Agenda / Content Covered

1. Federal Responses to California Marijuana Law
   9:00 - 9:30, Oren Bitan
   1. Current Federal Enforcement Priorities
   2. Federal Memos and Contradictory Messages
   3. Possible Legal Consequences to Cannabis Consumers under Federal Law
      1. Gun Control Act of 1968
      2. Federal Housing Assistance
   4. State Agencies and Federal Funding
   5. Preemption and the Controlled Substance Act
2. Banking and Financing for the Marijuana Industry
   9:30 - 10:15, Oren Bitan
   1. Federal Rules and Regulations Affecting Financing
      1. Controlled Substance Act
      2. Bank Secrecy Act
      3. 18 USC §1956
   2. Interpreting the Latest FinCEN and Justice Department Guidance
   3. Lender Due Diligence with Cannabis Businesses
   4. Bank Forensic Audits of Businesses: Determining the Source of Funds
   5. Getting the Loan: Providing Transparency to Lenders
3. Recreational Marijuana Businesses Law in California
   10:30 - 11:15, Arthur D. Hodge
   1. How the New Law and Medical Marijuana Laws Interact
   2. Powers of State Regulatory Agencies
   3. Business Types Allowed under the New Law
   4. Marketing Restrictions
   5. Zoning Requirements
   6. Employment Rules and Restrictions for Cannabis Businesses
   7. Negotiating Third-Party Agreements with Cultivators, Managers etc.
   8. Premises Security Regulation Compliance
   9. Preparing for State Regulatory Agency Inspections
4. Obtaining a California Cannabis Business License
   11:15 - 12:15, Arthur D. Hodge
   1. Application Procedures: Avoiding Mistakes
   2. Grounds for License Refusal
   3. License Renewals
   4. License Transfers
   5. Appealing Application Denials
5. Legal Best Practices for Marijuana Product Packaging and Testing
   1:15 - 2:15, Allison Margolin and J. Raza Lawrence
   1. Labeling Rules: Product Dosage, etc.
   2. Packaging Restrictions: Appearance, Child-Proofing and Other Issues
   3. Obtaining Trademarks
   4. Ensuring Proper Food Safety Procedures for Edibles
   5. Product Testing and Third-Party Testing Laboratories
   6. Avoiding Product Liability Pitfalls
   7. Cannabis Disposal Protocols
6. California Marijuana Taxation: The Latest Rules
   2:30 - 3:30, Rachel Wright
   1. State and Local Taxation Protocols for Recreational Marijuana Businesses
   2. Federal Tax Issues
      1. IRC §280E - Deduction of Business Expense
      2. Cash Payments
      3. Other Emerging Issues
   3. Business Strategies to Overcome Taxation Difficulties
   4. Current Tax Updates
7. Ethics
   3:30 - 4:30, Allison Margolin and J. Raza Lawrence
   1. Marijuana and Rules of Professional Conduct
   2. Duty to Pursue Justice
   3. Attorney Use of Cannabis Products
   4. Attorney Ownership of Cannabis Businesses

Accreditation Details:

OREN BITAN is an attorney at Buchalter APC. He has an extensive legal background that includes business, real estate, banking, receivership law, consumer product, and commercial litigation. Mr. Bitan is known for his ability to solve complex business disputes for his clients in a strong but practical manner. He is a trusted advisor who guides his clients through their day to day legal concerns, and has particular expertise in disputes involving real estate, banking and mortgage fraud, creditors’ rights, film finance, and intellectual property. Representative clients include banks and financial institutions, state and federal receivers, private investors and investment funds, private equity groups, real property developers, apparel manufacturers, breweries, consumer products companies, and corporate entities large and small. Mr. Bitan is also co-chair of Buchalter’s cannabis industry group. In that capacity, Mr. Bitan advises cannabis related businesses on a wide variety of topics, including disputes regarding business licenses, receiverships over grow facilities and dispensaries, real property development, leasing, and financing for cannabis related businesses, and assembling teams of attorneys to provide general corporate, employment, and intellectual property advice to the industry. He earned his J.D. degree, cum laude, at Loyola Law School, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and a Sayre Macneil Scholar. He served as articles editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, was a member of the St. Thomas More Law Honor Society, and participated in the Law & Technology Moot Court (a joint program with Caltech). Mr. Bitan externed for The Honorable Harry Pregerson in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and The Honorable Nora M. Manella in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. He received his B.S. degree in business administration at the University of Southern California.

ARTHUR D. HODGE is a sole practitioner with over 25 years of experience as a California attorney. He has handled legal matters in California related to cannabis since 2006, including trials, arbitrations, appeals, administrative proceedings and general civil litigation. Mr. Hodge represents and advises businesses, collectives, cultivators, individual operators, brands and property owners involved in the medicinal and adult-use cannabis industry. His practice includes civil litigation and trials, business law, cannabis licensing and compliance. Mr. Hodge earned his B.A. degree from the University of California, Irvine, where he delivered the commencement address for the UC Irvine School of Social Studies at his own ceremony. He earned his J.D. degree from the University of San Diego-School of Law.

J. RAZA LAWRENCE is a founding partner of Margolin & Lawrence. He is widely recognized as a leader in cannabis business licensing and law. With more than 15 years of experience in the field, Mr. Lawrence is known for his depth of knowledge and track record of exceptional results for his clients. He is routinely recognized as one of the leading cannabis attorneys in California. Mr. Lawrence has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star five years running, and is often called upon to speak and consult on the complexities of cannabis business licensing and law. He received his A.B degree, summa cum laude, from Washington University and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

ALLISON MARGOLIN is founding partner of Margolin & Lawrence. Ms. Margolin is recognized nationwide as one of the leading attorneys in cannabis licensing and law. A graduate of Harvard Law School and Columbia University, she combines top credentials and an extensive depth of experience in cannabis business law, with a lifelong passion for cannabis policy reform. Ms. Margolin began her practice defending some of the highest profile criminal cases in California. As policy has changed, she has consistently adapted to provide her clients with a nuanced, forward-looking understanding of the rapidly changing legal landscape. Ms. Margolin is an expert in a range of practice areas, including regulatory law, zoning, permitting, compliance, branding, trademark, civil litigation, and criminal defense. Over the last six years, she has built an unrivaled team of Harvard Law-educated cannabis attorneys at Margolin & Lawrence.

RACHEL WRIGHT is a director at Abraham Finberg and Associates, Inc., where she specializes in business tax planning and return preparation for all entity types. Ms. Wright has worked as a controller in a variety of industries including real-estate development, product manufacturing, and cannabis for a number of years. She has had her accounting practice since 2003. Ms. Wright earned her master's in taxation from Golden Gate University. Abraham Finberg and Associates, Inc., specializes in the cannabis industry.