THE 411 ON 420 Perkins Coie LLP

Cannabis companies can find themselves in financial distress but are generally locked out of the federal bankruptcy courts. What are their options? Perkins Coie Associate Tommy Tobin sits down with Billy Organek, program fellow at Harvard Law School’s Bankruptcy Project, to discuss the importance of bankruptcy law and options companies can seek outside of the federal bankruptcy process.

Regardless of the industry, education and training your workforce is important. In the cannabis industry, it is critical and can significantly impact how consumers purchase cannabis moving forward. Perkins Coie associate Juan Fonseca Angel is joined by Maureen McNamara, Founder and Chief Facilitator of Cannabis Trainers, and Danny Gold, Co-Founder and CEO of ZolTrain an industry like cannabis, to discuss the importance of training both the workforce and the consumer. Maureen and Danny discuss the evolving regulatory framework that cannabis operators are currently working in and what best practices look like when it comes to consistently training their workforce. Juan also has our guests dig into how we educate the consumers and the role that the cannabis industry plays in ensuring a good experience with the product.

The discussion about federal regulation for the cannabis industry is complex. The Council for Federal Cannabis Regulation wants to ensure that federal regulations are informed by and grounded in science, best business practices, sound public policy, and social justice principles. Sheri Orlowitz, founder and chairman of the board of the Council for Federal Cannabis Regulation, joins Perkins Coie partner Barak Cohen to discuss how additional regulatory oversight can benefit the cannabis industry. Sheri brings more than 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, turnaround expert, board director, corporate leader, attorney, and former federal prosecutor. Among other things, Barak and Sheri discuss the ongoing debate as to whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau ought to have primary oversight over cannabis and the potential benefits that could be available as a result of federal regulation.

Given that technology shapes, enhances, and intersects with nearly every aspect of our lives, it is unsurprising that e-commerce is emerging as a key component of the cannabis industry. Dutchie, a leading e-commerce platform with a particular focus on financial technology, is at the vanguard of this phenomenon. Dutchie General Counsel Lauren Thomas joins Perkins Coie Partner and Cannabis Industry Group Chair Barak Cohen to discuss the unique challenges that technology companies face in the cannabis industry, her experiences moving from a well-established white-shoe law firm to an in-house legal role in a cutting-edge industry, and what it’s like to be a woman of color in a role traditionally dominated by white men.

State Attorneys General (AGs) play a central role in enforcing cannabis laws and protecting consumers. As legalization continues to sweep the country, the interplay between state and federal law demands particular attention. In this edition of The 411 on 420, Perkins Coie senior counsel Andrew Kline discusses the role of the State AGs with Austin Bernstein, Director of the Cannabis Project at the AG Alliance and an Assistant AG in Colorado. Austin shares background on the bipartisan nature of the AG Alliance and how private sector groups can engage with AGs on cannabis issues.

To say that the United States has a complicated relationship with hemp is an understatement. In this edition of The 411 on 420, Perkins Coie partner Barak Cohen discusses hemp’s complicated past and promising future with Eric Steenstra, founding member of the Hemp Industries Association, Vice President of the California Hemp Council and President of Vote Hemp, the political advocacy organization that he co-founded in 2000. Eric shares insights on how the industry was able to self-regulate prior to the Farm Bill, how the passing of the Farm Bill resulted in a lawsuit against the DEA, and the future of the industry.