Skip to content
Search AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

Los Angeles Revises Marijuana Marketplace Rules

Marijuana display at a dispensary
Marijuana display at a dispensary
Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press
Melissa Bacal
By Melissa BacalJun 25, 2020
Melissa Bacal
Melissa is a college student getting her start in marketing & PR. She hopes her storytelling helps people feel connected to the changing cannabis industry.
See Full Bio
Follow:

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously moved to restart its legal marijuana market.

When legal sales began in Los Angeles in 2018, LA was expected to establish itself as one of the largest cannabis economies.  However, this did not happen as illegal sales continued to overshine the legal market and businesses were faced with large taxes.

The City Council gave initial approval for both small and large changes to expand licensing and provide assistance to those negatively affected by the nation’s war on drugs, according to NBC Los Angeles. These revisions will provide new delivery and retail licenses to social-equity applicants -- people who were arrested for offenses related to marijuana and low-income residents living in neighborhoods with high marijuana arrest rates.  Through 2025, only these applicants will be eligible for new licenses.

According to the publication, other changes will allow businesses to get temporary approval on licenses once reaching certain thresholds, permit relocation while the business is being licensed, and would streamline the application process.

Mayor Eric Garcetti is expected to sign the plan if it receives final approval from the Council.

NBC Los Angeles spoke with Jerred Kiloh, head of the United States Cannabis Business Association, about the city’s focus on expansion of the cannabis industry.  Kiloh said Los Angeles is on track to double the number of retail businesses, a large jump from the 187 currently operating.  Kiloh believes this is a great opportunity for the city of Los Angeles to focus on expanding the legal cannabis industry.

This plan has also been criticized as some believe the legal market is flawed and could get worse.

Donnie Anderson, LA cultivator, believes the city has not gone far enough to ensure those who qualify for social-equity licenses meet the goals of the program.  He said the rules are easily manipulated which will allow the system to be exploited through loopholes.

I’d like to see them start over. All they are doing is slapping a Band-Aid over something that needs surgery and stitches to fix.

Donnie Anderson

CEO of Ganja Goddess Zachary Pitts also found issues with this new plan. He said that not allowing new licenses for long-term business will hurt the market and expects legacy delivery operators to leave Los Angeles while new, inexperienced licensees will struggle with heavy taxes and compliance costs.

You are setting them up to fail. We all want licensing to happen quickly and be efficient, but this is not the way to make it work.

Zachary Pitts

Read the full story on NBC Los Angeles.

The Latest

DEA prohibited from randomly searching passengers at airports and other transport hubs - The Bluntness
Featured

No More DEA Traveler Searches!

Mass Cannabis Regulators Finally Reveal What Social Consumption Will Look Like
Featured

Cannabis Regulators Unveil Plans

Cannabis Edibles: Dosage and Safety Tips - The Bluntness
Featured

Edible Dosage Tips

The Holistic Health Benefits of Cannabis - The Bluntness
Wellness

Cannabis for Holistic Health

More For You

Magic mushrooms come in more strains than you might realize.
Magic mushrooms come in more strains than you might realize.

Magic Mushrooms: An Overview of Different Psilocybin Strains and Effects

Like cannabis, magic mushrooms exist as strains and species. These terms are used to describe the physical or chemical characteristics of the plants. While they are often used interchangeably, strains and species are not the same. 

Psilocybin mushrooms contain psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin. These compounds interact with the serotonin receptors to control biological and neurological processes like sleep, anxiety, cognition, appetite, nausea, learning, memory, and thermoregulation. 

Keep ReadingShow less
Tripping with your phone? Maybe.
Tripping with your phone? Maybe.

These Apps Could Help You Experience A Trip Without Tripping

Psychedelic exploration is seeing its first renaissance since the mid-century, but while the substances seem to have a largely positive effect on a person’s mental and physical wellbeing, the idea of “tripping” might still sound terrifying to a number of people. 

Thankfully, there’s an app for that – i.e., a number of apps designed to allow people to experience something similar to a psychedelic journey without actually indulging in any psychedelics.  

Keep ReadingShow less
Northern Lights: A Classic Indica Strain with Enduring Popularity

Northern Lights Strain Review - The Bluntness

Northern Lights: Indica Legend


Northern Lights is an iconic cannabis strain that has stood the test of time, consistently revered for its relaxing effects, rich history, and distinctive characteristics. A staple among Indica-dominant strains, Northern Lights has origins shrouded in mystery but is believed to have emerged in the late 1970s or early 1980s along the Northwest coast of the U.S. before being commercially developed by Sensi Seeds in Holland around 1985. With genetics traced back to Thai and Afghani landraces, Northern Lights has influenced countless hybrids and remains one of the most sought-after strains for its therapeutic and recreational benefits.

Keep ReadingShow less
How Long Does One Hit of Weed Stay in Your System

How Long Does One Hit of Weed Stay in Your System

How long does one hit of weed stay in your system? You are probably concerned about an upcoming drug test if you're asking this question. Perhaps not something you’d normally fret over, but after taking a hit off a joint last weekend, you are now in full-blown panic mode. Will I lose my job? Could one hit of weed make me fail a drug test? 

In short—don’t panic. We’ve got plenty of information about what factors influence THC detection time and what you can do to pass a drug test.

Keep ReadingShow less
THCV's benefits are compelling, however people have a hard time finding high-THCV cannabis cultivars.
THCV's benefits are compelling, however people have a hard time finding high-THCV cannabis cultivars.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels

The Ultimate Guide to THCV Strains

THC and CBD are undoubtedly the two “star” cannabinoids almost everyone knows about. But the cannabis plant, with its complexity and rich spectrum, contains many more lesser-known chemicals. While researchers find something new every day, so far we know that the cannabis plant produces at least 80-100 cannabinoids and over 300 non-cannabinoid substances. 

THCV - or Tetrahydrocannabivarin - is one of those cannabinoids that are packed with benefits and yet still relatively unutilized. Here is all you need to know about this cannabinoid - and some tips to find the best THCV strains. 

Keep ReadingShow less