Cannabis Industry

Our Cannabis group provides the full range of legal services to businesses in the cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp industries. We bring together a cross-section of lawyers – from senior partners to associates – who have deep experience in the pharmaceuticals, tobacco/vaping, life sciences, real estate, and banking/capital markets. Our team has substantive experience across numerous practice areas including corporate, regulatory, product liability, labor and employment, intellectual property and more. Against a backdrop of quickly evolving federal and state laws and regulations and leveraging our innovation focus, we combine legal know-how and business acumen to help our clients manage challenges and capitalize on opportunities in this unique industry.

Representative examples of our experience include:

• Providing a legal opinion on U.S. state and federal laws and regulations regarding CBD and cannabis products for a foreign company’s initial public offering.
• Assisting investors in a cannabis venture in forming an LLC.
• Advising a cannabis testing lab on compliance with state and federal regulations, including the new USDA Interim Rule.
• Advising vaping device manufacturers and retailers on compliance with state and federal laws and regulations regarding CBD and cannabis products.
• Advising vaping device manufacturers on product liability issues regarding use of their products with CBD and cannabis products.
• Counseling a tincture manufacturer on product liability and labeling issues.
• Advising employers on issues relating to employment policies regarding cannabis use, including drug testing policies and related state and federal laws applicable to employee use of cannabis.
• Advising on hemp/cannabis-based U.S. trademark filings and registrations.
• Advising on state and federal regulations relating to the sale and marketing of CBD and hemp-related products, in particular on federal requirements and restrictions as they relate to marketing and labeling.
• Advising a chemical/ingredient manufacturer on internal and external best practices for screening and handling work with other businesses in the cannabis/hemp/CBD industries, as well as on potential exposure (civil/criminal) if other businesses use its products to process federally unauthorized marijuana products.
• Counseling on the potential viability and legality of the sale of CBD products through retail and/or online distribution.
• Advising manufacturers and/or distributors of devices that may be used for CBD and other cannabis products on federal and state cannabis regulations and the applicability and implications of changes in regulations to their products and potential exposure under civil and criminal laws.
• Reviewing and revising a supply agreement to account for potential liability and indemnity obligations regarding supply of raw materials to a customer who manufactures cannabis-containing products.