Jared Schwass

Are you as compliant as you think? California cannabis operators face a regulatory minefield—and I’ve seen firsthand how small oversights can lead to major enforcement action. To help operators stay ahead, I’ve created free compliance checklists based on real audits and enforcement actions across California. 🌳 Retail, cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution covered 🌳 DCC-aligned and field-tested 🌳 No-nonsense, operator-focused This is a great tool for internal compliance reviews or before applying for a new license. 🔗 Download it here: schwasslaw.com/cannabis-compl… If you find it helpful, feel free to share it with your compliance team or network. #CannabisLaw #CaliforniaCannabis #ComplianceChecklist #CannabisBusinessLaw #DCC

@SenSchumer How about you move to impeach or remove him before he tanks NATO and starts WW3 on behalf of Russia?

Trump’s politicization of the DOJ will not deter Mayor Frey, Governor Walz, and AG Ellison from doing their jobs to protect the people of Minnesota. I stand with them against these blatant abuses of power—whether it’s lawless ICE agents terrorizing their communities or political prosecutions with no basis in law or truth. Donald Trump manufactured this crisis, and every action he has taken since has made the situation worse. He must let local elected officials do their jobs and get ICE out of Minnesota.

Will 2026 be the year cannabis finds its footing again? In 2025, New York doubled its retail licenses and generated roughly $1.5 billion in sales, a significant signal after years of uneven rollouts and slow growth. At the same time, we’re already seeing notable M&A activity in early 2026: 🌳 Wyld acquiring Grön 🌳 NABIS acquiring Humble Cannabis Solutions’ assets After several years of contraction in mature markets and relatively quiet deal flow, the question now is whether this marks a broader resurgence, or something more selective. Will growth return alongside consolidation? Or will expansion be limited to newer markets, with M&A focused mainly on distressed assets? mjbizdaily.com/news/new-york-…

Remember when everyone cheered, “Rescheduling is happening!” after the Executive Order? Well, according to the DEA, the rescheduling appeal process is still “pending.” No rush. No calendar. Just… waiting. So if you’re looking for federal clarity on cannabis any time soon, maybe grab your favorite blunt instead. Meanwhile, state-licensed operators continue to do all the heavy lifting, including compliance, licensing, and banking headaches, while hoping that federal law catches up. marijuanamoment.net/dea-says-marij…

Will Americans lose their right to bear arms if they smoke weed? Essentially, that is the question the Supreme Court will answer after conflicting rulings from Circuit Courts throughout the states. The Trump Administration contends that it is constitutional to restrict cannabis consumers from possessing or owning a firearm, citing a Founding-era restriction that allowed gun restrictions on habitual "drunkards." In its brief, the federal government argued that "[e]arly American legislatures recognized that habitual drunkards present heightened dangers of crime and violence. They classified drunkards as criminal vagrants subject to confinement in jail or workhouses, committed drunkards to lunatic asylums, and subjected drunkards to surety laws backed by threat of jail — burdens even more severe than those imposed by Section 922(g)(3)." However, they are seeking to expand those restrictions to individuals who have not been jailed or convicted of a crime, and apply them to anyone who uses cannabis. Where are all the Second Amendment advocates and the National Rifle Association fighting this seizure of Americans' right to bear arms? marijuanamoment.net/u-s-supreme-co…

No one saw this coming… Well, maybe anyone with common sense, or anyone who’s been paying attention to the cannabis market. Local governments raise cannabis taxes. Consumer prices go up. Consumers find alternatives. Tax revenue goes down. San Diego is now seeing exactly that outcome after local cannabis tax hikes. Hopefully, this becomes a cautionary tale. Raising cannabis taxes doesn’t magically increase revenue; it just pushes consumers away and hurts local, regulated businesses in the process. At some point, governments will have to decide whether they want compliance and stability or short-term tax grabs. ganjapreneur.com/san-diego-cann…

Surprising no one, a study confirms that terroir matters in cannabis. If California’s cannabis appellations program ever fully gets off the ground (now 7 years in the making), operators could finally start marketing cannabis the way wine has for decades, by place, process, and environment. That would open the door to real consumer education around why cannabis from one region feels different than cannabis from another, beyond just THC percentages. The science is there. The question is whether the regulatory framework will ever catch up. ganjapreneur.com/study-soil-typ…

Not all states are heading deeper into legalization. Some are now trying to go backward. Arizona’s proposed ballot measure seeks exactly that: undo past adult-use legalization. This trend adds a new risk to the industry. Regulatory risk isn’t just about enforcement or compliance anymore; it now includes legal rollback. marijuanamoment.net/arizona-ballot…

While the federal government works to reschedule cannabis and many states open up more to cannabis, Massachusetts may turn back its cannabis progress. After receiving the required signatures, Massachusetts voters will be asked if they want to keep their recreational cannabis or turn back time. cannabisbusinesstimes.com/us-states/mass…

