Counseling a Cannabis-Related Business

The cannabis industry is intriguing and rapidly evolving. With more states and countries legalizing cannabis in varying forms, this industry will continue to expand. Many companies are moving into the cannabis business or expanding already existing businesses to meet the needs of the growing cannabis industry. In this article, David Ruskin covers key legal issues that practitioners must consider when counseling a cannabis-related business, including:

• Federal and state regulation of cannabis
• Conflicts between federal and state laws in the areas of banking, tax, employment and bankruptcy
• Challenges in the areas of real estate, intellectual property, dispute resolution and business structuring
• Divergent state and local laws