Archive

Utah Opens Medical Cannabis Pharmacy License Applications: What You Need to Know

By Yolanda Clarke
Jul 1, 2025

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) announced that the application window for the first of two new independent medical cannabis pharmacy licenses is now open from July 1 to July 31, 2025. The application fee is $2,500, and licenses cannot be transferred for at least 15 years. Eligible applicants must be new operators with no financial ties to existing pharmacies and must locate in medically underserved areas. This blog covers key requirements, including zoning, security, operational plans, and deadlines to help applicants prepare for this rare licensing opportunity.

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Minnesota Hemp-Derived Cannabinoid Product Registration Now Open Through August 31, 2025

By Meg Nash
Jun 16, 2025

The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has opened a new registration window for businesses selling hemp-derived cannabinoid products (HDCPs), including THC beverages. Businesses must register by August 31, 2025, to remain eligible for fall licensing and summer sales. Starting October 1, OCM will accept applications for Lower Potency Hemp Edible (LPHE) licenses for retailers, manufacturers, and the newly established wholesaler category. This blog outlines the state’s updated rules on potency, packaging, facility standards, onsite consumption, events, and delivery services.

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Meet Vicente LLP at the 50th Annual Federal Bar Association Indian Law Conference

Apr 7, 2025

Vicente LLP will be exhibiting at the 50th Annual FBA Indian Law Conference on April 28 and 29 in Albuquerque, NM. We are pleased to be joining legal professionals and leaders of Tribal Nations to discuss the advancement of Tribal Law and cannabis policy. Visit our exhibitor table to view our “Tribal Cannabis and Hemp Market Map,” created in collaboration with the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association.

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Minnesota Draft Cannabis Rules Provide Clarity on Licensed Cannabis Business Operations

By Jason Tarasek, Colleen Mitchell
Jan 23, 2025

The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) recently proposed draft rules to clarify key operational requirements for cannabis businesses, including co-location policies, THC concentrate limits, cultivation canopy measurements, production capacities, and delivery regulations. Make your voices heard! The public comment submission period is open until Wednesday, February 12.

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Hemp-Derived Cannabinoid Markets: Using Tax Data to Assess Growth in Louisiana, Minnesota and Tennessee

By Andrew Livingston
Jan 22, 2025

Now that many states have regulated cannabinoid hemp alongside medical and adult-use marijuana, hemp cannabinoid market growth trends can be analyzed using comprehensive data, including monthly tax data from product sales. In this article, we analyze market trends in Minnesota, Louisiana and Tennessee using hemp-derived cannabinoid product sales tax data reported by the states.

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Minnesota Cannabis Licensing Opportunities in 2025

By Jason Tarasek
Dec 20, 2024

The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has announced a new timeline for cannabis licensing in 2025. Applications for all license types will be accepted between February and March next year. This article breaks down Minnesota’s cannabis business licensing process, social equity licensing opportunities, and upcoming deadlines that applicants should look out for.

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Cannabis Presents Economic Opportunity for Tribal Nations

By Jason Tarasek
Dec 3, 2024

Cannabis is opening new doors of economic opportunity for Tribal nations across the country, from the Eastern Band of Cherokee in North Carolina to the White Earth Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota. In states where cannabis sales are not legal or where adult-use dispensaries have not yet opened, Tribal cannabis businesses may have a first-to-market advantage.

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Connect with Vicente LLP at the Hemp Beverage Conference and Festival in Minneapolis!

Jun 3, 2024

Join Vicente LLP in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7-8 for the inaugural Hemp Beverage Conference and Festival, hosted by the Hemp Beverage Alliance! Partner Michelle Bodian will participate in a panel offering state updates on hemp regulations, the farm bill and more at the conference. The festival will be held the following day, and Vicente attorneys Jason Tarasek and Michelle Bodian will attend. Schedule a meeting with us!

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Vicente LLP Heads to Minneapolis for CANNRA 2024 External Stakeholder Meeting

May 16, 2024

Will you be in Minneapolis for the CANNRA 2024 External Stakeholder Meeting? Several members of the Vicente LLP team will be in attendance! Senior associate Jason Adelstone will discuss international considerations during the closing plenary on June 5, and partners Adam Fine and Michelle Bodian, director of regulatory policy Jen Flanagan, and counsel Jason Tarasek will also be in attendance!

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Kentucky Medical Cannabis Licensing Update: New Bill and Regulations

By Yolanda Clarke, Colleen Mitchell
Apr 19, 2024

In an exciting week for the nascent Kentucky medical cannabis program, interested stakeholders were provided abundant new information to inform their business goals. Read this article for details on the new bill and regulations, and key licensing details—including medical cannabis business license caps.

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Vicente LLP Joins Industry Leaders at National Cannabis Industry Association’s Colorado Stakeholder Summit

Mar 15, 2024

The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) is hosting a Stakeholder Summit in Colorado on April 4, and Vicente LLP is a Silver Sponsor. The event brings together key figures in the cannabis industry, including policymakers and regulators, to discuss and drive positive change within the cannabis industry. Vicente LLP will have a strong presence at the summit, with several members of our team attending, including the firm’s founding partner, Brian Vicente. Register now!

