Welcome back to Higher Law, our weekly briefing on all things cannabis. I’m Cheryl Miller, reporting for Law.com from Sacramento, where regulated cannabis backer Gavin Newsom became California’s 40th governor this week.

Newsom, a self-described advocate of protecting “small cultivators, small farmers … small business” in the cannabis space will have his hands full in the coming year as consolidation and regulations continue to favor well-financed companies.