Proposed Cannabis Regulations Released

On Friday, April 28th, the California Department of Food and Agriculture released the initial draft of its medical cannabis cultivation regulations. There will now be a 45-day comment period on the draft. The proposed rules regulate how to apply for licenses to cultivate, the type of licenses that will be available, vertical integration, site requirements, cannabis waste management, cleanliness standards for … Read More

Abalone Sport Season Opens May 1

California’s 2017 red abalone sport fishing season is set to open on May 1st. The 2017 season opener is delayed from the traditional opening date of April 1st, and will close one month earlier as well, on October 31st. Additionally, the annual bag limit is reduced from 18 abalone to 12. Other abalone sport fishing regulations remain unchanged. The California … Read More

No Right to A Jury Trial in a Whistleblower Case against Health Facilities

This month, the California Supreme Court decided a very important decision for health facility employers and employees.  California law, at Health & Safety Code section 1278.5, provides protections for patients, nurses, members of a medical staff, or other health care workers who notify government entities of suspected unsafe patient care and conditions.  A health care facility is prohibited from then … Read More

When a Loved One is Conserved

What do you do when a family member who is conserved is injured by another’s negligence?  “Conserved”  means that a court appointed conservator, depending on the court’s order, may have authority over both the person (including where the person may be living, such as in an appropriate facility for their needs) and their finances (the estate).  Normally this is done when a … Read More

Deadlines in Cannabis-Related Permitting

Since the December 31, 2016 deadline passed, many cannabis farmers have asked what the next deadlines are that may apply to them. A couple of deadlines of which cannabis farmers should be aware: Six months from the date initial application submitted – any entity or individual who applied to Humboldt County Planning for any of the three permit types is … Read More

California’s 2017 Minimum Wage Increase

Attention Humboldt County employers:  California’s most recent version of the minimum wage poster, MW-2017, which includes the January 1, 2017 minimum wage increase, must be posted in your workplace. Copies of the poster can be found here(link is external).

Humboldt Medical Marijuana Land Use Ordinance Update

Significant developments have occurred in the past few weeks and days regarding the County’s Medical Marijuana Land Use Ordinance. Last Friday, the Humboldt County Superior Court denied a petition by local group HUMMAP filed in its case against the County of Humboldt. The petition sought to enforce a settlement the group reached last July which required the County to conduct an … Read More

New Unisex Bathroom Requirements Effective March 1

Beginning March 1, 2017, all single-user restroom facilities in California businesses, public accommodations, and state and local government agencies, must be designated as all-gender facilities, accessible to all people, regardless of gender. “Single-user toilet facilities” include all bathrooms that contain, at the most, one toilet and one urinal, and a lock that is controlled by the user. The new law … Read More

AB 275: Written for Humboldt’s Nursing Homes

February 17, 2017 was the deadline for bills to be introduced in the California legislature. One of those bills was introduced by Assembly Member Jim Wood (from California’s Assembly District 2, which includes Humboldt County).  The bill, AB 275, is the result of Wood’s experience with the attempt by the owner/operator of five Humboldt County nursing homes to shut down … Read More