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The Grass is Always Greenberg

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Welcome to The Grass is Always Greenberg® – the podcast of the Cannabis Industry Group at Greenberg Glusker.

Cannabis Companies are Taking a Hit in Court

Those who entered into California’s cannabis industry expecting to reap surging profits may find the current business landscape ripe for only one thing: litigation. Some are fighting off unhappy investors and business partners no longer “high” on their agreements; others have come to realize (sometimes belatedly) that they need...
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RICO claim dismissal pushes cannabis cultivators off the tightrope

Those in the cannabis business walk a tightrope in California. Businesses must stay balanced entirely on state law. Any misstep into federal interstate commerce risks criminal jeopardy. But if a business does walk that line, pay its taxes, and obtain its licenses, which protections of federal laws can it...
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Have Employer Drug Tests Gone Up in Smoke?

Episode 22
Greenberg Glusker Employment Partner Karina Sterman joins Priya Sopori, Steve Stein and Michelle Mabugat to discuss new legislation enacted in California, AB 2188, which affects the ability of employers to discharge or refuse to hire employees based on their off-duty use of cannabis. While the law does not take...
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A Changed Legal Landscape? Analyzing California’s New Cannabis Laws

Episode 20
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a slew of laws that could reshape California’s cannabis industry. In the first of a series of episodes analyzing these laws, Greenberg Glusker attorneys Priya Sopori, Steve Stein, and Michelle Mabugat provide an overview of what Governor Newsom signed and how it will impact...
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The Impact of the Wrigley Lawsuit on Cannabis IP Rights

Episode 19
Greenberg Glusker intellectual property lawyer Elizabeth (Liz) Sbardellati joins cannabis practice colleagues Michelle Mabugat, Priya Sopori and Alexa Steinberg to chew over a landmark case in intellectual property law in this edition of “The Grass is Always Greenberg.” Liz examines the recent federal trademark infringement lawsuit concerning famed candy...
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Cannabis Group Co-Chair, Priya Sopori, Featured in L.A. Times Business of Cannabis Roundtable

The cannabis space continues to evolve and has now become a multi-billion-dollar industry. Cannabis Group Co-Chair Priya Sopori shares insights regarding the ins and outs of navigating through a diverse and fast-growing sector.  The below listed questions were originally produced and published by the L.A. Times B2B Publishing Team. The...
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Is the Grass Greener? Weighing the Risks and Rewards of Celebrity Branding in the Cannabis Industry – The 2022 Cannalaw Summit: Part 2

Episode 18
In Part 2 of a two-part series, The Grass is Always Greenberg features another excerpt from the 2022 Cannalaw Summit: Weighing the Risks and Rewards of Celebrity Branding in the Cannabis Industry. Priya Sopori and Alexa Steinberg discuss, as panelists, the future of cannabis marketing, Will the new frontier...
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Is the Grass Greener? Weighing the Risks and Rewards of Celebrity Branding in the Cannabis Industry – The 2022 Cannalaw Summit: Part 1

Episode 17
The Grass is Always Greenberg alters its format for a special two-part series covering the 2022 Cannalaw Summit: Weighing the Risks and Rewards of Celebrity Branding in the Cannabis Industry. Greenberg Glusker’s Priya Sopori and Alexa Steinberg were featured speakers at the event, attended by over 100 cannabis industry...
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Lower Taxes, More Problems? Unpacking the Impact of AB195 on California’s Cannabis Industry

Episode 16
California has finally enacted a law, AB195, that provides tax relief for cannabis distributers.  But what might seem at first glance to be a win for the cannabis industry potentially complicates things for retailers and consumers.  On this edition of The Grass is Always Greenberg, Greenberg Glusker attorneys Priya...
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Proposition 65 – Changes That Will Impact the Cannabis Sector

Episode 15
The Grass is Always Greenberg welcomes Greenberg Glusker Environmental Law Partner, Sedina Banks, to discuss changes to California’s Proposition 65, officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Sedina shares her views with colleagues Priya Sopori, Michelle Mabugat, Alexa Steinberg and Steven Stein on...
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A Path Toward Legalizing Interstate Cannabis Sales? Analyzing California Senate Bill 1326

