Cannabis
Michigan’s Cannabis Agricultural Diversity is Second Only to California.
Leafly reported in 2021 that Michigan saw a 72% increase in full-time cannabis jobs with $1.79B in sales. The CRA reported nearly $2.3 billion in sales for 2022. According to the Leafly report, Michigan is third in the country for Cannabis employment behind California and Colorado. As part of Michigan’s diverse agricultural community, the cannabis industry (marijuana, industrial hemp and CBD) faces the same challenges as any large agricultural business but within a very complex legal and financial environment. The industry regulatory structure varies from state to state and is often at odds with federal law.
In 2023, while cannabis sales continue to soar, plentiful product and falling wholesale prices mean challenges for the industry that is already dealing with expensive capital and extreme tax burdens. As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, Miller Johnson’s experienced legal team remains at the forefront of its transformation.
Miller Johnson’s Cannabis Industry Practice Group is an interdisciplinary, cross-functional team of attorneys poised to guide its clients through the rapidly changing landscape of Michigan’s cannabis industry.
Not only do we represent businesses that are directly engaged in the cannabis industry, but we regularly advise employers on the interplay between state and federal cannabis law within Michigan and across the country. Our corporate and commercial litigation group routinely advises growth stage companies on corporate governance and shareholder disputes, using litigation and other forms of dispute resolution to achieve client goals. For cannabis businesses facing financial difficulty, the Miller Johnson team has expertise in receivership remedies and other restructuring relief.
Our team approach maximizes opportunities for our cannabis industry clients, while identifying and overcoming obstacles to that success. In that regard we offer the following services to help our clients meet their business goals:
- Shareholder disputes
- Out-of-court restructuring
- Regulatory analysis of receivership and insolvency issues and assisting in determinations of appropriate insolvency proceedings
- Federal, state and local regulatory compliance
- Distribution and retail matters
- Corporate finance including raising capital for start-up or expansion
- Acquisitions and joint ventures
- Vendor and customer agreements
- Insurance coverage counseling and recovery
- Privacy and data security
- Litigation and dispute resolution
- Winding up cannabis businesses
- Interstate transportation
- Criminal defense and internal investigations
- Trade secrets and protection of intellectual property
- Labor and employment counseling and litigation
- Landlord/tenant issues
- Real estate acquisitions and sale lease backs
- Entity formation
- Applicant requirements and background checks
- Licensing with Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency as well as local licenses/permits
***Disclaimer: Possessing, using, distributing, and/or selling marijuana or marijuana-based products is illegal under federal law, regardless of any state law that may decriminalize such activity under certain circumstances. No legal advice we give is intended to provide any guidance or assistance in violating federal law.***