Cannabis and Hemp Law Blog
Recent and Expected California Cannabis & Hemp Rulemaking to Govern the Licensed Supply Chains for Years to Come
California cannabis and hemp operators face five active or anticipated rulemakings in 2026 — covering multipack cannabis goods, pesticide residue testing, cultivation requirements, METRC track-and-trace reform, and AB 8 implementation. California cannabis attorney Shay Aaron Gilmore breaks down each DCC rulemaking proceeding, the AB 8 two-year countdown to hemp-DCC licensing integration, and why administrative law counsel delivers its highest value before any enforcement action begins.
California’s 2026 Cannabis Bills: All Active, All in the Assembly, and a Critical Deadline Approaching
Every active 2026 California cannabis bill affecting licensed dispensaries and retailers — including AB 2532’s beverage overhaul — is now sitting in the Assembly Appropriations Committee with a hard May 15 deadline. California cannabis attorney Shay Aaron Gilmore breaks down all of the bills, their current status, who’s sponsoring them, and what operators need to do before the window closes. Read the full legislative update at shaygilmorelaw.com.
California M-License Operators in a Bifurcated Federal World: A Legal Deep Dive on DOJ’s April 2026 Rescheduling Order
The DOJ’s April 22, 2026 order rescheduling medical marijuana to Schedule III is the most significant shift in federal cannabis law in a generation — but it is narrow, legally fragile, and comes with a hard deadline. Here is what California M-license operators and investors need to know right now.
Where the Law Meets the Ground: A Spring 2026 Field Report for California Cannabis Operators and Investors
California’s spring 2026 cannabis landscape is being shaped by ground-level events that demand immediate attention from operators and investors: nine Santa Barbara County licenses revoked over odor compliance failures, geopolitical fuel price shocks stress-testing distribution contracts across the state, a wave of M&A deals introducing new joint venture and earnout structures, and pricing data from Michigan and the East Coast confirming that California’s price compression is structural — not temporary. California cannabis attorney Shay Aaron Gilmore analyzes what it means for your business.
Physician-Furnished, Legally Frozen: How AB 8 Locks California Out of the Federal Hemp-CBD Medicare Benefit
California’s AB 8 bans detectable THC in hemp products sold outside licensed dispensaries — putting the state on a direct collision course with the new CMS Substance Access BEI, which allows physicians to furnish hemp-CBD products worth up to $500 annually to Medicare patients. Here’s what ACOs, hemp businesses, and healthcare providers need to know.
California Cannabis Regulatory Compliance in 2026: What Local & State Headlines Are Telling Operators
By The Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore | shaygilmorelaw.com The past few weeks have produced a striking cluster of cannabis compliance news from across
Administrative Law and the California Cannabis Industry Now: New Rulemaking and Appeals Process
By Shay Aaron Gilmore | The Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore | shaygilmorelaw.com Right now, in the spring of 2026, California cannabis administrative law