As the number of states legalizing cannabis for medical and adult use increases, there is growing disparity between federal and state laws concerning controlled substances. Businesses involved in the legal cultivation, processing, and distribution of cannabis, as well as those providing ancillary services, face an array of legal issues, including banking, regulatory compliance, branding and IP, federal taxation, corporate transactions and dispute resolution.
Members of Akerman's Cannabis Practice understand the complex legal and business issues impacting companies operating in this sector and we have the depth of experience and national reach necessary to help clients meet their business objectives. Our team monitors notable industry trends and legislative developments to provide timely guidance to clients seeking to navigate the maze of often-conflicting federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing cannabis.
The first large law firm to form a national legal team in this space, Akerman has extensive experience and knowledge that is bolstered by long-established relationships with the key federal and state regulatory agencies that are shaping how business is done in the legal cannabis industry.
Our clients include cannabis investment funds, cultivators, processors, dispensers and distributors, and suppliers of ancillary products and services. Drawing on our understanding of the complex business and legal issues impacting companies and entrepreneurs in this space, our team of lawyers and government affairs professionals provides targeted solutions to the full range of rulemaking, regulatory, transactional, legislative, and litigation challenges they confront.
Disclaimer:
Possessing, using, distributing, and/or selling marijuana or marijuana-based products is illegal under federal law, regardless of any state law that may decriminalize such activity under certain circumstances. Although federal enforcement policy may at times defer to states’ laws and not enforce conflicting federal laws, interested businesses and individuals should be aware that compliance with state law in no way assures compliance with federal law, and there is a risk that conflicting federal laws may be enforced in the future. No legal advice we give is intended to provide any guidance or assistance in violating federal law.
