Pioneering Cannabiz CPA Warns: Tread Softly

Portland highway sign with marijuana leaf

CPA Luigi Zamarra says the industry is fraught with dangers.

By CPA Trendlines Research

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There’s a whole lot of shake-up going on in the biggest new niche in the accounting business. It’s the cannabiz—the legal planting, harvesting, processing and selling of that federally illegal substance, cannabis, whether for medicinal or recreation purposes.

MORE on THE CANNABIS NICHE: A CPA’s Unexpected Journey into the Cannabis Industry  |  The Two Crippling Compliance Issues for Cannabis Industry  |  Wayne Harding: From Tech Boom to Cannabis Boom  |  Billion-Dollar Questions: Cannabis FAQ for Accountants  |  Ready or Not: CPA Firms Find New Opportunity in Booming Cannabis Industry  |  America’s New Breed of Cannabis CPAs [VIDEO]  |  IRS Section 280E & Marijuana: Tax Limbo or Hell?  |  The Rise of the Nation’s Top Cannabiz CPA  |  CPA Cannabiz Boom  |  The Wild World of Weed: Tax Season Never Ends  |  What’s a Cannabiz Worth? Ask a CPA.  |  More for PRO Members

This month, Oregon becomes the fourth state to legalize possession of marijuana for recreational purposes. Recreational use is also legal in Alaska, Colorado and Washington, and several other states allow its use for various medicinal purposes.

But that doesn’t mean it’s legal. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, it’s still a Schedule I controlled substance. And while the IRS doesn’t bust people for possession or use, it does require special accounting and tax treatment.

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