#cdfa 2018

[kennak]

米カリフォルニア州の住民投票で 2018 年に可決したプロポジション 12 により、州内での豚肉価格が高騰してレストランなどが危機的な状況になっているそうだ (FOODBEAST の記事、 Los Angeles Times の記事)。 プロポジション 12 は家畜を狭い場所に閉じ込めて飼育することを禁ずるもので、州内で飼育される家畜にとどまらず、州内で肉として販売される家畜にも適用される。豚肉価格高騰の原因となったのは繁殖豚が立ち上がって足を伸ばすことのできる飼育スペースとして最低 24 平方フィートの広さを義務付ける規定だ。この広さはブタの体がぎりぎり収まる通常の分娩用金属枠 (2 フィート × 7 フィート) と比べて大幅に広い。米国内で生産される豚肉の 15% を消費するカリフォルニア州を失わないため州外の生産地でも規定に従うことになるとの見解がある一方、価格の上昇も予想されていた。 この規定は 7 月 1 日発効予定だったが、プロポジション 12 は合衆国憲法第 1 条の州際通商条項を根拠とした「眠れる通商条項」に違反すると主張し、州内の小売業や外食産業の業界団体などが州を提訴。サクラメント郡の州上位裁判所は訴えを認めて 1 月 1 日までの延期を命じた (PDF)。州の農業食糧省 (CDFA) はこれに合意したものの、12 月 31 日まで販売可��な非準拠の豚肉は 7 月 1 日までにサプライチェーンへ入った分のみとし、7 月 1 日以降の収穫分はプロポジション 12 への準拠を必須とした。 その結果、卸売業者は半年分の豚肉を 7 月 1 日までに仕入れる必要がある一方、豚生産者が年末まで販売可能な非準拠の在庫を維持しつつ農場で必要な更新を行おうとしたため、豚肉価格の急騰につながった。レストランが仕入れる豚肉の価格はこの数週間で倍近く値上がりしたとのことだ。

狭い場所での家畜飼育を禁ずるカリフォルニア州法、豚肉価格の危機的な高騰を呼ぶ | スラド idle

[tvchi]

Shocked, confused, and annoyed.

That’s how I felt as I stared wildly at my phone when my friend broke the news that Serena Williams, America’s former professional tennis player and arguably one of the greatest athletes of all time, was this year’s Fashion Icon Honoree. Yea, you read that right. The winner of twenty three Grand Slam titles has somehow pierced the gates (of what is usually a well guarded castle) of the fashion industry, has won the affection of industry giants, and has captivated the world with her style right under our noses. That was the shock. As I was parked outside gearing up to take my next appointment, my friend and I scoured the internet looking for what we missed. She looked up past honorees to make sure we didn’t misunderstand the Council of Fashion Designers of America’ s (CDFA) position on what style icon meant and I looked up when I was obsessed by a Serena Williams��� look. When I actually was halted in my tracks, when I reposted, when I desired to recreate, when I NEEDED to have a Serena look. I tried ESPY award show looks, some fashion show appearances, and even music video cameos. I felt nothing. Then I looked back at the text message to make sure that I read it correctly. Once I read the text again, I flipped back to the looks. This is the confusion.

Now before I get called “anti-black” or a “Serena Williams hater”, I want to say this: Before writing this, I’ve already predicted everything I would be called. I’ve already predicted everything that would be said about me writing on this topic. I’ve already anticipated many people speedily thumbing through my socials, trying to tear apart my looks, my style choices, my body shape and features thinking that they are enacting some kind of revenge for Serena. Thinking that they are doing to me “what I did to her”. The thing is I’ve watched the world vilify this woman. I mean equate her to an animal, call her all sorts of names, treat her unfairly, cheat her out of some awards. Every single time, she went back out there and proved that you cannot deny sheer talent and discipline. You cannot overlook hunger. You cannot cheat skill. If we are talking about tennis—-- shit, if we are talking about resilience and athletic talent, you’ll never hear me say one negative thing about Serena Williams or the Williams sisters.

