoke. #CaliforniaCannabis #CannabisCafes #MarijuanaRetail #CannabisCommunity #LegalizeCannabis

🌟 A NEW HOPE for California's #battered Cannabis Industry 🌟 #TODAY Governor Gavin Newsom has signed #AB1775 into law, officially legalizing Cannabis consumption lounges across the state. This is a #small step for Cannabis, but a giant #leap for California's Cannabis industry, offering regulated spaces for social #consumption while providing a much-needed boost to the legal market. We're talking real consumption lounges, with all the bells & whistles of hospitality...not just a #smoking room stuck on to a dispensary. Dispensary group, Urbana, in San Francisco & Oakland, have been at the forefront of this change, for years. At a time when the Cannabis industry is facing #economic strain and competition from the illicit market, these lounges offer new #opportunities for businesses to thrive (see article below). Read on below how Cannabis #ConsumptionLounges in America are here to stay, and—if done well, can create safe, community-focused environments that can only help shift consumers away from unregulated options, offering a #freshstart for California #Cannabis

Answer: There are three main things #MnCities should be doing to prepare for cannabis businesses in their communities. First cities should be reviewing their zoning ordinances and determine what changes should be made. The Office of Cannabis Management has put out a Guide for Local Governments on Adult-Use Cannabis that includes a sample ordinance that cities can use as a starting point. Second cities should consider whether it will register cannabis retail businesses locally or defer that authority to the county. Local registration requires the local unit of government to perform compliance checks on retail businesses. Cities have the ability to transfer this authority to the county if both entities agree. If a city desires to have the county do local registrations, the city should reach out to the county and begin discussions on what that relationship will be. Finally, cities need to consider whether it will limit the number of cannabis registrations in their jurisdiction. Cities are able to limit the number of local registrations to one for every 12,500 residents. If a county has one active registration for every 12,500 residents, a city is not obligated to register a cannabis business. If a city would like to limit the number of registered businesses in its jurisdiction, it must limit them by ordinance. #InTheWeedsWithLMC

California lawmakers have passed a bill to legalize cannabis cafes, revisiting the topic after Governor Gavin Newsom’s previous veto due to smoke-free workplace concerns. The Assembly approved the legislation with a 58-6 vote, now moving to the Senate. Sponsored by Assemblymember Matt Haney, the bill allows licensed venues to offer on-site marijuana consumption along with non-cannabis food and non-alcoholic drinks, and to host live events if local governments agree. Haney highlighted that the bill aims to support legitimate businesses, combat the thriving illicit market, and allow existing cannabis lounges to diversify their offerings. Changes were made to address the governor’s health and safety concerns. 🌱Disclaimer: This Video/Post is for educational and informational purposes only For More Information/News Follow Us: Get Your MMJ Card Click The Link In Our Bio: . . . #wearesunjane #california #lawmakers #legalize #legalcannabis #MattHaney #californiapeople #CaliforniaLiving

Looks like we're ending 2024 the same way it began. The biggest enemies of #populist cannabis #policy in Connecticut are the so-called advocates who "can't stop, won't stop" shooting themselves in the foot. The #Connecticut #Cannabis Small Business Alliance was rightly mocked and rebuked during this year's legislative session for having flooded state lawmakers with a raft of AI-generated testimony, effectively rendering their concerns moot. Some of this testimony didn't even have a real name attached to it. I personally heard from lawmakers who said that they won't even skim over these documents, much less take them seriously. Now it seems the alliance is doubling down on this non-starter approach to shaping policy. Instead of going back to the drawing board and authoring in their own words, they are discussing tactics for circumventing the automated detection of AI-generated testimony. The saddest part about all of this is that their actions will harm the initiatives underway for next year's session, from people who can actually string a few words together to form a sentence without help. The baby will get thrown out with the bath water, and the 2025 legislative proposals that our ombudsperson worked on so diligently will be the victim of collateral damage. With advocates like these, the cartel oligopoly has absolutely nothing to worry about. -- “Instead of solving for the root causes of our state’s ailing cannabis industry, we continue to pull the wrong levers,” Louis Rinaldi said. “On one side we have a group of advocates whose net impact on cannabis policy has been regressive, after flaunting their exploitation of the gifting loophole and forcing state legislators to close it. On the other side, we have elected officials who instead of serving the people, serve as enforcers of market share protectionism for the state’s four incumbent licensed producers. All while frustrated patients and consumers continue to source from outside Connecticut’s regulated market due to ongoing quality, pricing and trust concerns.”

The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management has canceled its license lottery after legal challenges surfaced, citing fairness and compliance concerns. This decision will delay retail sales and has left many in the industry wondering: What’s next? Our latest article gets into: ● The impact on social equity applicants ● Revised licensing timelines ● What this means for Minnesota’s cannabis future Read more at the link below. 📢 Share your thoughts—how should the industry address these delays while staying equitable? #CannabisIndustry #BeardBrosPharms #SocialEquity

Newsom just signed and vetoed a bunch of cannabis bills. Here are a few: 1 - AB-1775 (signed) will allow licensed consumption lounges to sell non-alcoholic beverages and food, as well as tickets for live events. This will be a big change for consumption lounges, though to be fair there are not many in California and cities will also have to authorize them. 2 - SB-1059 (signed) will stop cities from including excise tax and sales and use tax in their definitions of "gross receipts" for purposes of taxing retailers. This should give retailers a much needed break - albeit not nearly enough - on local taxation. 3 - AB-1111 (vetoed) would have allowed certain small cultivators to obtain "small producer event sales licenses" to sell cannabis at certain licensed events. It really makes little sense why this was vetoed, as the pool for sales would have been definitionally very small. This certainly isn't exclusive of all the cannabis bills Newsom signed or passed this week, but these are some of the bigger highlights.

The new law in Maine, L.D. 40, is set to transform the cannabis retail experience by July, making it similar to alcohol shopping. The law, which will pass without Governor Janet Mills' signature, removes at-the-door ID checks, permits minors to enter stores with a guardian, allows for off-premises samples, and abolishes the requirement for opaque packaging. This shift aims to de-stigmatize the cannabis shopping experience, which has been marked by stringent security measures like cash payments and strict ID checks that excluded even those who forgot their IDs or had underage children with them. The new law will also reduce operational costs for businesses, streamline regulatory processes, and remove some criminal-like treatment of cannabis operators. It promises a more welcoming environment and higher business efficiency, although it faced initial resistance from state and public health officials over concerns about endorsing underage cannabis use. https://lnkd.in/gpK3bPqm

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission is set to vote on crucial regulations this month, impacting cannabis delivery businesses. Last year's agreed policy changes could significantly boost struggling businesses' bottom lines. In December, the commission voted to amend a rule mandating two employees in cannabis delivery vehicles for security reasons. While this rule aimed to prevent risks, businesses argue that it inflates costs and hampers efficiency. Many of these delivery businesses are owned by individuals from marginalized groups, disproportionately affected by drug war policies. Removing the two-driver rule could create new economic opportunities for Black, brown, and low-income entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry. #Massachusetts #CannabisIndustry #PolicyChanges #EconomicOpportunities #Inclusion #Diversity #Entrepreneurship