Episode 14
Cannabis remains illegal federally and in many states.  The states that have legalized cannabis have a confusing patchwork of rules and regulations.  As such, crossing state lines can create major problems in the cannabis space.  California Senate Bill No. 1326 proposes to help address this issue by allowing licensed...
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Four Takeaways for 4/20

Episode 13
4/20 is considered a national holiday for cannabis. It has become a big business day for the cannabis industry and a day to mark how far the cannabis sector has come. This edition of “The Grass is Always Greenberg” celebrates the occasion with four updates on significant regulations and...
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Super Bowl Shuffle? Why You Didn’t See Cannabis Ads during the Big Game

Episode 10
Why can sports gambling sites, beer and alcohol brands and crypto companies advertise during the Super Bowl when cannabis companies cannot?  Greenberg Glusker’s Steve Stein, Alexa Steinberg and Priya Sopori, in this edition of “The Grass is Always Greenberg,” look at one cannabis company’s attempt to generate a discussion...
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Insert Your Prediction for 2022 Here

Episode 9
2022 marks the 5-year anniversary of recreational legality in California, but the Golden State is still trying to figure out how to regulate the market and play catch up with the industry. In our inaugural episode of the year, “The Grass is Always Greenberg” looks at what we can...
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Mississippi’s Burning Issue

Episode 8
Does the punishment fit the crime? That is the burning issue in a Mississippi case that “The Grass is Always Greenberg” examines in depth. Greenberg Glusker’s Michelle Mabugat, Priya Sopori, Alexa Steinberg and Steven Stein discuss the matter of a 36-year old black man convicted of possessing slightly over...
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Celebrity Endorsements: Priya Sopori Discusses Legal Landscape with Blunt Business Podcast

Cannabis Group Co-Chair Priya Sopori was a guest on the Blunt Business podcast with Jorge Hermia on Cannabis Radio. Celebrity endorsements are a popular marketing tool for brands seeking to gain wide attention from targeted consumers in a relatively short period of time. Within federally regulated industries, these endorsement...
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Eastward Bound: Cannabis Market Trends, Taxation, and More

Episode 7
The Cannabis industry is expanding all over the country, especially towards the east coast where more and more states are legalizing its use. In this edition of “The Grass is Always Greenberg,” Mike Goral, National Cannabis and Hemp Tax Partner in Charge at Armanino LLP joins Greenberg Glusker’s Michelle...
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MJBizCon is Back: Takeaways from the 2021 Conference

Episode 6
MJBizCon is the largest and most anticipated event of the cannabis business year, and was held in person for the first since the start of the pandemic. Greenberg Glusker’s Michelle Mabugat, Priya Sopori and Steven Stein participated in the events surrounding this year’s conference in Las Vegas. In this edition of...
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Cannabis and Banking

Episode 5
For cannabis companies, banking is anything but business as usual. In this edition of  The Grass is Always Greenberg podcast, special guests Stacy Litke and Paul Dunford of Green Check Verified join Greenberg Glusker’s Alexa Steinberg, Priya Sopori and Steve Stein for a wide-ranging look at the unique challenges...
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The Business of Cannabis

A Los Angeles Times Roundtable
In recent times, especially in California, cannabis has emerged as a multi-billion-dollar industry that has “taken root” in sectors including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods and agriculture. Public companies with growing valuations are making waves in innovation, while established blue-chip companies are partnering with or purchasing cannabis-related businesses to gain...
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Federal Regulation and Cannabis: Will Uncle Sam and Aunt Mary Jane Live Happily Ever After?

Episode 3
Now that many states have legalized recreational cannabis, hosts Priya Sopori, Michelle Mabugat, Alexa Steinberg and Steven Stein debate whether federal legalization is on the horizon in this edition of The Grass is Always Greenberg . Over/unders are offered on when it will happen, while the hosts ponder whether...
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Cannabis During and After the Pandemic

Episode 2
Join us on the “Grass is Always Greenberg” podcast for an essential look back at how the cannabis business survived, and even thrived, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out how cannabis became an essential business leading to a record-breaking year with a “crazy increase in retail sales.” Hosts Priya...
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Getting to Know Us and Our Podcast

Episode 1
The first episode of our podcast introduces you to our hosts, Priya Sopori, Michelle Mabugat, Alexa Steinberg and Steven Stein, along with the Cannabis practice at the law firm of Greenberg Glusker. Tune in while they chat a bit about themselves and the firm’s Cannabis practice and answer the...
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