Cannabis Law

As a leading law firm in Western Massachusetts with over 50 years of experience representing a large and diverse client base, Doherty, Wallace has been involved with many different clients and many different legal issues impacted by the new legalization of cannabis.

The firm has quickly developed a wealth of experience in the area of cannabis law, including representing business, abutters, and municipalities with respect to a variety of different cannabis-related projects. Our representation and experience includes both developers of medical marijuana facilities and recreational marijuana businesses in Massachusetts and assisting both types of business with responsible governance and operation. In addition, Doherty, Wallace has experience drafting and implementing by-laws, moratoria, and local bans for municipal clients and opposing irresponsible and reckless cannabis-related projects on behalf of abutters and community members.

Doherty, Wallace’s experience in the field of cannabis law dates back to the inception of the Massachusetts medical marijuana industry in 2012 and has grown and expanded in scope as the market and industry has grown over the ensuing years.

Doherty, Wallace lawyers can assist clients with:

• Business organization, including incorporation, licensing technology, and obtaining equity and debt financing, as well as the interplay between not-for-profit entities and other forms of business entities in the cannabis arena;
• Successful negotiations of private placements and angel funding to seed cannabis projects and businesses;
• Cannabis-related mergers and acquisitions and the formation of cannabis specific strategic joint ventures;
• State and local licensing, permitting, and regulatory compliance for a wide variety of cannabis establishments and cannabis-related businesses;
• Intellectual property representation and counseling for individuals and businesses on the protection afforded by patents, trademarks, and copyrights, and providing counsel on the protection of business trade secrets from misappropriation, including prosecuting and enforcing trademarks, defending against infringement claims, and advising regarding management of branding and image;
• Appearing before local boards to obtain necessary permitting and approval, where required by local ordinances or by-laws and state processes;
• Representing residents and abutters concerned about specific cannabis projects that are not reasonable or responsibly prepared;
• Drafting and successfully implementing municipal cannabis regulations (both medical and recreational) for cities and towns in Massachusetts, including moratoria and bans of recreational cannabis subsequently approved by the Massachusetts Attorney General;
• Real estate and employment issues that may involve cannabis or cannabis-related businesses; and
• Business litigation, with significant experience throughout the Commonwealth dealing with a wide variety of issues, including trial experience in all levels of state and federal courts in Massachusetts.