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Compliance issues are the number one reason cannabis businesses fail. The laws and regulations pertaining to marijuana are rapidly developing and constantly changing. One misstep could cost you your business—or more. To run a successful cannabis business, you need counselors and advisers who know, understand, and can help you implement all the legal changes in the marijuana industry as they happen. That’s exactly what you get when you hire Joseph, Hollander and Craft’s Kansas City cannabis lawyers.

We Know Cannabis Law

JHC’s cannabis law team includes Attorney Christopher M. McHugh, named “Best of the Industry” by Missouri’s official cannabis industry publication, Greenway Magazine, and Attorney Andrew J. Goodwin, who teaches a UMKC Law School course devoted to Missouri cannabis law. Beyond legal expertise, JHC’s cannabis lawyers have practical experience owning and operating a medical marijuana business. For industry-leading cannabis business lawyers, look no further. JHC has got you covered.

Cannabis Lawyers for Every Situation

JHC’s Kansas City cannabis attorneys are seasoned criminal defense and civil litigation attorneys with experience handling complex, high-stakes litigation against government agencies nationwide. We know cannabis laws and regulations inside out. We can help you maintain compliance, while at the same time growing and funding your business. And we can also help you deal with stumbling blocks – like license revocations or suspensions, shut-down orders, packaging rejections, product recalls, criminal investigations and charges, tax audits, tax claims, zoning, and other local government issues – when they do arise.

Cannabis Lawyers for all Businesses

Plant-touching businesses are not the only ones who need cannabis lawyers anymore. Cannabis law now affects several industries from banking to waste management. Most state cannabis laws come with individual rights, which translate into employee rights—making things like drug testing policies less straightforward than they used to be. Workers compensation and unemployment hearings involving cannabis are no longer a simple affair for any business. And uninformed decisions can have unintended negative consequences. That is why you need JHC’s cannabis lawyers. With experience in business litigation, employment law, and cannabis law, the attorneys at JHC have the depth and breadth of knowledge to address cannabis-related issues in nearly any industry.

Are You Ready for Rec? We Are.

Missouri’s adult-use law (effective December 8, 2022) permits the possession, consumption, purchase, and cultivation of marijuana by individuals 21 years and old in Missouri. Like its cousins across the country, however, Missouri’s adult-use law does much more than just institute recreational use. It makes a number of substantial and impactful changes to the regulatory framework applicable to all Missouri cannabis—including medical use. Important changes are in areas including ownership requirements, authorized products, licensing limitations, purchase limits, places of consumption/lounges, permitted marketing/advertising, packaging, employee drug testing, search and seizure rights, and much more.

If you need assistance navigating the laws and regulations pertaining to recreational or medicinal use marijuana, the cannabis attorneys at JHC are ready to help.

Our Proficiencies

Whether you are a cannabis business or not, don’t leave your cannabis law issue to the inexperienced. JHC’s Kansas City cannabis lawyers help businesses and business owners across Missouri in all of the following areas:

• Licensing applications and limitations
• Regulatory compliance
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Financing
• Real estate transactions
• Ownership requirements
• Authorized products and packaging
• Permitted marketing/advertising
• Drug testing
• Employment actions

If you are looking for a Missouri cannabis law firm that does it all, you have come to the right place. Contact JHC’s cannabis attorneys today.

Common Questions About Cannabis Law in Missouri

Why is it important to hire a cannabis business attorney?

As an owner or operator, your focus should be on managing your business. A cannabis business attorney helps you do that by taking the legal work off your plate. The cannabis business lawyers at JHC focus on cannabis law day in and day out so we can help you set up a compliant business, maintain compliance when laws and regulations change, and address issues like shut-down orders, litigation matters, criminal investigations and/or charges, tax issues, and zoning.

How do I maintain a compliant cannabis business?

The legal marijuana industry is heavily regulated—making compliance an important aspect of success. Compliance requires that you abide by the laws and regulations applicable to your business. In order to maintain compliance, you need to know the laws and regulations that apply, and you need to know when they are changing. With JHC’s cannabis business attorneys on retainer, you have access to the most current information and advice available.

JHC’s cannabis lawyers can help you develop and implement policies and procedures that comply with the law and review them with you as often as necessary. We make a point to stay up-to-date on constitutional, statutory, and regulatory changes that affect our clients. And we step in as litigation counsel as needed.

Does Amendment 3 affect employer drug testing policies?

Missouri Amendment 3, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2022), may require employers to revisit and redraft their policies. Amendment 3 includes a provision that prohibits employers from discriminating against employees who: (1) possess medical marijuana cards; (2) lawfully use marijuana during non-working hours when not on the employer’s premises; or (3) test positive for marijuana (except for employees who use, possess, or are under the influence of marijuana while working).

Contact Our Kansas City Office

Joseph, Hollander & Craft is a premier Midwestern law firm caring for your legal needs on both sides of the state line. JHC provides superior representation in personal injury litigation, professional licensure defense, criminal defense, family law, health care and hospital law, and cannabis law. We represent clients in municipal and state courts throughout the Kansas City metro; in the federal district courts for the District of Kansas and the Western District of Missouri; and before administrative and regulatory bodies in Kansas and Missouri. When you need help, we are on your side and Ready for Anything, Kansas City.