It is happening...the federal government will reclassify cannabis from a Schedule 1 drug to a Schedule 3 drug. The main benefit for cannabis license holders will be tax relief, as IRC 280E will no longer prohibit traditional business deductions and credits. After years of potential federal cannabis reform being promoted by politicians, but failing to make any progress, there will finally be some form of reform happening. This is just one step forward, and there are many more steps needed, but this is definitely welcomed. mjbizdaily.com/news/president…

Consolidation continues in the cannabis industry. As federal cannabis reform is looming, the large MSOs have been expanding through acquisitions. This trend is likely to continue and accelerate once federal cannabis reform is implemented. cannabisbusinesstimes.com/business-issue…

There is a positive trend in local governments in California to repeal or, in this case, eliminate for several years the local tax on cannabis businesses. If you have attended any local government meeting within the last 5 years, you have likely heard complaints that cannabis operators are being strangled by over-taxation and over-regulation. For background, cannabis operators in CA must pay state and local cannabis taxes, state and local sales tax, regulatory fees and costs, and cannot take traditional business deductions (thank you, IRC 208E). In some jurisdictions, that effective tax rate can be as high as 80-85%. While the wholesale market has plummeted, many operators have asked local governments to take action to lessen the tax burden so they can survive the downturn. Some local governments, like San Francisco and Humboldt County, have listened. Will others follow? cannabisbusinesstimes.com/us-states/cali…

Rescheduling is back on the menu. With a historically low approval rating, President Trump has indicated, once again, that he will potentially reschedule cannabis to a Schedule III drug. As they say, where there is a lot of smoke, there is fire, and there has been a lot of smoke on rescheduling for years. Let's hope we get some action from the federal government and see some cannabis reform in 2026. Does rescheduling happen in Q1 2026? cannabisbusinesstimes.com/cannabis-resch…

In a state that has historically resisted cannabis reform, Idaho’s medical marijuana advocates are stepping up their campaign by hiring paid petitioners to try to qualify an initiative for the 2026 ballot. This reflects a broader trend we’ve seen across the country: • When legislatures stall, advocates turn to voter initiatives. • Organized efforts with funding and strategy tend to perform better. • Public sentiment around medical cannabis continues to evolve, even in traditionally conservative states. Idaho might be the next frontier worth paying attention to. marijuanamoment.net/idaho-medical-…

They’re doing it again. The federal government and some lawmakers are apparently looking at what happened with state-legal cannabis and saying, “Yep, let’s use that blueprint for hemp regulation.” You know what happened the last time we ran that experiment: inconsistent rules, patchwork enforcement, compliance nightmares, legal limbo. But sure, let’s try it one more time. Maybe the third time’s the charm? If regulation is going to work, why build on a foundation that’s already cracked? marijuanamoment.net/ongoing-mariju…

STIIIZY just made a big move by buying 12 former retail stores from the now-bankrupt company Gold Flora for $25 million. The move significantly boosts its California retail footprint almost instantaneously. Recently, growth through expansion hasn’t been popular as it once was. Many operators have pulled back, consolidated, or shuttered stores amid shrinking margins and regulatory pressure. But maybe this is different. When you can acquire retail licenses and leases at a deep discount, consolidation might not just be survival; it could be a strategic reset. Do you think this is a sign we’ll see more acquisition-driven growth in 2026? Or is this a rare outlier in a contracting market? sfgate.com/cannabis/artic…

As states like Michigan pile on wholesale taxes, and federal law denies normal deductions under 280E, the cumulative burden on legal cannabis businesses is becoming crushing. The law was designed decades ago to target illegal dealers. But today, it hits state-licensed operators, making them pay what amounts to extremely high effective tax rates, year after year. For the regulated cannabis market to survive and compete with legacy operators, this is a structural problem. It is beyond time that legal cannabis businesses stop being treated like illegal drug traffickers when it’s regulated, taxed, and licensed at the state level. cannabisbusinesstimes.com/us-states/mich…

Looks like the U.S. map may get a little greener soon. Lawmakers in New Hampshire have pre-filed multiple marijuana bills for 2026, including a measure to let voters decide on recreational legalization, meaning the state could officially expand adult-use cannabis in the near future. Curious to see how this plays out: will New Hampshire follow the footsteps of other states, or chart its own path? marijuanamoment.net/new-hampshire-…

The US federal government's stance on cannabis is still unknown. It seems to change as often as the tides. Recent reporting shows that the prior administration had internal DOJ guidance telling U.S. attorneys to “be extremely cautious” about prosecuting simple cannabis possession, but that guidance was recently rescinded. Some former U.S. attorneys now say no formal memo ever existed under Biden, and that the rescission may be more symbolic than practical. So here’s the question: Is all the noise about federal prosecution overblown, especially for low-level possession and small operators? From what DOJ insiders say, many prosecutors may still prioritize higher-level offenses and leave everyday users alone. That doesn’t remove all risk, but it may reshape how we assess enforcement exposure. cannabisbusinesstimes.com/legislation-an…