What Is a Cannabis Business Lawyer?
A cannabis business lawyer (sometimes also called a marijuana* business attorney or a hemp business lawyer) focuses on helping cannabis entrepreneurs through the process of starting a legal cannabis business. Those businesses may include a variety of marijuana industries, such as CBD, hemp, marijuana, or other cannabis-related products.
At Davis Legal, we focus on helping entrepreneurs with the extensive and often complicated steps to stay compliant with all federal and state-level regulations and enter the cannabis industry.
A cannabis business law practice often deals with a variety of tasks that may include transactional work, intellectual property, real estate matters, and others. A cannabis business attorney should be well-versed in general business and start-up aspects as well as in specific regulations and statutes that govern the sale of cannabis products locally and at a federal level.
*We believe the term “marijuana” is racist and inaccurate, and we prefer to use the term “cannabis,” but we will be periodically using the term marijuana on our website to match the term used Federally and in NC Court of Appeals. We believe the law is far behind on this issue.
What Can a Cannabis Business Lawyer Help With?
Opening a cannabis business that is fully compliant requires significant work and careful steps to ensure all aspects of the business and its operations are in accordance with the law.
This often means a business owner needs extensive paperwork, licensing, and regulatory expertise – a task that is overwhelming and time-consuming for most. A cannabis business attorney can help with every step of opening and running a new cannabis business.
At Davis Legal, some of those services include:
- Licensing
- Manufacturing
- Regulatory Compliance
- Contracts
- Trademarks & Branding
- Business Formation
- Operating Agreements
- Noncompetes and Employee Agreements
- Dispute Resolution
- Website Content Review for legal compliance
- Product, Packaging, and Label Development
- Formulations Review
- How to Ship, Advertise, and Market in a compliant way
Our practice caters to a variety of cannabis businesses – from cultivators, extractors, and dispensaries to manufacturers and distributors. We serve clients across the United States from our home base in Raleigh, NC.
Do I Really Need to Work With a Cannabis Business Lawyer to Start My Business?
You are probably aware of how the cannabis industry is heavily regulated in many states. While cannabis products are legal in some states, marijuana is still considered an illegal substance under federal law.
If you are planning to enter the legal cannabis industry, it may be hard – if not impossible – to try and navigate the extensive set of laws that affect your business. A minor oversight could result in major negative consequences because of the contradictions between state and federal laws.
When you work with a cannabis business lawyer, not only can you receive solid business-related legal advice, but you can also get help navigating all the statutes, compliance requirements, and regulations that are needed to start and operate a legal cannabis business. We can help ensure that you’re selling your product – legally – in as many states as possible.
In North Carolina (as in many other states), the cannabis laws are constantly evolving, and as the state begins to consider legalizing medical marijuana, an attorney can help you be prepared to seize the opportunity that the market may bring.
Why Should I Work With Davis Legal?
Our focus is to provide the legal services every innovative entrepreneur needs to start a successful business and enter the new yet rapidly expanding legal cannabis industry. We are dedicated to helping every client reach their goals.
When you come to Davis Legal, we will take time to get a full understanding of your business (even if it is just an idea), identify your challenges and work together to develop a plan.
Our office is conveniently located in the heart of Raleigh, only 4 minutes from the North Carolina State Capitol and only ~25 minutes from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). If you are thinking about opening a cannabis business or have questions, please reach out to us by calling 919-756-6437 and requesting an initial consultation. We look forward to serving you.