This isn’t even about body build and features, even though some of you will swear that it is. I have never and will never comment on a black woman’s features in the realm of fashion because to me (before and after the era of the supermodel) those don’t matter, frankly. There is print and there is runway— just like life. You fall where you fall. But how did you style your outfit, what did you wear, why did you choose those accessories, what story are you trying to tell? Those are the questions that truly matter and when I look at Serena’s looks, I’ve never been intrigued enough to ask those questions. More importantly, I haven’t heard many other fashion connoisseurs do so either.

The annoyance part comes in when I learn that her ties to the fashion industry are the following: 1) Has a partnership with NIKE or NIKÉ (I like to say NIKÉ because I guess they are considered a fashion house now). 2) She went to fashion school (program was not disclosed) while she was winning Grand Slams. 3) She launched a fashion line in 2018 called “S by Serena” which, from what I can tell, consisted of mostly bodycon dresses and graphic t-shirts. While you are taking that in, please remember that the council has over 450 members who are considered the leading authorities in womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and design accessories. The list of past Fashion Icon award recipients are the likes of Lenny Kravitz, the Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Cher, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Zendaya, Sara Jessica freakin’ Parker!!!!!!! I understand that this is a huge moment for fashion as we are merging two worlds, but I just do not see how this choice was made when there are other choices to be made. Other black choices. Other black, fashion choices.

If I’m being honest, I think I’m at a loss here because I grew up in a time where there was a standard. That standard was fun, creative, explorative but always excellent. You may not have been able to understand it, but it was 100% art and 100% excellent even when other houses were stealing from each other. Your acceptance into the fold was an invitation to an experience. If you were considered a tastemaker, you were offered the best seats in the house. You were spoken about, people wanted to dress like you, other people tried to hire the stylist that styled you because that's how great you looked.

You had to ooze fun, daring, unique, yet authentic even in your casual. It feels like in order to allow more inclusivity, we’ve bulldozed the gates and we are now left with an unprotected fortress. Everyone can join. Everyone's free to look like everyone else and dub themselves a “fashion girlie”. People with no true sense of personal style are getting seats at tables that have been kept from the most patient and erudite of this industry. Anna Wintour has stopped going to shows. Some of our icons have cheapened their brands by partnering with fast fashion companies. There is a push for all people to have a capsule wardrobe containing 3 solid, primary colors. There are people that make videos on TikTok to teach people how to imitate the rich in style when wealth doesn’t have one style of dress. I feel like I entered another dimension and I don't know where I stand anymore. I don’t know if and how I should critique it. I am not sure if I belong anymore.

I will always root for someone who has received an award because they truly deserved it. Not because they had enough money to buy the award or because it would be a good business move, but because it is unanimously agreed that this person put in the work, time, and effort that is required to receive such an award. At the oscars of fashion, I just don’t think that Serena Williams is that person. But maybe I don’t know anything anymore. Oh and before I go, SJP is the host for the awards this year. You just can’t make this shit up!

Chetachi Odelugo

Just A Girl

10/26/2023

[robertnelson2-blog]

California Cannabis Market

California cannabis market pioneered the modern cannabis policy reform movement in 1996 when voters passed Proposition 215, the Compassionate Care Act. State voters approved Proposition 215, the law that made it legal for doctors to recommend cannabis to patients.

In 2015 Gov. Jerry Brown signed three bills that toughened regulations for medical cannabis businesses and sought standards for documentation and testing. The bills are known as the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (MMRSA). Collectively, the legislation also paved the way for medical cannabis businesses to turn a profit. The legislation is impacting marijuana business models in other ways. The laws have eliminated the idea of home-based dispensaries. The Act requires licenses for the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, transportation, laboratory testing, and sale of medical cannabis. Cannabis Cultivation Business

Though voters failed to approve adult use in 2010, they voted overwhelmingly in 2016 to make adult use legal in a state that represents the world’s sixth-largest economy.

Cannabis Licensing

On November 8, 2016, California voters have approved cannabis for recreational use.

On June 27, 2017, the legislature passed, and Governor Brown signed into law the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA), which creates the general framework for the regulation of both commercial medicinal and adult-use (recreational) cannabis. Under MAUCRSA, the Bureau of Cannabis Control (Bureau) is the lead agency. The Bureau is charged with licensing, regulation, and enforcement of the following types of commercial cannabis businesses: distributors, retailers, microbusinesses, temporary cannabis events, and testing laboratories. The Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch, a division of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), is responsible for regulating and licensing manufacturers. CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing, a division of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is responsible for licensing cultivators and implementing the Track-and-Trace system.

