Cannabis Litigation in California (Update)

Following the passage of Prop 64 and the rollout of the final regulations, California has seen a sharp uptick in the number of new cannabis businesses forming. As the “green rush” marches on, members of the more traditional business and investment communities are looking to get involved in this new industry that shows such potential. However, the cannabis industry is not new - it has been around for a very long time and has its own culture, which is fairly suspicious of lawyers and not conditioned to access the legal system. When business or investment leaders form entities with cannabis industry leaders, there is a clash of cultures which can lead to a myriad of problems - from disagreements about how to operate all the way up to securities problems, partnership disputes, and more.

This course will discuss the various kinds of disputes that arise in the cannabis industry, which range from employment matters and real estate issues to breach of contract cases and products liability. We will discuss how and when cannabis businesses experiencing disputes can access our justice system with confidence, and strategies to help your clients ensure that they have a forum to hear their disputes when problems arise. The presenter, Katy Young, is a founding partner of Ad Astra Law Group, LLP, a litigation shop focused on business, employment, and real estate litigation. She has been representing cannabis entrepreneurs and cannabis businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2013.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review the current landscape of the California cannabis industry and how it has been shaped by historical forces
2. Identify common legal issues that arise in the cannabis industry and best practices for mitigating disputes
3. Assess the appropriate time and forum to initiate litigation when necessary