November 2017

Breaking Down California's Proposition 64 Rules


Last year, Californians passed Proposition 64, which legalized recreational marijuana use across the state. On Thursday, November 16th, state regulators released their 276-page set of cannabis rules to go along with the legalization that is set to be effective January 1, 2018. In general, California will treat cannabis like alcohol, allowing people 21 and older to legally possess up to an ounce and grow six marijuana plants at home.

Scaled fees are spelled out, with costs for annual licenses ranging from $800 for businesses transporting cannabis, up to $120 thousand for businesses doing multiple activities and making more than $4.5 million annually.

Even though the state seems ready for the January 1st roll-out, some cities – including two of California’s largest, Los Angeles and San Francisco – will not be ready. The reason that matters is that, to apply for a state license, a grower or seller first needs a local permit; therefore, residents in those areas will have to wait until their city finalizes the local cannabis rules.

For people in cities that are prepared for the January 1st date, starting in December, they will be allowed to apply for licenses through an … Keep reading

Reflections on MJBizCon 2017


Recently, I traveled to Las Vegas with colleague and fellow Cannabis Advisory Group co-chair, Frank Segall, to attend the Marijuana Business Conference & Expo, also known as “MJBizCon,” which bills itself as “the largest cannabis conference in the world.” Launched in 2012 by the editors of Marijuana Business Daily, MJBizCon hosts bi-annual events in the fall and spring, bringing together thousand professional cannabis operators and investors every year.

This was my fourth MJBizCon (one spring, three fall), and it was, by far, the largest. The official attendance was announced at 18,120, and the number of exhibitors was over 650. Anticipating this volume, the conference was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, having overgrown its previous host venue, the Rio Las Vegas, and it will undoubtedly continue to scale in terms of scope and intensity.

This year, for the first time, adult-use cannabis is legal in Nevada. And while usage of any cannabis products was forbidden inside the Convention Center, it was evident that the majority of the attendees enjoyed the recent change in the law. For me, one of the clearest differences between this conference and ones from years past was the types of exhibitors … Keep reading


Throughout history, marijuana has brought many benefits to vastly different populations. Realizing that those benefits outweigh any potential risks, Massachusetts, as a forward-thinking state, has allowed this product (and it is a “product”) to enter the marketplace on a legal basis, though regulatory details continue to be worked out. Below are some salient facts and dates to remember as cannabis comes fully online in the Commonwealth.

When did the law take effect?
The law took effect on December 15, 2016.

What aspects of the law took effect on December 15th?
Although licenses for cultivation, manufacture, testing, and retail sales will not be issued until July 2018, certain personal use provisions allowed for persons 21 years or older went into effect on December 15, 2016. Those include the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana, of which five grams may be marijuana concentrate, as well as the home-growth provisions that allow for the possession of up to 10 ounces of marijuana in one’s primary residence and six plants per resident, but no more than 12 plants per household. For more specific information, please refer to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 94G.

Where can I grow my plants?
Plants can … Keep reading


Many cannabis industry experts believe that the cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical sub-industry has the most potential to be the largest growth target for the cannabis industry as a whole, and if regulatory barriers to the cannabis industry are eased or lifted, the industry experts are probably right. The positive results of cannabis-based drugs on various diseases, illnesses, and symptoms, are overwhelming, and companies such as Digipath, Inc. and GW Pharmaceuticals, plc, are at the forefront trying to bring these this cannabis-based drug treatment to the mainstream.

The pharmaceutical industry is estimated to average about $500 billion in sales per year. The industry is heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) almost every step of the way from testing, patenting, efficacy, and marketing of the drugs. Meanwhile the cannabis industry, at its current state, is the Wild West. There is almost no standardization of cannabis products across the country for a product that has an estimated 700 different types of strands. This means that trying to buy a specific cannabis product to help with muscle pain in one part of town that you bought in another part of town, is impossible. Whereas, buying Epilim, a drug for epilepsy, is the … Keep reading


At our cannabis conference on October 17th, representatives from across the industry gathered to discuss how the landscape of legalized marijuana has changed in recent years, particularly in New England. A panel, consisting of James Alex (Premier Healthcare Group), Jason Sidman (Sanctuary Medicinals), Patricia Rosi (Wellness Connection of Maine), and G. William Eldridge (GW Consulting), talked about specific industry trends they have seen and where they expect the industry to go moving forward. Below are a few highlights from that discussion:

Why should people be interested in getting into the industry?

Everybody has their own story on what drew them to the industry, whether it was a firsthand experience regarding the medicinal effects of cannabis, or the possible societal benefits of its legalization. However, one view that is consistent among all of those involved—including cultivators, retailers, investors, and advocates—is the great potential that exists. Legalized marijuana is already a multi-billion dollar industry, and only looks to be growing with the recent legalization of recreational marijuana in many of the northeastern states.

How do you attract an experienced workforce, especially in a budding industry like legalized marijuana?

The answer may be simpler than you expect. Many of the skills that … Keep reading