On January 1, 2018, the state began issuing licenses for commercial cannabis activity. Additionally, on January 1, 2018, two new cannabis taxes went into effect: a cultivation tax on all harvested cannabis that enters the commercial market and a 15 percent excise tax on the purchase of cannabis and cannabis products. Vertically integrated cannabis business

As of December 2022, the state’s three licensing authorities have issued 12,060 commercial cannabis licenses to cannabis businesses throughout the state of California, including 7,673 cultivators, 879 manufactures and 1,092 retailers, 487 non-storefront retailers, 1,246 distributors, 383 microbusinesses, 187 transporters, 68 event organizers and 45 testing laboratories.

[fashioncounselor]

[irinashaykbrasil]

+234HQ's: Irina Shayk no CFDA Fashion Awards 2018 no dia, 14 de Junho, no Brooklyn Museu, em Nova York. Confira todas as fotos na nossa galeria: irinashaykbrasil.org/galeria

[kashmerethedeusa]

Issa Rae for the W

[still-we-rise]

Lewis’ Best Looks in your opinion?

kindly include from which event or race weekend they were, if u dont mind *^*

The blessed ask 💖

Imola 2020 ❤👄❤

French GP 2021

2020 Laureus World Sports Awards

2018 CDFA Fashion Awards

*cough* Lewis in leather *cough*

OF COURSE I NEED TO MENTION HIS SEA MAIDEN T-SHIRT

And the last but not least, Mexico 2019, idk I just love how he looks here

I have to seriously prevent myself from including 100 more ajanchergrf So yeah, those are my favourites

[lazeecomet]

In me and my brothers feud to inconvenience each other with gifts, I have wrapped his present with the entirity of the 2018 avian calendar from the CDFA that I found

Each layer has a different bird on it with a to: from: message, 6 layers in all

I'm stuck to using unconventional wrapping material because he hoards the household supply of duct tape and would expect something fishy if I nabbed it

[lilirinhart]

Obsessed with this look 😍

Lili Reinhart at CDFA Awards

[jodieshazel]

BREAKING NEWS: California Opens Up for Commercial Hemp Cultivation

We have been closely following California’s commercial hemp cultivation licensing law since it was proposed last year as Senate Bill 1409 (see here, here, and here). In March, I wrote about some of the roadblocks to implementing SB-1409’s commercial hemp cultivation programs, and the lengthy review process of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (“CDFA”) regulation which would allow hemp cultivators to register with their county agricultural commissioners.

The CDFA’s regulation was recently approved, and as of April 30, 2019, the CDFA posted applications for registration for commercial hemp cultivation and hemp seed breeders (see here and here respectively).  It looks like these respective apps will not be submitted to the CDFA directly, but will instead be provided to county agricultural commissioners in the county in which a cultivator or seed breeder wishes to cultivate hemp. Applicants for commercial cultivation must provide basic information about themselves, as well information about the cultivation site, the purpose of the site (cultivation v. storage), GPS coordinates and other information regarding the site, a boundary map, and certain information about seed cultivars. The seed breeder application is relatively similar.

Despite the fact that these applications are now live, it’s not completely clear how they will be implemented. There are a number of counties in California that restrict or prohibit hemp cultivation. The memo attached to the application itself identifies a number of counties with restrictions: Amador, Calaveras, Glenn, Humboldt, Lassen, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Santa Barbare, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba. Since the application is so new, we haven’t evaluated which of these counties fully prohibit cultivation, but it’s a safe bet that if any of them do fully prohibit it, their agricultural commissioners are probably not going to accept these applications.

But what about counties that don’t say anything or only have some minor restrictions? It’s not clear yet whether counties will try to delay implementing hemp cultivation by claiming that they need to establish local protocol for registration. Ultimately, each county may do something different, and it will take time before we know what the full effect of the law is.

