Cannabis Law Now

In this episode of Cannabis Law Now, Hilary Bricken sits down with Mitch Meyers, partner at BeLeaf Medical, to discuss the ins and outs of operating a commercial cannabis business in the State of Missouri. Mitch shares her unique perspective as a pioneer in Missouri’s medical cannabis market, delving into regulatory hurdles, business opportunities, and the evolving landscape of cannabis law in the Midwest, which is rounding out to be one of the strongest cannabis markets in the United States. 

In this episode, Hilary Bricken sits down with Richard Ormond, one of the nation’s leading cannabis receivers and an expert in cannabis receiverships. Richard, a partner at Buchalter and the owner of Stone Blossom Capital, shares his unique insights into the fast-evolving world of cannabis business restructuring, the legal complexities of court-appointed receiverships, and what makes cannabis receiverships distinct from those in other industries. Richard explains the role of a receiver and why courts appoint receivers for struggling cannabis businesses, and he discusses the regulatory hurdles and compliance issues that make cannabis receiverships especially complex. Step-by-step, Richard walks us through how a receivership is initiated, his duties as a receiver, and the typical outcomes for cannabis companies.

Dina Rollman is a cannabis industry veteran who has worn countless hats, making her way from cannabis attorney to cannabis business executive. She helped take Green Thumb Industries (GTI), a national cannabis company, from an idea on paper in 2014 to a publicly-traded company in 2018. She created and led GTI’s Government Affairs department, its Regulatory Compliance functions, its competitive licensing application team, and its Social Impact department. Dina also advised the c-suite on corporate strategy and legal strategy. After years of law firm and in-house work in the cannabis industry, Dina branched out to pursue her entrepreneurial goals in the industry, including KND Group, New Lake Capital Partners, Inc., Powr Plant, and StrainBrain.

In this episode, Dina shares with listeners her entrepreneurial evolution in the cannabis industry and where she sees future opportunities for growth and innovation. After a long career in the cannabis trenches as an attorney, Dina tells our audience about what it’s like (and how to survive) on the cannabis business side of the aisle.

Chris Lindsey’s origin story in cannabis is a legendary one. He was once a practicing attorney that felt the strong arm of the federal government firsthand when he was charged and prosecuted by U.S. attorneys for drug crimes by virtue of advising cannabis clients on compliance with Montana law and participating in the Montana cannabis industry. Today, Chris is the Director of State Advocacy and Public Policy for the American Trade Association of Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH), advocating for federal and state cannabis and hemp law reform. 

In this episode, Chris shares ATACH’s advocacy positions and progress on the Hill and what he sees happening in the future for cannabis and hemp businesses in the U.S., including the fate of the Farm Bill, rescheduling, and de-scheduling, and how state-legal cannabis and hemp can and should co-exist. Chris also details for listeners the current state of advocacy and lobbying within the cannabis industry and the different industry interests that are fighting for a seat at the table in DC for future reform and regulation. 

New York’s adult use cannabis roll out has been rocky at best. However, there are still business opportunities to be had. In this episode of the Cannabis Law Now podcast, we hear from Greg Wersching, the Vice President of Business Development at Housing Works in Brooklyn, New York. Housing Works is a 35-year old non-profit that opened the first licensed adult use cannabis dispensary in New York City in 2022. Today, the organization has two dispensary locations and has incubated multiple other cannabis retailers. Greg shares with listeners how to navigate New York cannabis retail and dispensary oversight, the ins and outs of New York’s cannabis regulatory regime, how New York’s social equity program has fared to date, and what the future holds for New York cannabis retail. 

In this episode, Husch Blackwell's Hilary Bricken hosts Jennifer Morris, former Supervisor of the Cannabis Enforcement Team for Riverside County, California, who discusses her experience navigating one of the toughest cannabis markets in the U.S. as California transitioned from illegal to legal adult-use cannabis with the passage of key legislation in 2016. Jennifer highlights the County's enforcement priorities, and the rise of local cannabis control, and offers valuable insights on how industry and local governments can work together for a thriving, well-regulated cannabis marketplace. Her expertise in local enforcement procedures is essential for both industry professionals and government regulators.

Tiffany Chin is the current CEO of Death Row Cannabis, which is Snoop Dogg’s cannabis brand company that has now launched numerous cannabis products in the U.S. cannabis market. Death Row Records played a significant role in hip hop and cannabis culture over more than 30 years, selling 40 million albums across the country and it’s one of the best-known labels worldwide when it comes to advocacy and support for cannabis and the cannabis community. Borrowing from that star and branding power, Death Row Cannabis is increasingly becoming a household cannabis brand. That wasn’t always the case though, and under Tiffany’s leadership and vision, the brand has grown and continues to thrive. In this episode, Husch Blackwell's Hilary Bricken and Tiffany Chin walk listeners through the ups and downs of cannabis branding and how to vet and choose wholesale partners accordingly. She also discusses the various highs and lows experienced by Death Row Cannabis as well as some of its branding goals for the future. If you’re interested in how great cannabis brands are built, last, or fail, be sure to tune in now!

In this episode, we hear from seasoned cannabis industry advisor, Marc Hauser, and host Hilary Bricken, about the top pitfalls and traps in today’s cannabis industry. Marc, a former practicing transactional and corporate attorney, is the current Chief of Staff of Jardin, a well-known Nevada-based cannabis retailer. Marc shares with listeners the variety of issues he’s witnessed in the past seven years in the cannabis industry, including with federal enforcement, state regulation, public and private markets, cannabis company governance, and misguided perceptions of the industry. Marc also discusses the current perils tied to cannabis politics, rescheduling, “hemp versus marijuana”, and the industry scuttlebutt surrounding the same. If you want to cut through the noise to get down to the hardline cautions currently in the cannabis industry, tune in now!

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) seeks to increase corporate transparency and combat financial crimes in the U.S. such as money laundering and terrorist financing. Enacted in January 2021 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, the CTA requires certain business entities to disclose their beneficial owners—individuals who ultimately own or control the company. Namely, corporations, limited liability companies, and similar entities must report their beneficial owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Some entities, such as large operating companies, regulated entities (banks, insurance companies, etc.), and entities already subject to extensive federal regulation, are exempt from these reporting requirements. There are steep penalties for non-compliance or falsifying information, including fines and possible imprisonment. Even though cannabis companies are federally illegal, they are not exempt from reporting under the CTA. In this episode host Hilary Bricken, and Yuefan Wang, corporate, M&A, and securities partner at Husch Blackwell, discuss the mechanics of the CTA and how and when cannabis companies must comply, including consequences to cannabis companies if they fail to report. 

There are now dozens of multistate operators (MSOs) in the U.S. cannabis industry. Since 2010, the concept of MSOs has carried many connotations, good and bad. At times, MSOs are considered the ultimate form of “Big Marijuana,” and at other times, they’re considered indispensable to the democratic experiment that is state-by-state legalization. Rarely do we get to peek into the daily inner workings of these MSOs, even though the overwhelming majority are publicly traded. In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Hilary Bricken and Jushi’s Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs Matt Leeth discuss Jushi’s day-to-day happenings as well as long-term vision. Currently, Jushi operates 38 retail facilities and maintains roughly 1,200 employees throughout the U.S., while offering numerous cannabis brands to both patients and adult-use consumers. During this episode, Matt dishes on the challenges of scaling, regulatory differences from state to state, keeping investors happy, and what Schedule III will mean for Jushi and other MSOs.