Cannabis: Legal and Business Fundamentals 2025

The cannabis industry continues to grow quickly, as does the legal industry supporting it. Firms of all sizes and attorneys in various practice areas are being asked to offer counsel and advice on regulatory compliance, large-scale disputes, national and international expansion, complicated corporate structures, and the development of domestic and global intellectual portfolios—all while managing the risk involved with operating a business that is still federally unlawful. You will learn about the legal landscape in the cannabis and alcohol beverage industries, what’s hot in today’s cannabis legal sector, litigation issues, advanced contract drafting, and how best to develop a strong intellectual property portfolio. This program also has groundbreaking sessions on ethics and substance abuse. If you are considering serving cannabis or alcohol beverage clients or already do, this is a must-attend event on the legal and business issues you will confront every day. 

Please note that this program will be followed by a happy hour for all live attendees and faculty, sponsored by the International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA).

After completing this program, participants will be able to:

• Understand the current cannabis landscape—compare key states with regulated cannabis markets and hemp cannabinoid markets, understand the state legalization process and analyze the impact of litigation.

• Explore the federal legal framework, compare the federal legal treatment of hemp and regulated cannabis, and review the FDA and TTB regulatory frameworks.

• Understand the state of the market from the in-house perspective—is M&A heating up or cooling down? What is the impact of shareholder litigation on growth and multistate operators? Who is doing brand licensing and distribution deals?

• Explore substance abuse and competence issues for lawyers advising regulated industries—examine how addiction impairs an attorney’s ability to practice law, define and examine the legal difference between substance use and substance abuse, and understand the Harm Reduction Framework.

• Understand best practices in advanced contract drafting, the diligence process and how to evaluate potential partners in the supply chain, indemnity and shifting liability, and compliance issues.

• Examine the intellectual property landscape and learn how an industry that is still federally unlawful can develop a deep and protectable intellectual property portfolio. 

• Understand ethical considerations behind representing a cannabis client. 

Any attorney who is or plans to serve a cannabis client and/or beverage law counsel. This program would benefit any regulatory compliance attorney serving any industry. 

Ethics—much needed credits and an understanding of what it means to serve this industry. 

Substance Abuse—understand the difference and legal policy shift behind cannabis use and unlawful use, and how substance abuse generally affects attorney competence.