It’s also not clear how this will be impacted by the federal Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (or “2018 Farm Bill”). I summarized parts that law in my previous post linked above, but notably for this post, hemp produced per the former 2014 Farm Bill will be permissible. The 2014 Farm Bill doesn’t explicitly allow commercial cultivation, and so it’s not clear how this will play out. What is clear is that once the U.S. Department of Agriculture begins accepting state hemp-production plans for review per the 2018 Farm Bill, California will need to send its plan for review by the USDA. This could affect registered hemp cultivators, but as per usual, it’s not clear how that will happen just yet.

Stay tuned to the Canna Law Blog for more details on California hemp laws.

from Canna Law Blog��� https://www.cannalawblog.com/breaking-news-california-opens-up-for-commercial-hemp-cultivation/

[lilirinhart]

Beautiful 💖

Lili Reinhart attends 2018 CFDA Fashion Awards at Brooklyn Museum in NY (June 04)

[fashioncounselor]

[deafeningmoonmusic]

Sulfuric Acid Market expected to reach 324.1 million tons in terms of Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2019 - 2027

Sulfuric acid is a viscous liquid that is soluble in water, and its color varies from yellow to colorless, depending upon the concentration. Its strong acidic nature allows it to corrode living tissues and metal surfaces. It is mostly used for the application such as fertilizers, automotive batteries, water treatment, paper bleaching.

Sulfuric acid finds various applications across a broad spectrum of industries, and its single largest application is in the production of fertilizers. Key players in the market are adopting various business strategies such as mergers and acquisitions to expand their global footprint. For instance, in 2016, Fanchem Ltd., a subsidiary of PVS Chemicals, Inc., acquired Benson Chemicals Limited based in Canada. This will help Fanchem to expand its presence in Canada.

The molecular formula for sulfuric acid is ‘H2SO4. It is categorized as a strong mineral acid with high corrosive abilities.

The global sulfuric acid market was pegged at 266.2 million tons in 2018 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 2.3% in terms of volume over the forecast period (2019 – 2027), and is expected to reach 324.1 million tons by 2027.

Request Copy Of This Business Report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/sulphuric-acid-market-326

Market Dynamics

North America potassium sulphate market growth is mainly driven by presence of major market players and their strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, product launches, and partnerships with fertilizer manufacturers. For instance, in 2016, compass minerals launched Potassium+ Organic. It is an organic sulphate of potash (SOP), which offers high potassium and plant-available sulphate sulfur. This product is approved for organic food production by various organization such as the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).

However, stringent government regulations on usage of sulfuric acid, owing to hazardous effects of the strong acidic mixture are expected to restrain growth of the global sulfuric acid market.

Top Keyplayers: PVS Chemicals, BASF SE, Akzo Nobel N.V., DowDuPont Inc., Unigel Group, Boliden Group, Ineos Enterprises Limited, Trident Chemicals, Aurubis AG, Climax Molybdenum B.V., and Amal Ltd.

About Us:

Coherent Market Insights is a global market intelligence and consulting organization that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. We are known for our actionable insights and authentic reports in various domains including aerospace and defense, agriculture, food and beverages, automotive, chemicals and materials, and virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun. We create value for clients through our highly reliable and accurate reports. We are also committed in playing a leading role in offering insights in various sectors post-COVID-19 and continue to deliver measurable, sustainable results for our clients.

Contact:

Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Seattle, WA 98154, U.S. Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com United States of America: +1-206-701-6702 United Kingdom: +44-020-8133-4027 Japan: +050-5539-1737 India: +91-848-285-0837

[infositely]

California judge rules Prop 12 pork sales provisions cannot be enforced without regulations

California judge rules Prop 12 pork sales provisions cannot be enforced without regulations

Californians won’t have to endure a price-escalating bacon shortage. California’s Superior Court for Sacramento County has halted enforcement of Proposition 12 because the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) hasn’t yet released final regulations for the law that voters approved in 2018. “Judge (James) Arguelles’ decision recognizes the complexity of the pork supply chain and the…

[viirgosgroove94]

100+ WINS FOR LEMONADE ERA

Lemonade Era Awards (as of February 26th, 2018)

A-List Award: Best Movie Advertising (Formation) ‘17

African American Film Critics Association’s Best TV Show - Special or Limited Series (Lemonade) ‘16

