The Oregon District Court issued a ruling today which “PERMANENTLY ENJOINS AND RESTRAINS” the OLCC and other State actors from enforcing Measure 119 against Bubble’s Hash and Ascend Dispensary, the plaintiffs that sued over BM 119’s constitutionality. You can view Judge Simon’s Opinion and Order here, and the Judgment here. BM 119 required most Oregon
In June 2023, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed SB 23-271 (codified in C.R.S. 25-5-427 and regulated by 6 CCR 1010-24), a landmark bill regulating intoxicating hemp products in the state. This legislation followed recommendations from the Intoxicating Hemp Task Force, which was established a year earlier under SB 22-205. At a time when many states
Hardly a week goes by without a client asking us: Can we sue the owners of a cannabis company personally for the company’s failure to pay our invoice / transfer us the license / sell us the land? In other words, they are asking, “Can we pierce the corporate veil and access the owner’s individually
After attending the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in Berlin at the end of April, I was reminded, yet again, of how draconian U.S. marijuana laws truly are. The excitement throughout the event was palpable. Much of it was driven by Germany’s newly formed government keeping its quasi-legalization policy intact, even if adult-use trials remain
I don’t know how it came to be, exactly, but I’ve spent countless hours of my adult working life aiding due diligence on cannabis transactions. These transactions involve all kinds of companies, from sole proprietorships to public companies, and a variety of deals–from leasing, to financing, to good old M&A. Today, I’ll cover how diligence
Understanding Trademark Strength We frequently discuss the cannabis-specific challenges that brands face when seeking trademark protection. But it’s just as important not to lose sight of the core trademark principles that apply to all businesses—especially the need for a strong, distinctive mark. Clients often approach us with catchy, creative names that, unfortunately, are (or are
Hopefully this is the penultimate time I’ll write about Ballot Measure 119. Hopefully, some three weeks from now, I’ll publish one last post explaining that this landgrab initiative was annihilated, judicially speaking. The recent Federal Court hearing On April 29th, Judge Michael H. Simon heard arguments from the UFCW 555 and the Oregon Department of
Our cannabis business attorneys regularly handle transactions involving the purchase and sale of licensed cannabis businesses. These deals often move fast, with brokers rushing both sides toward closing—frequently without regard for applicable diligence and cannabis regulations. The worst-case scenario is when a company comes to us after executing a seller drafted purchase agreement without having
One of the most fundamental questions facing any entrepreneur – whether in the cannabis industry or elsewhere – is: “What type of business entity should I choose?” This is a deceptively complex question, although we’ll try to make it seem simple here. When you ask your lawyer or accountant, their first response will likely be
Cannabis businesses are usually structured as limited liability companies (LLCs)—and for good reason. LLCs offer far more flexibility than corporations, which are bound by rigid governance rules. To take advantage of this flexibility (and for many other reasons), LLC owners—called members—need a well-drafted operating agreement. Below, we look at a few critical reasons why cannabis
