Beyond the Smoke and Mirrors of Cannabis Insurance: What Policyholders Need to Know

As the legal and regulatory landscape surrounding marijuana in this country continues to evolve, so too have the insurance coverage needs and challenges faced by the legal marijuana industry. Direct players in this space, such as grow operations, edibles manufacturers, and dispensaries, as well as indirect participants such as healthcare providers and investors, must be mindful of numerous insurance issues unique to the legal cannabis market. Traditional insurance policies may not provide sufficient coverage due to marijuana’s continued illegality at the federal level. Specialized insurance products exist, but they are largely untested and may be subject to the same pitfall.

This course, presented by Benjamin D. Tievsky of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP’s policyholder-side Insurance Recovery & Advisory Group, will introduce the audience to insurance coverage issues faced by the legal marijuana industry and offer practical guidance for navigating these relatively uncharted waters.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify potentially insurable risks faced by legal marijuana businesses
2. Discuss the types of insurance policies that may respond to such risks
3. Survey recent developments in applicable case law
4. Review practical pointers for negotiating insurance policies to cover cannabis-related risk