Contact
- 716.848.1679
The complex and uncertain regulation of cannabis, hemp, and their derivatives creates a number of challenges for cannabis-related businesses and those who service them. Hodgson Russ’s Cannabis & Hemp Group is a team of accomplished and skilled attorneys especially qualified to provide insight and counsel on the countless questions facing businesses in this emerging and exciting industry.
We assist clients with meeting the challenges of the industry and adapting as the rules continue to evolve. Our team of attorneys monitors industry trends and legislative developments to provide timely guidance to clients through the labyrinth of federal, state, and local cannabis regulations.
We use experience and industrial knowledge, as well as a cross-disciplinary approach that spans many of our practice areas – some of which are ranked by Chambers and Partners – to provide clients with the skills and services they need to position themselves for success.
With offices in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Florida, and Toronto, we are a full-service, global law firm with the ability to provide legal advice on the full spectrum of issues facing companies that cultivate, process, distribute, or sell cannabis products. Our attorneys also assist clients who service the industry, including landlords, equipment manufacturers, food and beverage organizations, financial services providers, and others. Because many cannabis-related businesses are entrepreneurial in nature, we advise on enforcement of contracts, employment laws, environmental compliance, intellectual property, and other areas of law beyond licensing and day-to-day operations.
We have specific experience applicable to clients involved with the cannabis industry, including:
Licensing and Regulatory Compliance
- We help our clients know and understand the regulatory landscape, meet applicable licensure requirements, anticipate compliance issues, and limit exposure when mistakes happen.
Mergers and Acquisitions
- Our team has helped cannabis clients position themselves with strategic acquisitions, including some of the largest transactions in the history of the industry. Our experience gives us insight into the industry’s complex regulatory requirements, the potential impact of a change of control on a target company’s pending license applications, and ways to structure transactions accordingly.
Federal, State, and Local Tax
- Hodgson Russ is a leading firm for New York State, New York City, and multistate tax matters including planning, compliance, litigation, and damage control. Our attorneys have the breadth and depth of experience necessary to anticipate tax questions arising from new, ever-changing laws and regulations specific to the cannabis industry.
Litigation
- Attorneys in our Cannabis & Hemp Practice have significant litigation experience representing clients in land use, intellectual property, and business disputes. We also have extensive experience representing clients before a variety of state and federal agencies, including the IRS, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Patent and Trademark Offices (USPTO), and state tax and regulatory agencies.
Disclaimer
Please remember that the possession, use, distribution, and sale of non-hemp cannabis and cannabis products is illegal under federal law, despite certain state laws that decriminalize and/or legalize such activity. While federal enforcement policy may defer to a state’s laws and not enforce conflicting federal laws, the fact remains 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.
If you would like to be added to our Cannabis & Hemp Practice mailing list or any other of our mailing lists in order to receive important updates and event notices in this area, please visit us at: https://forms.hodgsonruss.net/subscription-center-hr.html
In the News
- HudsonValley360, February 14, 2024
- The Buffalo News, October 21, 2023
- The Buffalo News, October 4, 2023
- The Buffalo News, September 27, 2023
- WIVB-TV, August 9, 2023
- WGRZ-TV, July 14, 2023
- Spectrum News 1, July 14, 2023
- The Buffalo News, May 2, 2023
- The Buffalo News, April 24, 2023
- The Buffalo News, March 30, 2023
- Spectrum News 1, March 30, 2023
- WGRZ-TV, March 29, 2023
- The Buffalo News, February 13, 2023
- The Buffalo News , December 18, 2022
- Spectrum News, November 11, 2022
- The Buffalo News, November 11, 2022
- WGRZ, September 15, 2022
- Buffalo News, February 16, 2022
- The Trusted Professional, April 22, 2021
- CannaBuff, September 14, 2020
- Buffalo Business First, March 12, 2020
- Albany Business Review, June 17, 2019
- Buffalo Business First, March 22, 2019
- Buffalo Law Journal, February 20, 2019
Publications
- Hodgson Russ Cannabis & Hemp Alert, March 29, 2023
- Law360, November 21, 2022
- Hodgson Russ Cannabis & Hemp Alert, October 19, 2022
- Hodgson Russ Cannabis and Hemp Alert , July 7, 2022
- Hodgson Russ Cannabis & Hemp Alert, February 2, 2022
- Lexis Nexis - Practical Guidance, December 16, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Cannabis & Hemp and Labor & Employment Alert, November 4, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Cannabis & Hemp Alert, October 26, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Cannabis & Hemp Alert, September 2, 2021
- CannaBuff Magazine, August 2021
- Hodgson Russ Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, May 25, 2021
- CannaBuff, April 27, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Labor and Employment Alert, April 5, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Hemp and Medical Cannabis Alert, March 29, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Hemp and Medical Cannabis Alert, March 23, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Hemp and Medical Cannabis Alert, February 24, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Hemp & Medical Cannabis and Agriculture Alert, February 10, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Hemp and Medical Cannabis Alert, February 8, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, January 27, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Hemp & Medical Cannabis and Agriculture Alert, January 22, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, January 7, 2021
- CannaBuff Magazine, September 14, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, August 26, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Labor & Employment Alert, July 7, 2020
- Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, April 6, 2020
- CannaBuff Magazine, March 30, 2020
- Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, January 28, 2020
- Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, December 16, 2019
- Interim guidance adds some certainty to an evolving industry, including relief from strict criminal limitsHemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, November 4, 2019
- Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, October 4, 2019
- Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, August 23, 2019
- Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, July 10, 2019
- Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, July 2, 2019
- Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, May 30, 2019
- Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, May 2, 2019
- Hemp & Medical Cannabis Alert, April 12, 2019
- State and Local Tax Alert, January 17, 2019
- Intellectual Property Practice Alert, January 11, 2019
Presentations & Events
- Bravo Cafe and Catering, April 28, 2022
- Albany Capital Center, April 28, 2022
- August 7, 2021
- June 24, 2021
- June 23, 2021
- June 15, 2021
- June 8, 2021
- April 21, 2021
- December 17, 2020
- March 10, 2020
- Buffalo, New York, February 5, 2020
- New York Hilton Midtown, New York, N.Y., January 27, 2020
- December 6, 2019
- Crossroads Conference Center, Belmont, NY, April 10, 2019