Global Regulatory Risk Advisors

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is accepting applications for medical marijuana facilities through August 17, 2019. More than 600 businesses have submitted pre-filed application forms and nonrefundable fees with the state. Missouri will award 348 available licenses across 8...

The New York State Department of Agriculture issued a letter warning food license and dairy permit holders that they may face enforcement actions for manufacturing or selling CBD infused food and beverages. The DOA’s letter will have a significant impact as many smoke shops, bodegas and...

Medical cannabis programs are expanding as state regulators increase the number and types of conditions that qualify persons for medical cannabis, especially in that states that approve anxiety or general pain management as qualifying conditions. As the number of patients increases, the production...

The California Department of Food and Agriculture established an industrial hemp program for the registration of industrial hemp cultivators. Under the program, applicants must contact a local county agricultural commissioner to register for the program and abide by any local restrictions....

Santa Barbara County will hold a meeting today to review changes to the county’s cannabis ordinance that are intended to address concerns about odors and safety caused by the numerous cultivation facilities in the unincorporated areas. The Board of Supervisors is expected to provide...

Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency released the emergency adult use cannabis regulations last week, which allows the agency to begin accepting applications prior to December 6, 2019. Local cities and prospective business owners have been waiting for the state to release the rules prior to...

Over the last couple of weeks, counties and cities in California have adopted hemp cultivation bans in order to address perceived public nuisance issues from the activity including odor problems and public safety concerns. Counties and cities are also struggling with how to prevent cross-...

Maine’s Office of Marijuana Policy released its provisionally adopted rules last Friday. The rules are relatively modest as they include only 78 pages of regulatory requirements. However, the benefits of a friendly regulatory environment may not overcome the onerous in-state licensing and...

The Governor of Colorado, Jared Polis, signed seven (7) new cannabis laws into effect. The laws will propel Colorado’s cannabis industry forward by opening doors to public capital, allowing on-site consumption and delivery licenses, and making strides in the development of a robust hemp...

The Illinois Legislature passed a bill on Friday that legalizes adult-use marijuana businesses. Entrepreneurs who want to start a cannabis business should start preparing now in order to ensure a place in the front of the line. The legislation requires the Department of Agriculture and the ...

The New York Senate released an amended version of the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act for consideration ahead of the Legislature’s 2019 session end on June 19th. The legislation was originally introduced in January and will regulate, tax and control marihuana like alcohol. Most notably...

The Oklahoma Legislature passed a bill that will prevent local municipalities from prohibiting medical cannabis dispensaries. The bill has been sent to Governor Kevin Stitt for his signature. The state’s medical marijuana industry is booming as the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority has...

The fact that cannabis is illegal under federal law is not the only reason why the industry is high risk. The vertical nature of the cannabis industry means that a business may perform activities in multiple sub-industries such as agriculture, pharmaceutical manufacturing and testing, food...

The Oregon Department of Agriculture adopted final regulations for the hemp industry on May 15, 2019, which replace the temporary rules that were put in place in December.  The DOA’s regulations govern the production and processing of hemp in Oregon including the creation of extracted...

By Susan Ameel, co-founder and partner of Global Regulatory Risk Advisors. Humboldt County continues to step up enforcement against illegal growers. Over the past year, the Humboldt County Code Enforcement Unit in California has actively identified illegal grow operations using satellite imagery....