Cannabis and Hemp Practice Group

Moran Reeves Conn is at the forefront of Virginia’s emerging cannabis and commercial hemp industries. As a founding member of the Virginia Cannabis Industry Association, we are well-equipped to help our clients navigate the complex and evolving state and federal regulations.

Whether you are directly involved in the industry as a cultivator, manufacturer, distributor, or laboratory – or indirectly as a physician, investor, or lender – we can help. We are proud to offer a one-stop-shop of cannabis and hemp legal services, from starting a business through putting a product on the market.  Our attorneys can assist you with the following:

  • Corporate formation – we can help you identify the business entity that will provide you needed flexibility while ensuring that you and your investors are protected.
  • Real estate acquisition – we can help you identify land, negotiate purchase and sale agreements, conduct due diligence, secure financing and close on your real property.
  • Securities – cannabis and hemp businesses often need to raise capital.  Our attorneys can assist you in structuring a private securities offering to raise the equity needed for your business.
  • Products liability – given our firm’s long tradition of defending product liability claims, our attorneys are uniquely situated to handle any claims that arise from the sale or distribution of your products, particularly those involving vaping and edibles.
  • Compliance – whether you are a physician seeking advice on your ability to recommend cannabis and maintain your DEA license or a cannabis entrepreneur looking to obtain the necessary licenses, our attorneys can help you navigate the regulatory landscape.
  • General business issues – cannabis and hemp businesses face many of the same legal issues as other businesses. We can advise you on commercial litigation issues, contracts, intellectual property, and employment issues.

Virginia is on the precipice of rapid growth in the cannabis and hemp industry. Virginia’s regulatory structure for safe sales is projected to begin in 2024 while medical cannabis dispensaries are already operating and commercial hemp was legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. Now is the right time to speak with one of the members of MRC’s Cannabis and Hemp Practice Group to make sure your business is well-positioned to make the most of these growth opportunities while avoiding legal pitfalls and other risks.

Cannabis and Hemp Practice Team

Martin A. Conn
Lisa Moran McMurdo
Steven D. Forbes
Stewart R. Pollock
Dawn Kingsbury Attean