"Cannabis' CEQA Challenge," an article by Tyler Welti, was published in Law360 on March 7, 2018. Here is an excerpt:
On Jan. 1, California's sprawling new program for licensing and regulating its commercial cannabis industry went online. After releasing a barrage of "emergency regulations," the state's three new cannabis-licensing authorities — CalCannabis, the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) and the Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch (MCSB) — began issuing licenses. In January alone, CalCannabis issued over 900 cultivation licenses; the BCC issued over 900 licenses for retail, distribution and other business activities; and the MCSB issued almost 500 manufacturing licenses.
© 2018 Venable LLP. Using, distributing, possessing, and/or selling marijuana is illegal under existing federal law. Compliance with state law does not guarantee or constitute compliance with federal law. This informational overview is not intended to provide any legal advice or any guidance or assistance in violating federal law.