Few industries are evolving as quickly as legal cannabis. While rapid growth presents extraordinary opportunity, it can also create a number of potential issues—especially in a highly regulated industry like cannabis.
Porter Wright’s attorneys have experience working with marijuana, hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) companies across all aspects of the cannabis supply chain. Our attorneys have experience working with vertically integrated and standalone marijuana and hemp cultivators, processors and retail operators. From application for state licensure to capital raising, corporate structuring, compliance with state licensing regulations, tax and section 280E mitigation, intellectual property development and protection, and strategic exits, Porter Wright’s cannabis law team is prepared to assist at every phase of the cannabusiness lifecycle.
Our attorneys have extensive, hands-on experience working with cannabis clients to navigate complex and rapidly evolving local, state and federal regulations pertaining to marijuana and state hemp regulatory plans. In addition, our attorneys have a comprehensive understanding of numerous federal regulations that impact both plant-touching and non-plant-touching businesses operating in the cannabis space including: Controlled Substances Act (CSA), Agriculture Improvement Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill), Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), anti-money laundering (AML) statutes, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), as well as other Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and guidance.
For more than 170 years, Porter Wright has represented businesses of all sizes in industries ranging from agriculture to health care and manufacturing. That experience allows us to leverage relevant knowledge across our full service legal offerings to develop a multidisciplinary perspective on the most complex issues facing businesses involved in the cannabis space. With this approach, we are able to provide uncompromising representation to clients working in the cannabis industry producing marijuana, CBD and hemp products, as well as to those entering the market as part of the supply chain or in non-plant touching capacities.
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Cannabis Law Services
- Venture capital and early stage financing transactions
- Entity formation and strategic corporate structuring
- State and local tax and 280E mitigation strategies
- Real estate including land purchase, leasing, landlord-tenant issues and title insurance services
- Regulatory, environmental and compliance
- Legislative advocacy
- Banking and finance
- Labor and employment including employment policies and drug testing compliance
- Secured transactions
- Contract drafting, review and negotiation across all types of cannabis contracts including but not limited to supply agreements, wholesale agreements, and private label and reseller agreements
- Employee benefits, executive compensation and incentive equity plans
- Intellectual property including protection and development of patents, trademarks and copyrights
- Insurance
- Transportation and logistics including interstate transport of hemp and CBD products
- Health care and institutional compliance related to marijuana
- Litigation in a variety of contexts including business partner disputes, contract enforceability and product liability.
- Bankruptcy, workouts and restructuring