A scandal over California's failure to keep pesticides out of legal cannabis is causing turmoil throughout the industry, with a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit, the departure of a top cannabis official, the state hiring a private investigator, and a race in the private sector to form a shadow regulatory system in the face of crumbling consumer confidence.
Other notable executive office departures include the resignation in May of Jeff Merriman, who ran the Cannabis Control agency's compliance division; chief general counsel Matthew Lee, who moved to the governor's office; and chief deputy for legal affairs Tamara Colson.