Comedian Bill Maher and actor Woody Harrelson took a swipe at California’s business climate on Maher’s “Club Random” podcast on Monday.
Maher and Harrison co-own The Woods, a cannabis dispensary and lounge in West Hollywood. The two discussed the difficulties of owning a cannabis shop in the Free State.
“We’re working on it. It’s not easy to do business in California,” Maher said, explaining why he decided to tape the April 20 show at a marijuana store.
Harrison agreed, adding: “California is putting all businesses in a difficult position.”
California’s looming capital flight problem could reshape the state in three key areas
Bill Maher attends the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Mark Guiducci at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on March 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
(Getty Images)
“I mean, I don’t want to start this – why not? Why, just make a mockery of California. But California should be mocked for a lot of these things. People know that’s why people are fleeing the state,” Maher continued.
Read it on the Fox News app
The comedian said it’s “terrible” to do any kind of business in California, but said the state still treats marijuana like “poison.”
“They think you’re lucky that we allow you to do this, so we’re going to tax you 35 percent, which is much higher. That’s twice as much as anything,” Harrison said.
California imposes a 15% gross receipts tax on retail sales of marijuana or any marijuana product. That briefly rose to 19% by 2025, but a bill passed in September brought it back to 15%.
West Coast legal marijuana growers battle supply glut, seek interstate sales
However, add in other local taxes and state sales tax, and the rate can exceed 30%.
In a later discussion, the two said business was improving at the store, and Harrison hammered out the tax rate again.
“But I tell you, when the government imposes a 35 percent tax, there’s nothing we can do. Just like they can’t impose a 35 percent tax on us, that’s not right,” he said.
Click here for more media and cultural coverage
Click here to download the Fox News app
california Metro areas, led by the San Francisco Bay Area, have seen a net loss of businesses and businesses leaving the state, with a net loss of 156 headquarters since 2018.
Original source of the article: Bill Maher, Woody Harrelson talk California business climate, say state deserves to be ‘turned on’
