Top Calif. regulator steps down — Newsletter 11/7/25
DCC Executive Director Nicole Elliott. (Image courtesy: DCC)
Hi all,
This week’s webinar had to be postponed so you can still catch lawyer and consultant Leah Heise on growth in a tight market next Friday. It’s going to be a good one.
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In the newsletter:
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- Nicole Elliott’s 2022 WeedWeek interview
And lots more,
Alex
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Top Calif. regulator steps down
Nicole Elliott, who has led California’s Department of Cannabis Control since 2021 said she would step down at the end of the year.
I’m working on a story but in the meantime here’s an interview she gave to WeedWeek in October 2022 when some insiders were already warning of a coming industry collapse.
QUICK HITS
Federal:
- With the status of hemp products part of negotiations to end the government shutdown, big alcohol is sending mixed messages.
WeedWeek, Politico, MJBiz - A hemp lobbyist and executive who helped draft the 2018 Farm Bill legalizing hemp products said the new industry’s creation was intentional, not a “loophole.”
Marijuana Moment
Business:
- Leading MSO Trulieve said it would avoid the industry’s coming “debt tsunami” by paying off $368M in debt early. However, it’s holding $616M in “uncertain tax liabilities” based on its interpretation of industry-hated tax rule 280E.
MJBiz, Cultivated - Leading MSO Curaleaf is appealing a court-ordered $32M payment to a Michigan farm, arguing that it’s business is federally illegal.
Crain’s Detroit Business - A report found cannabis drinks threaten alcohol consumption.
BevNet - Industry database Emerald Intel acquired competitor Cannabiz Media.
- Consultant Sandra Bergman thinks more MJBizCon parties are charging entrance fees this year.
State and local:
- New York City’s new Democratic Socialist mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, is 420-friendly, but hasn’t discussed the industry in depth.
- Cultivated takes a look at New York state’s inversion scandal.
- Maine is the second state facing a push to roll back legalization in a 2026 ballot initiative.
- Virginia and New Jersey elected pro-legalization Democrats for governor over anti-legalization Republicans. After years of back and forth, the Virginia market is poised to take off. And there’s a new push for homegrow in New Jersey.
Marijuana Moment, MJBiz - Sudden changes to testing and other rules threaten Minnesota’s “warm embrace” of hemp-derived products. Minnesota city Osseo could open the country’s second city-owned pot shop.
MJBiz, CCX Media - A push for a 2026 Oklahoma REC ballot initiative fell short.
- A small study by Colorado brand Ripple found labs in the state produce consistently unreliable potency test results.
MJBiz
Advocacy:
- Former cannabis prisoner Stephanie Shepard is the new acting executive director at Last Prisoner Project.
Fun and interesting:
- “America! Gummies for everything that ails you“
The New Yorker - The Atlantic calls weed one of “the lonely new vices of American Life.“
CALIFORNIA HITS
Business:
- MSO Planet 13 said it would exit California, including its destination store in Orange County, to focus on Florida and Nevada.
Cannabis Equipment News - NorCal is yielding an “amazing harvest” for hashmakers. But cold weather could endanger workers, especially on illegal farms.
GreenState, RedHeaded Blackbelt - Raw Garden announced a partnership with MSO Verano to launch the brand in New Jersey.
- Heavy Hitters VP Sales Kirstie Price said the Mammoth Distribution vape brand is bucking trends by increasing prices and unit sales.
Local:
- Siskyou County lost a court ruling in litigation over ordinances to combat the illegal industry. The lawsuit alleges the county has discriminated against Asian Americans and deprived them of water.
Courthouse News Service - Spectrum News 1 investigates how unlicensed shops thrive in SoCal.
- San Diego State University students are traveling to nearby city La Mesa for its lower pot taxes.
The Aztec - San Diego is a step closer to a crackdown on unlicensed shops.
San Diego Union-Tribune - San Diego County faces calls to rethink expanding the industry.
- The city of South Lake Tahoe reduced pot taxes.
KOLO - Redwood City (San Mateo Co.) pot taxes are hitting expectations.
RWC Pulse
Recognition:
- Lauren Carpenter, CEO at retailer Embarc, was named to Sacramento Business Journal‘s 40 under 40.
Upcoming:
- The Sacramento Cannabis Chamber is hosting a networking mixer on Wednesday.
- Thirty days til Terpnami in San Francisco.