canna law blog

California Commercial Cannabis: Leases

Arbitration Versus Litigation We’ve written previously on arbitration and why it so often makes sense for cannabis business contracts, primarily because of enforceability issues stemming from cannabis being illegal under federal law. But in the realm of commercial real estate leasing, cannabis uses can present other unique challenges that require thoughtful solutions to disputes, and, more importantly,

canna law blog

Oregon Cannabis Company Acquisitions

We have begun to see an increase in consolidation throughout the Oregon marijuana industry. Large companies from other states are moving in, and Oregon companies are buying each other’s assets or stock and integrating to form verticals. In business parlance, we have entered the scaling portion of the inevitable consolidation curve. Cannabis Company Acquisition Generally

canna law blog

Buying a Cannabis Business: The Top Five Due Diligence Items or Buyer Beware

Our marijuana business attorneys handle lots of purchase transactions for marijuana businesses. These deals often involve two sides rushing to complete a transaction handled by a business broker who doesn’t know or care about the applicable marijuana laws. The worst case scenario is when a company asks us to review a purchase agreement drafted by the

canna law blog

Cannabis Real Estate 101

Since licenses to grow, process, or sell cannabis are usually tied to a specific real property location, it is not surprising that cannabis businesses often need real estate help. The following are some basic points we try to convey to our cannabis clients about real estate in a cannabis context. 1. Location. Location. Location. Choosing

canna law blog

Cannabis Branding and Trademarks With and Without Celebrities

Given the onslaught of media pieces lately on celebrity cannabis brands, this would be a good time to enumerate branding issues faced by cannabis business owners, and to discuss how celebrity branding is different. There are three main ways a brand owner can establish trademark rights: By using the mark in connection with their goods or

canna law blog

The Future of Marijuana Licensing: Greater Barriers to Entry?

We’re starting to see a distinct trend with state-sanctioned marijuana operational licenses: the “pay-to-play, greatest barrier to entry” model. In this sort of system, there is usually some combination of the following, all geared towards reducing the number of cannabis businesses actually granted a license and towards making sure that those with licenses are very well-funded:

canna law blog

New York Cannabis Licensing: The Basics*

Here in New York, it feels like we are (finally) off to the races. The New York State Department of Health recently posted the application for medical marijuana manufacturers and dispensaries, with two very important deadlines. The first is a May 5 at 4:00pm EST deadline to submit any questions to the Department regarding the application.

canna law blog

Top Ten Marijuana Industry Red Flags

We’ve been marijuana business lawyers for a long time now and in multiple states, and being on the front lines of this industry means that we have seen a lot of good and bad actors. In this post, we share the Top Ten Marijuana Industry Red Flags so that you know what to look for to