AICE Award: Best Music Video (Formation) ‘16

AMA: Favorite Female Artist (Soul/R&B) ‘17

AMA: Tour of the Year (FWT) ‘16

Art Director’s Guild Award: Best Award or Event Special (Lemonade) ‘17

ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Award: Best Hip-Hop / R&B song (Formation) ‘17

ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Award: Best Hip-Hop / R&B song (Hold Up) ‘17

ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Award: Best Hip-Hop / R&B song (Sorry) ‘17

BET Award: Album of the Year (Lemonade) ‘17

BET Award: Best Female R&B Artist ‘16

BET Award: Best Female R&B Artist ‘17

BET Award: Director of the Year ‘17

BET Award: Video of the Year ‘16 (Formation)

BET Award: Video of the Year ‘17 (Formation)

BET Centric Award ‘16

BET FANdemonium Award ‘16

BET Video Director of the Year (Sorry) ‘17

BET Viewer’s Choice Award '16 (Formation)

BET Viewer’s Choice Award '17 (Formation)

Billboard Award: Top Female Artist ‘17

Billboard Award: Top R&B Album (Lemonade) ‘16

Billboard Award: Top R&B Album (Lemonade) ‘17

Billboard Award: Top R&B Artist ‘17

Billboard Award: Top R&B Tour (FWT) ‘17

Billboard Award: Top Touring Artist ‘17

Black Reel Award: Outstanding Television Documentary or Special (Lemonade) ‘17

BMI 2017 Award: Most Performed R&B / Hip-Hop Song (Sorry) ‘17

BRIT Award: Best International Solo Artist ‘16

Cannes Lion’s Excellence in Music Video (Formation) ‘16

Cannes Lion’s Excellence in Music Video (Runnin’ *Lose It All*) ‘16

CDFA: Fashion Icon Award ‘16

Clio Award: Excellence in Music Video (Sorry) ‘17

Clio Award: Video of the Year (Formation) ‘16

Cultural Driver Award: Impact on Pop Culture ‘16

Daily Californian Award: Best Music Video (Lemonade) ‘16

GAFFA Award: Best International Female Artist ‘16

Golden Boot Award: Collaboration of the Year (Daddy Lessons) ‘17

Golden Boot Award: Most Unforgettable Moment ‘17

Grammy Award: Best Music Video (Formation) ‘17

Grammy Award: Best Urban Contemporary Album (Lemonade) ‘17

Great Big Awards: Anthem To Get Behind (Freedom) ‘18

Guinness World Record: Most Female Grammy Nominations ‘17

Guinness World Record: Most Liked Instagram Pic ‘17

Ivor Novello Award: Most Performed Work (HFTW) ‘17

Japan MTV Video Music Award: Album of the Year (Lemonade) ‘16

Kinsale Shark Award: Best Directing in an International Music Video (Formation) ‘16

Kinsale Shark Award: Best International Music Video (Formation) ‘16

London International Award: Best Direction (Formation) ‘16

London International Award: Best Music Video (Formation) ‘16

MT Buzz Award: Best Live Artist ‘16

MT Buzz Award: Most Surprising Collaboration ‘16

MTV Movie Awards: Top Trending Award ‘17

MTV VMA: Breakthrough Longform Video (Lemonade) ‘16

MTV VMA: Best Choreography (Formation) ‘16

MTV VMA: Best Cinematography (Formation) ‘16

MTV VMA: Best Direction (Formation) ‘16

MTV VMA: Best Editing (Formation) ‘16

MTV VMA: Best Female Video (Hold Up) ‘16

MTV VMA: Best Pop Video (Formation) ‘16

MTV VMA: Video of the Year (Formation) ‘16

MTV Video Play Award: (Hymn For The Weekend) ‘16

MTV Video Play Award: (Sorry) ‘16

Music Society Award: Album of the Year (Lemonade) ‘17

Music Society Award: Best Choreography (Sorry) ‘17

Music Society Award: Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year (Lemonade) ‘17

