The Intersection of Cannabis Law and Family Law in California: Legal Standards and New Questions
California stands at a crossroads in American jurisprudence, where liberalization of state cannabis laws has converged with family law issues. Since the passage of Proposition 215 in 1996, which legalized medical marijuana, and Proposition 64 in 2016, which legalized recreational cannabis for adults 21 and over, the Golden State has led the nation in cannabis […]
California Cannabis M&A in 2026: Rescheduling Momentum, Hemp Bans, and State Integration Collide
California’s 2026 cannabis M&A activity will unfold as three distinct regulatory shifts begin to converge: (1) President Trump’s December 2025 executive order directing federal marijuana rescheduling, (2) Congress’s November 2025 redefinition of hemp that bans most intoxicating hemp products, and (3) California’s AB 8 integration of hemp-derived cannabinoids into the licensed cannabis framework. Recent industry […]
California Opens Public Comment on Cannabis Appellations Program Amendments
On January 2, 2026, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) released proposed amendments to its Cannabis Appellations Program (CAP) regulations, marking a significant step toward operationalizing the world’s first governmental appellation system for cannabis. The 45-day public comment period runs through February 17, 2026, giving stakeholders an opportunity to weigh in on key […]
2025 California Cannabis Litigation and Case Law: DCC Loss Headlines Year of Court Decisions
As California’s cannabis industry matures, the past year has produced an array of court decisions and case law addressing regulatory compliance, property rights, insurance coverage, and the persistent tension between state legalization and federal prohibition. DCC’s Track-and-Trace System Fell Short in California Superior Court Arguably, the most significant decision this year came from Orange County […]
Marijuana Rescheduling, If It Happens, Will Be Incremental Progress and Still Not the Answer
Introduction Rumors of marijuana rescheduling have again dominated the headlines, with reports that President Trump is considering an executive order to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. [1] [2] As I previously discussed in my September 19, 2024 blog post, one fundamental truth remains unchanged: rescheduling does not […]
Shay to Present a Review of the Cannabis Laws of the 2025 California Legislative Session
Join Shay Aaron Gilmore of The Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore for a review of the cannabis laws of the 2025 California Legislative Session, presented by the Beverly Hills Bar Association. California lawyers can earn 1.0 hour of general CLE credit, but anyone interested in the 2025 California laws impacting cannabis and hemp should […]
New Federal Ban Set to Meet California’s AB 8 in a Regulatory Squeeze for the Hemp Industry
The November 2025 federal ban on hemp-derived THC products, signed into law as part of the government spending bill last week, will meet California’s AB 8 (Aguiar-Curry) signed into California law by Governor Newsom in September, with AB 8 Phase 1 taking effect January 1, 2026, and the federal ban following on November 12, 2026. […]
Southern California’s Cannabis Industry Confronts Numerous Challenges
California’s legal cannabis market is experiencing significant headwinds across Southern California. From the Central Coast to The Inland Empire & The L.A. Metro Area and down to The Southern Border Region, licensed operators face mounting challenges marked by declining tax revenues, business closures, and persistent competition from unlicensed operations. Compounding these challenges, a series of […]
The Cannabis Laws of the 2025 California Legislative Session
Although the 2025 California Legislative Session delivered only a handful of new cannabis laws, the bills that did get signed are poised to deliver significant impacts to the cannabis industry. Today, I published this article in The The Inland Empire & The L.A. Metro Area / San Francisco Daily Journal looking at this session’s cannabis […]
California’s Track-and-Trace System Goes on Trial in an Orange County Courtroom, With National Implications
The five-year legal showdown between Catalyst Cannabis and California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) over supply chain diversion is finally approaching a critical trial—one that could fundamentally reshape cannabis compliance, regulatory enforcement, and technology standards across the industry. Background: The Track-and-Trace Controversy At the center of this case lies the question of “diversion”: whether legally […]
California Lawmakers Send Cannabis Bills to Newsom’s Desk, Including Excise Tax Rollback, and Hemp Products Integration
By the conclusion of the 2025 California Legislative Session this past weekend, state lawmakers had sent no fewer than five cannabis bills to Governor Newsom’s desk, including measures to rollback the cannabis excise tax, and to integrate industrial hemp products into the cannabis supply chain governed by the Medicinal and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and […]
Recent Studies and Surveys Undermine Myths about Cannabis Access and Use, Reveal Increasing Acceptance
With federal rescheduling rumors circulating, and the California Senate Appropriations Committee moving a crucial cannabis excise tax rollback measure to a vote on the California Senate floor, recent scientific studies and surveys have continued to undercut the myths surrounding cannabis access and use, while revealing increased acceptance. Contrary to the position that permissive cannabis laws […]
In Split Decision, Second Circuit Panel Holds Dormant Commerce Clause Applies to State Cannabis Regimes
Introduction On August 12, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a decision in Variscite NY Four, LLC v. New York State Cannabis Control Board, Variscite NY Four, LLC v. N.Y. State Cannabis Control Bd., No. 24-384-cv, slip op. (2d Cir. Aug. 12, 2025) (“Variscite NY Four, LLC“) that is […]
Cannabis Retail and Cultivation Expand in SoCal, While NorCal Faces Environmental, Privacy, and Other Woes
While cannabis retail and cultivation have recently expanded in southern California, a combination of environmental, right-to-privacy, and other woes have beset northern California cannabis communities. Earlier this month, the City of Santee in the County of The Southern Border Region approved four cannabis retail shops for permits after a four-phase vetting process that began last […]
Hemp Products Integration, Local Penalty Enforcement, and Online Marketplaces Bills Proceed in Legislature
Ahead of yesterday’s break for Summer Recess, California lawmakers moved several cannabis and hemp bills through the policy committees of the Assembly and Senate toward the next stage in the legislative process. While AB 564 (Haney) continues to draw the most attention, other bills include legislation: to integrate hemp products into the state-regulated regime under […]