Cannabis Industry

We stay ahead of regulatory shifts before they become roadblocks

Cannabis regulation can change quickly, disappear without warning or leave critical questions unanswered. We monitor federal and state agency developments daily, including updates from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD), helping clients understand what has changed, what remains uncertain and what they can do now. As federal scheduling and registration requirements evolve alongside state licensing systems, we help clients address overlapping obligations without losing sight of day-to-day operations.

Our team is particularly experienced in licensing and regulatory compliance. We handle applications, renewals, registrations and transfers, respond to agency inquiries and represent clients in administrative proceedings when a regulator threatens a license. Our administrative lawyers understand how agencies operate from the inside, while our experienced legal staff manages licensing processes efficiently and keep critical details moving.

In a consolidating market, we have the experience to keep deal momentum

Oklahoma’s cannabis market has moved rapidly from early growth to intense consolidation. Multi-state operators and larger industry participants are acquiring dispensaries, cultivation facilities and processing operations, while smaller businesses face rising compliance costs and mounting operational pressure. We advise buyers, sellers, investors and operators through transactions in Oklahoma and across the country, combining cannabis industry knowledge with established corporate, securities, tax and real estate capabilities.

Our transactional work includes:

• Entity formation, governance and tax planning
• Mergers, acquisitions and dispositions of cannabis businesses and assets
• Investor matters, securities compliance and financing structures
• Contracts, commercial arrangements and asset protection
• Purchases, leases and development of dispensaries, warehouses, cultivation facilities and other real estate
• Banking matters and guidance for financial institutions serving the industry

Serving one industry at every business pressure point

Cannabis businesses do not need a lawyer who knows only cannabis terminology. They need a team that can handle the same legal pressures confronting any sophisticated enterprise, plus the regulatory complications unique to this industry. We draw on lawyers across the firm to assemble the right team for the issue, whether it involves employment, tax, intellectual property, environmental regulation, food safety, litigation or financial distress.

We advise clients on matters including:

• Employment policies, workplace disputes and the treatment of medical marijuana cardholders, including safety-sensitive positions
• Federal, state and local tax planning, including the changing impact of Internal Revenue Code Section 280E
• Trademark, patent and other intellectual property protection and non-infringement, including emerging issues involving cannabis genetics
• Environmental and food safety requirements, labeling rules, inventory tracking and operational compliance
• Commercial litigation, agency disputes, restructuring and other business-critical conflicts

When the rules leave a gap, we clear the path forward

The hardest cannabis questions often arise before an agency has issued a form, explained a transfer process or reconciled its requirements with another regulator. That is where our broader experience matters. We see the full picture, identify the legal and business risks and develop a defensible path that allows the client to keep moving while the law catches up.

Our work extends beyond Oklahoma. We have supported transactions and operations in markets including Arkansas, Texas, California, Colorado, Oregon and Missouri, and we represent clients entering Oklahoma from other states as well as companies that sell or license products nationwide. Across every matter, our goal is the same: give clients clear guidance, efficient execution and the full-service strength to act confidently in an industry defined by change.