Music Society Award: Best R&B/Soul Artist of the Year ‘17

Music Society Award: Best R&B/Soul Collaboration (Freedom) ‘17

Music Society Award: Best R&B/Soul Recording of the Year (Formation) ‘16

Music Society Award: Best R&B/Soul Recording of the Year (Sorry) ‘17

Music Society Award: Breakthrough Longform Video (Lemonade) ‘17

NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Album (Lemonade) ‘17

NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Collaboration (Freedom) ‘17

NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Female Artist ‘17

NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Music Video (Formation) ‘17

NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Song (Freedom) ‘17

NAMIC Award: Best Special or Talk Show (Lemonade) ‘17

National Film & Music Award: Album of the Year (Lemonade) ‘17

National Film & Music Award: Artist of the Year ‘17

National Film & Music Award: Best Live Performance of the Year ‘17

National Film & Music Award: Breakthrough Longform Video (Lemonade) ‘17

National Film & Music Award: Lifetime Achievement Award ‘17

National Film & Music Award: Top Touring Artist of the Year ‘17

National Film & Music Award: Video of the Year (Formation) ‘17

Nickelodeon’s KCA: Brazil Girls Power Award ‘16

NME Award: Hero of the Year ‘17

NRJ Music Award: Most Streamed Song (HFTW) ‘16

One Club Award Gold 2017: (Formation)

One Show Award: Best Music Video (Formation) ‘17

One Show Award: New Trends (Formation) ‘17

PEABODY Award (Lemonade) ‘17

Pollstar Award: Most Creative Stage Production (FWT) ‘17

RTHK International Pop Poll’s Awards: Top 10 International Gold Song (HFTW) ‘17

RTHK International Pop Poll’s Awards: Top Female Artist ‘17

Soul Train Award: Album of the Year (Lemonade) ‘16

Soul Train Award: Best R&B/Soul Female Artist ‘16

Soul Train Award: Song of the Year (Formation) ‘16

Soul Train Award: Video of the Year (Formation) ‘16

Talk Film Society’s Founder’s Award ‘16

Teen Choice Award: Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Artist '16

Teen Choice Award: Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Artist '17

UK Music Video Award: Best Styling in a Music Video (Formation) ‘16

WatsUp Africa Music Video Award: Best International Video (Formation) ‘16

Webby’s Awards People’s Voice Award: Best Music Video (Formation) ‘16

YouTube Diamond Award ‘17

[supremekalmllc]

New Post has been published on https://supremekalm.com/2020-california-cannabis-bill-round-up/

2020 California Cannabis Bill Round-Up

Due to coronavirus, what normally would have been a pretty robust legislative session in the California Assembly for new cannabis bills was generally underwhelming. The set-up is markedly different than the 2020 session, where there were over 30 cannabis-related bills. Nevertheless, here we are.

At this point, we have a handful of live bills that are not terribly mind-blowing or potentially impactful. In fact, there’s not even a gubernatorial budget trailer bill catch all this year, which normally would accomplish some major and much needed legal changes to and technical fixes to the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (“MAUCRSA”).

With the shortened session at hand, the Assembly was hyper-focused on passing laws related to COVID-19, homelessness, and dealing with wildfires. Nonetheless, this post covers the more important California cannabis bills that passed as of August 31 and what you need to know about them (note that Governor Newsom still has time to veto those bills, too). I’ll also give an honorable mention to certain bills that stalled out (for better or worse).

AB 1525

This Assembly Bill addresses cannabis banking on the state level. The summary of the bill provides that:

any entity that receives deposits, extends credit, conducts fund transfers, transports cash or financial instruments, or provides other financial services, including public accounting, as provided, does not commit a crime under any California law solely by virtue of the fact that the person receiving the benefit of any of those services engages in commercial cannabis activity as a licensee.

The bill also creates an information sharing and privacy waiver system that allows the state agencies:

to share regulatory and financial information with the designated financial institution for the purpose of facilitating the provision of financial services for the requesting licensee until such time that the state or local licensing authority, state or local agency, or joint powers authority receives a withdrawal of the waiver.

It’s admirable of California to make it official that financial institutions (and accountants) don’t commit any crimes under state law by virtue of servicing cannabis businesses. There’s one issue though: federal law. California state law doesn’t change or eliminate the Bank Secrecy Act or federal anti-money laundering laws and it definitely doesn’t change the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) (which renders cannabis illegal). As we have written in respect of other states and cannabis banking legislation, the only viable way for financial institutions to really provide banking services to cannabis businesses is still by following the 2014 FinCEN guidelines.

