With 482 cities and 58 counties that are each its own bong master, dictating if and how local cannabis activities are conducted (if at all).
Never mind the alphabet soup of regulatory bodies like the CDFA, BCC, MCSB, CDPH, Water Board, CDFW, CDTFA, OSHA with their endless layers of regulatory requirements; oh, and we almost forgot, you also have local building, fire codes and local tax ordinance requirements.
Don’t forget, just for good measure, there are over 100 new cannabis bills in the California legislature now pending. With new deadlines and evolving requirements, the pipe dream of lawful operations and regulatory compliance have left operators high and dry amidst an onslaught of impending enforcement action.
7 weeks in Cali – 11 facts of notable interest ….
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California produces more than 15 million pounds of cannabis per year. The state consumes less than 3 million. Where is all that cannabis going?
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As of February 7th, only 0.78 percent (534 unique licensees) out of 68,150 growers in the state are state licensed.
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Kern County and City of Bakersfield officials are accused of corruption and taking bribes for influence over who gets cannabis licenses. Last year two Kern County sheriff deputies were sentenced for stealing seized cannabis from evidence storage and selling it themselves.
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Cannabis farms alone employ approximately 258,000 people, yet many farms unable to get licensed due to zoning issues, confusion on the rules and the high costs of compliance.
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The Bureau issued 300 ‘Cease and Desist’ letters to unlicensed operators warning them to get licensed, but the lip burner is that the State seems to be backlogged on processing.
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The HOT TIP line at the Bureau for licensed operators to report unlicensed operators received 304 tips about unlicensed activity to authorities. Rat out the competition is the new code. Business and Professions code that is.
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40-60% effective tax rates for Medical and Recreational Cannabis, causing operators to feel choked out and creating a headache for stoners who like the $20 pre-rolled, that used to cost $10.
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Weed is illegal in the City of Weed. (This still kills me.)
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According to the Cannabis Marketplace Report 5.3 million people out of 13.7 million adults over the age of 21 in the Los Angeles Greater Metropolitan Area smoka-da-bowl, have an average income of over $61k, 49% own a home worth more than $450k, and average 46 years old and almost half are employed full time.
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And lastly, only 11% of federal employees have consumed legal cannabis, clearly – not enough.