Tips for Choosing a Cannabis Lawyer in Los Angeles

Now that recreational marijuana is legal, the cannabis industry in California has blossomed into an economic staple. However, it’s as ever-changing as it is ever-growing. To navigate the legal realm of legal marijuana, you need experienced and capable cannabis lawyers in Los Angeles to help you with all of your needs. Let’s take a look at a few tips for choosing a cannabis lawyer, whether you’re a cannabis business looking for legal solutions, an individual looking to enter the industry, or someone looking to affect changes on current laws and regulations.

1. Choose a cannabis lawyer with diverse legal experience.

A lot of legal issues surrounding cannabis have less to do with cannabis itself and more about intellectual property, consumer product issues, corporate law, liability, licensing, and so much more. Saying you need a cannabis attorney doesn’t quite tell the whole story — you need a lawyer with experience in a variety of business-related law verticals, as well as an understanding of dense, ever-changing laws and regulations. The best cannabis lawyers are “one-stop shops” of sorts — they handle every legal task you’d need to start a business, solve legal issues and avoid roadblocks, adhere to compliance standards, and navigate the world of intellectual property in the cannabis industry.


2. Choose a cannabis attorney who understands local businesses and corporations.

Cannabis companies can be mom-and-pop shops or large corporations, and they both need help with their legal needs within the cannabis industry. There’s no one-size-fits-all option here — every cannabis business has different desires and needs, and they’ll have different roadblocks to get around. Plus, legal needs are much different for one-off shops than they are for single-state franchises — and those are much different than businesses that might eventually become multi-state franchises (a recreational dispensary chain that operates in California and Colorado, for example).

Regardless of your business’s size, you need a lawyer who can handle the smallest shops and the biggest corporations in the industry. This will ensure you get tailor-fit legal solutions and proper legal advice.


3. Choose a cannabis lawyer who helps with business formation.

If you’re an individual looking to get into the cannabis industry, you have certain legal hoops to jump through, guidelines to follow, and business assets/licenses you need to acquire. While the cannabis industry certainly has more regulations than most industries, a lot of the things you’ll need are standard issue as far as starting a business goes.

That’s why you need a lawyer with experience in business formation for small and large operations. Using their legal expertise, these lawyers will take care of standard business needs while making sure everything complies with local, state, federal, and cannabis specific standards.


4. Choose a cannabis lawyer with intellectual property experience.

Just like in any other budding industry, your cannabis business will need a distinct brand that’s protected by tools like trademarks, patents, and the like. An expert legal team can help you apply for and secure patents and establish your brand’s intellectual properties. They can also help you work through situations where your business’s intellectual property might have been misused or infringed upon.

Recreational cannabis is brand new in the state of California — the time to establish your brand identity is now. A law firm with experience in cannabis-related cases and intellectual property cases is ideal for a company looking to build and protect their cannabis brand for decades to come.


5. Choose a cannabis lawyer with their finger on the pulse.

Cannabis regulations in California have already changed multiple times since legalization, and there have even been emergency regulations put in place to solve industry issues on the fly. Truth is, cannabis regulations will keep on changing through the years, and you’ll need to stay on top of these changes in order to be locally, state, and federally, compliant.

Having a legal advisor that keeps their finger on the pulse is essential for compliance with cannabis-related laws. A good cannabis lawyer will be up-to-date on cannabis cases, policy updates, and industry regulations to ensure that you’re always following the rules and maximizing your potential for business success.


6. Choose a cannabis attorney who knows California.

While plenty of other states have legalized cannabis already, California is (and has been) a bastion for marijuana culture, and it’s one of the best places in the nation to find economic opportunity and create a business people will love. There’s never been a better time or a better state to start a cannabis business, grow a business, or affect change on the industry itself.

That’s where ADLI Law Group can help. Our experienced attorneys can help you with a variety of cannabis law and transaction services, including:

• Banking
• Corporate
• Dispute Resolution
• Employment
• Environmental Compliance
• Financing

• Insurance
• Intellectual Property
• Liability
• Licensing
• Packaging and Labeling
• Real Estate
• Taxation

 

ADLI Law Group is active in the local cannabis community, and we’re proud to serve members of the community however we can. Schedule a free consultation with us online, or call us for more information today.

 

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