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
Update (October 7, 2026): The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (P.L. 119-103), enacted September 2, 2026, split the effective date of the federal hemp redefinition in § 781 of P.L. 119-37. The exclusion for intermediate and final hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing cannabinoids the cannabis plant cannot naturally produce takes effect November 12, 2026. The […]
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 […]
Governor Moves to Permanently Ban Hemp THC in California under Proposed Rulemaking
Last week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for permanent regulations requiring that industrial hemp food, food additives, beverages, and dietary supplements intended for human consumption (1) have no detectable THC per serving, (2) cannot be sold to purchasers under age 21, and (3) may have no more […]
Shay Will Moderate a Panel of Cannabis Law and Policy Experts at Next Week’s Cannabis Law Institute
Next week, at the International Cannabis Bar Association’s Cannabis Law Institute, Shay will lead a discussion about the legacy-to-legal transition for cannabis businesses in recent history in the United States. From Sturm College of Law at The University of Denver, Shay will be joined on stage by renowned trial lawyer and author of “California Cannabis […]
California Awards Over $52 Million for Communities Disproportionately Affected by the War on Drugs
Last week, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) awarded $52.4 million to nonprofit organizations and health departments through the California Community Reinvestment Grants (CalCRG) program, which was established as part of Prop. 64. Funded in part by the cannabis excise tax, this program serves communities disproportionately affected by past federal and state […]
California Legislators Advance Bills Addressing Hemp Products, Cannabis Excise Tax, Online Marketplaces
California lawmakers in both the Assembly and Senate have moved legislation addressing cannabis and hemp issues through votes by the assigned policy committees in their respective chambers. Most critical to the financial health of the entire California regulated market, this week, AB 564 (Haney), which would retain the existing cannabis excise tax rate of 15% […]
DCC Will Hold Hearing Tuesday Regarding Cultivation Updates and Sanitation Standards Regulations
California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) will hold a virtual public hearing on Tuesday, April 29, beginning at 10 a.m. (PT) regarding adoption of proposed regulations addressing cultivation updates and minimum sanitation standards. Having identified several aspects of the current cultivation regulations that are unclear, unreasonably burdensome, facilitate diversion to the illicit market, or are […]