The City of Long Beach is looking into allowing temporary permitted special events with on-site cannabis consumption within the city’s boundaries after a unanimous vote last week by the Long Beach City Council. On November 5, the voters in the City of Duarte will consider allowing cannabis retail operations in the city. While San Diego County has extended the application deadline for participation in the county’s Cannabis Equity Program, a Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury has recently issued a report calling for multiple reforms to cannabis licensing and the Cannabis Social Equity Program administered by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation. These moves to expand and reform commercial cannabis in Southern California come as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released data showing that over the past decade of expansion of cannabis legalization throughout the United States, teen use of cannabis has declined by nearly twenty percent (20%). And research continues to pile up supporting the potential health benefits of cannabis use, like a recent study finding heart attack victims with a history of cannabis use are less likely to die in the hospital as compared to those with no history of cannabis use, a human trial showing a link between the cannabinoid CBG (cannabigerol) and improved memory and reduced anxiety, and a scientific review concluding that medical marijuana shows promising and potentially effective outcomes as a treatment for Tourette Syndrome. Southern California local governments and voters looking to expand and reform commercial cannabis, whether by approving a cannabis cultivation project in Santa Barbara County or doubling the number of cannabis retail stores in the City of Santa Monica, have recent scientific research and investigative results to support their efforts.
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Shay Aaron Gilmore is a California cannabis and hemp business attorney based in San Francisco, serving operators, investors, and cannabis startups across California. He advises clients on DCC regulatory compliance, cannabis licensing, corporate formation, intellectual property, commercial contracts, and administrative law proceedings. Recognized by the Daily Journal as a Top 20 Cannabis Lawyer in California and by Super Lawyers® as a Top 100 Northern California attorney, he is a leading voice in California cannabis and hemp law.