On May 16, 2017, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed GOP-sponsored Senate Bill 5131 to allow Washington State to be the first state in the nation to create a program to certify cannabis products as organic. The new law creates a voluntary program for the certification and regulation of organic cannabis products (both recreational and medicinal) to be administered by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). The WSDA is now working on creating the rules for the new program and has stated that it will likely take several months to as long as a year before the rules are complete and certifications are handed out.
In two years, Oregon’s legalized recreational marijuana industry has gone from non-existent to a thriving industry, with over $60 million a year in total sales and over 400 licensed retailers. Despite the growing popularity of legalized recreational marijuana, no states have provided for the public consumption of marijuana. Oregon is considering changing that with SB 307. This measure would permit the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, the state’s regulatory body for cannabis sales, to issue permits for temporary events and for “cannabis lounges”. These permits could be issued if a county or city agrees to allow such permits in their jurisdiction.
This is just a reminder that we will be hosting a free half-day seminar for Oregon cannabis businesses this Thursday, May 18 at the World Trade Center in Portland. The program, titled Growing Up Green: Learning How to Blossom in Oregon’s Budding Marketplace (co-hosted by Garvey Schubert Barer, ACT Resources, PLLC, and Mosaic Insurance Alliance), will provide information on what every cannabis license holder needs to know, including attracting investors, employment, real estate, insurance, taxes and lessons learned from the Washington market. Additionally, the OLCC’s Portland Metro Public Safety Manager will be on hand to discuss regulatory issues and answer your questions.
The complete agenda is available on the seminar's event page on our website.
Date & Time
Thurs. May 18, 2017
Registration: 12:30 - 1:00 pm
Program: 1:00 - 4:20 pm (followed by a hosted networking social)
Location
Two World Trade Center (Mezzanine Room 3/4)
25 SW Salmon Street
Portland, OR 97204
Here at GSB, we work with those in the cannabis industry (like producers, processors, retailers and ancillary service providers) and those in the alcoholic beverage industry (like wineries, breweries, distilleries, hotels and restaurants).
Washington utilized its alcoholic beverage rules as a model for the cannabis rules. So, anytime there is a “gap” in the cannabis rules, we look to the alcoholic beverage rules to predict the LCB’s likely position on any given topic.
Despite the significant overlaps, we often see a love/hate relationship between the alcoholic beverage and cannabis industries.
The House Appropriations Committee released the 2017 Omnibus Appropriations bill on May 1 as part of the fiscal year. Congress decided to continue the 2015 rider[1] that prohibits the Department of Justice from spending funds to prevent state implementation of their medical marijuana laws. The new rider expires on September 30, 2017, the end of the fiscal year, unless it is included in the next appropriations bill. Past legislative actions suggest its continuation is more likely than not.
Join us in Portland on Thursday, May 18 for a free half-day seminar as we discuss best practices on regulatory, business and operational issues to promote your company’s long-term growth and success.
Growing Up Green: Learning How to Blossom in Oregon’s Budding Marketplace (co-hosted by Garvey Schubert Barer, ACT Resources, PLLC, and Mosaic Insurance Alliance) will provide information on what every cannabis license holder needs to know, including attracting investors, real estate, insurance, taxes and lessons learned from the Washington market. Additionally, the OLCC’s Portland Metro Public Safety Manager will be on hand to discuss regulatory issues and answer your questions. This event is designed specifically to address issues affecting cannabis producers, processors, retailers, and ancillary businesses.
View the complete agenda on the event page on our website.
Date & Time
Thurs. May 18, 2017
Registration: 12:30 - 1:00 pm
Program: 1:00 - 4:20 pm (followed by a hosted networking social)
Location
Two World Trade Center (Mezzanine Room 3/4)
25 SW Salmon Street
Portland, OR 97204
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Foster Garvey’s Cannabis practice group comprises a premier legal counsel team who provides a full range of legal services such as regulatory compliance, marijuana licensing, business finance, contracts, labor and employment, health care, real estate, intellectual property, litigation and dispute resolution, technology and tax. Our team possesses deep and diverse industry experience and has counseled clients across virtually all industry sectors. We understand the inherent challenges that licensed marijuana and ancillary businesses in Washington state, Oregon and Alaska are burdened with in this highly regulated industry as they deal with onerous state and local regulations as well as uncertainty resulting from federal law.
We are committed to helping our clients achieve their business goals while navigating the intricacies in this rapidly changing area of law. We prize innovation and entrepreneurship, and closely monitoring industry trends.