Today in California, accountants (as well as lawyers, landlords, and any other ancillary business) still face the prospect of criminal prosecution for aiding and abetting violations of, and conspiring to violate, the CSA. The bill is more symbolic than anything, so don’t get super excited.

AB 1872

It’s about time that California engaged in some cannabis business-friendly tax reform. Currently, there’s an excise tax of 15% on the “average market price” of cannabis sold at the retail level (the “average market price” includes a mark-up set by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (“CDTFA”)) and a staggered tax structure for the cultivation tax that applies at the wholesale level. The mark-up is assessed (and increased) on a biannual basis in six month increments.

Regarding the mark-up, this bill would stop the CDTFA from increasing it until July 2021. And regarding the cultivation tax, the bill prohibits “those tax rates that are imposed in the 2021 calendar year from being adjusted for inflation unless the adjustment is for an inflation rate that is less than zero.” Basically, cultivation tax rates won’t increase from now until 2023 only with adjustments for inflation. While the bill doesn’t really represent sweeping tax reform or really lower any of the applicable cannabis taxes, it does freeze them in time and basically prevents them from increasing.

AB 1470

Cannabis testing in every state is a different form of expensive pain for licensees for a variety of reasons. In California, a distributor can’t coordinate with a lab for state-mandated quality assurance testing unless the product batch to be tested is in its final form (which means packaged and labeled for retail sale, no do-overs). While there were a couple of testing-related bills that made it through, AB 1470 is probably the most impactful for licensees,where the bill changes the definition of “final form” means “the unpackaged product as it will be consumed.

The cannabis or cannabis product does not have to be delivered to the licensed testing laboratory in the final retail packaging to be considered in its final form.” The bill also tweaks the Certificate of Analysis reporting requirements for the margin of error for THC concentration in edibles where “the milligrams per serving of THC does not exceed 10 milligrams per serving, plus or minus 12 percent. After January 1, 2022, the milligrams of THC per serving shall not deviate from 10 milligrams by more than 10 percent.”

SB 67

MAUCRSA already requires that by January 2021 the Department of Food and Agriculture (“CDFA”) set up an appellations program by “geographic area” rather than by county. The bill further specifies what can be done in the appellations program. Namely, now, with a nod to indoor cultivators, once CDFA creates the rules around it, those cultivators can specify their appellation by city or county (so long as they can prove that the product wholly originated from a given city or county), and (while honoring outdoor, sun-grown cultivators) an appellation won’t otherwise get approval unless the resulting flower came from planting in the designated canopy area without the use of “structures, including a greenhouse, hoop house, glasshouse, conservatory, hothouse, and any similar structure, and any artificial light in the canopy area.”

And that’s it. That’s the whole session for California cannabis legislation. Below are some of the more important bills (in my opinion) that didn’t make the cut this session, and which hopefully we will see in some form down the line.

AB 627

Unfortunately, this bill stalled out in August. The bill deals with veterinary medicine and applications of medical cannabis for pet patients, which is a hotly debated area because MAUCRSA is totally silent on the topic and there are no standards under law regarding administration, quality assurance, etc. For now, pets, their owners, and vets are in legal limbo regarding medical cannabis.

AB 1639

This bill would have prevented the sale of flavored cannabis vapes (which a similar bill passed for tobacco). The bill would have also stopped the “use of flavors not derived from the cannabis plant . . .” A lot of states with cannabis legal reform ban flavored cannabis vapor products, so the industry dodged a bullet with this one. Still, I imagine it will come back in some form next session. We wrote about this bill in mid-August–see here for more on that.

No hemp CBD bill (again)

Despite progress on the federal level with hemp and the 2018 Farm Bill, California can’t seem to convene specific legislation around the regulation and oversight of hemp CBD. However, Governor Newsom is contemplating the creation and implementation of state enforcement priorities around hemp CBD, which won’t have the effect of law but would be better than what we have now, which is a single FAQ from the California Department of Public Health that’s lock step with the Food and Drug Administration.

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