Why new marijuana shops are blocked in Phoenix — for now; zoning attorney and Rose Law Group Founder & President Jordan Rose has urgent message for social equity license winners

By Ryan Randazzo | Arizona Republic When Arizona issued 26 new licenses for marijuana shops last month in a high-stakes lottery to fulfill a “social equity” component of marijuana legalization, the winners assumed their opportunity could be worth millions. But zoning issues in Phoenix and Tucson could make those licenses worth much less, and may even result in some winners …

Medical patients in Arizona were sold marijuana contaminated with pesticides; Jonathan Udell, co-chair of Rose Law Group cannabis department, weighs in

By Ryan Randazzo | Arizona Republic A high-end marijuana company sold contaminated cannabis to Arizona medical card holders last year, a mistake that highlightsglaring weaknesses in the state’s testing rules designed to protect consumers. Arizona requires marijuana to be tested before it’s sold. A law that took effect more than a year ago is supposed to ensure cannabis is screened for pesticides, heavy …

Jonathan Udell, Rose Law Group cannabis department co-chair, talks to New Times about zoning problems plaguing Arizona’s cannabis social equity program

By Cyrus Guccione | Phoenix New Times When she was in high school, Arianna Muñoz was charged with possession of narcotics because she was carrying a vape cartridge and a gram of wax concentrate. Despite being a medical marijuana cardholder in 2019, once Muñoz set foot outside a dispensary, she was illegally in possession of narcotics. “That’s the way the …

State to hold drawing for social equity marijuana establishment licenses; Jonathan Udell, Rose Law Group cannabis department co-chair, speaks to business barriers

By Megan Myscofski | Arizona Public Media The Arizona Department of Health Services will hold a drawing next week for social equity marijuana establishment licenses. 1,500 people applied for 26 licenses. The social equity licenses are required by the same ballot measure that legalized marijuana in 2020. Jonathan Udell the political director Arizona NORML, an organization that helps people navigate the …

Jonathan Udell, Rose Law Group cannabis department co-chair, talks with New Times about bill to create new department of marijuana regulation

By Cyrus Guccione | Phoenix New Times A new bill sponsored by Arizona Speaker of the House Russell “Rusty” Bowers that aims to put in place a new department of marijuana regulation has stalled without a hearing. That has raised questions about why it was even introduced. The Mesa Republican lawmaker introduced House Bill 2828 on January 10, stating the …

Jonathan Udell, Rose Law Group cannabis department co-chair, talks to New Times about whether legal cases could undermine Prop 207 protections

By David Abott | Phoenix New Times Arizona courts are dealing with legal challenges to possession protection. A criminal case making its way through state appellate courts could give law enforcement legal tools to circumvent protections enjoyed by pot users that were enshrined in Proposition 207. The Mohave County case, like two similar cases before it, determines how to balance …

Schumer nixes bill that would have helped cannabis businesses use banks; Adam Trenk, Rose Law Group partner and cannabis department co-chair, speaks out

By Jacob Sullum | Reason President Joe Biden this week signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2022. Although the version of the must-pass bill originally approved by the House included legislation aimed at promoting access to banking services for state-licensed marijuana businesses, those provisions were removed during negotiations with the Senate. This was the …

How Oklahoma became a marijuana boom state; ‘a phenomenal environment for industry entrepreneurs’ says Adam Trenk, Rose Law Group partner, cannabis department co-chair

By Simon Romero | The New York Times Across Oklahoma, a staunchly conservative state with a history of drawing people in search of wealth from the land, a new kind of crop is taking over old chicken coops, trailer parks and fields where cattle used to graze. Next door to a Pentecostal church in the tiny town of Keota, the …

Rose Law Group selects respected advocate as co-chair of its long standing cannabis department

By Rose Law Group | MG Magazine SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Jonathan Udell is the new Co-Chairman the Cannabis Law Department at Rose Law Group pc. That department is the longest-standing cannabis law practice in the state. Udell has a lengthy resume in terms of public policy. He represented a cannabis business in a challenge of the Arizona Department of Health Service’s interpretation of …