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Minnesota’s Proposed Cannabis Legislation Would Provide Early-Mover Licensing Opportunities for Social Equity Business Applicants

By Jason Tarasek, Yolanda Clarke
Mar 12, 2024

Minnesota lawmakers are proposing a bill to reshape the state's adult-use cannabis market, prioritizing social equity business applicants. The bill would grant social equity applicants a head start through temporary licenses allowing them to prepare for full licensure. This Insights post highlights social equity applicant criteria, limits on the total number of cannabis business licenses, and additional details to this recently introduced bill.

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New Year, New Rules: Updated Oregon Psilocybin Services Regulations Now in Effect

By Yolanda Clarke
Feb 27, 2024

Oregon's psilocybin program has updated its regulations, clarifying existing rules and addressing new areas like data reporting and facilitator training. Key changes involve distinguishing between mandatory anonymized data collection and optional personal information from clients, requiring state licensing or specific exemptions for facilitator training programs, and emphasizing nondirective facilitation with support resources instead of advice. Read this Insights post to learn more about the recent rule changes for psilocybin in Oregon.

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Minnesota Cannabis Regulators Announce Plans to Launch Adult-Use Dispensaries by Summer 2024

By Jason Tarasek
Feb 2, 2024

Minnesota dispensaries could be a reality by summer! The OCM unveiled an ambitious plan to speed up the launch, proposing temporary regulations and licensing reforms. Focusing on social equity, product availability, and education, they are streamlining the process by removing initial premise requirements, local government involvement, and even suggesting a new social equity classification. Read this Insights post for the latest update on Minnesota’s cannabis business regulations.

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[Vicente LLP Event] Minnesota Hemp & Cannabis Seminar

Sep 18, 2023

Join the Vicente LLP team in Minneapolis for another can’t-miss hemp and cannabis legal and business seminar on October 19, 2023. The event will feature Vicente LLP hemp and cannabis business attorneys Michelle Bodian, Travis Copenhaver, Jeremy Shaw and Jason Tarasek, along with special guests Sen. Lindsey Port and cannabis accountant Angela L’Esperance of Ms. Jane Accounting.

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Cannabis Business Licensing Opportunities in Southern California

By Emily Hackman, Ashley Davies
Sep 12, 2023

Cannabis storefront retail and microbusiness license opportunities in Southern California have largely been few and far between. However, the City of Redondo Beach and the City of Santee are two great opportunities to expand or establish a foothold in the Southern California cannabis retail market. Read this article for a summary of the current status of each jurisdiction's application and licensing process.

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Maryland Cannabis Administration Releases Social Equity Verification Tool in Preparation for Cannabis Business Licensing

By Yolanda Clarke, Meg Nash
Sep 1, 2023

The Maryland Cannabis Administration and its Office of Social Equity took another step toward the first round of adult-use social equity licensing in the state with the announcement that their social equity verification portal will go live on September 8. This first round of adult-use licensing will be for standard or micro grower, processor, and dispensary license types. Only social equity applicants are eligible to take part in this first round and to qualify, you must first be officially verified as a social equity applicant.

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Minnesota Cannabis Market Projections

By Travis Copenhaver
Jun 22, 2023

While the state of Minnesota's study on the expected size and growth of the state's cannabis industry will not be complete until January 15, 2025, Vicente LLP's Economics & Research Department recently made some general predictions about the market. Read this Insights article to dive into the numbers.

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Upcoming Cannabis Business Licensing Opportunities Across the U.S.

By Jerrico Perez
May 22, 2023

Opportunities for growth across the nation are currently abundant for cannabis businesses, and our experienced team is here to help you navigate these increasingly complex and competitive licensing processes. With more winning merit-based applications than any other law firm in the country, our team’s work ethic, dedication, and experience will help elevate your application above the competition and set your business up for long-term success.

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Minnesota Cannabis Legalization Bill Amended to Lessen Potential Impact on Breweries Manufacturing THC Beverages

By Krissy Atterholt, Jason Tarasek
Mar 22, 2023

Microbreweries and cideries have become Minnesota THC beverage market leaders in the wake of 2022's hemp-derived THC product bill. The current cannabis legalization bill would have made things difficult for these producers, but it was recently amended so that lower-potency hemp edibles manufacturers could produce lower-potency hemp edibles at the same facility where food (such as beer or cider) is manufactured.

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Forming Psychedelic Companies: 10 Lessons from the Cannabis Industry

By Charles Alovisetti
Mar 22, 2023

A new industry is emerging in the United States, and entrepreneurs in the psychedelics space must make critical decisions at the onset of new ventures regarding how to set up and structure their new businesses. Luckily, we have access to another industry with a complex legal framework and a patchwork of different state laws: cannabis. And after forming hundreds of cannabis companies with clients over the past decade, Vicente LLP has lessons to be shared.

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[Webinar] Psychedelic Opportunities in Oregon and Colorado

Jan 12, 2023

As states like Oregon and Colorado develop regulated pathways for people to get involved in the regulated psychedelics industry, possibilities—and questions—are increasing: What are the opportunities now, what’s next, and where? Get answers by watching this recorded session.

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Oregon Psilocybin Services Releases New Proposed Rules and Public Comment Period

By Yolanda Clarke, Jamie Greenwood
Nov 16, 2022

In another exciting step towards implementing psilocybin services, the Oregon Psilocybin Services Section issued updated proposed rules under the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act this month, making significant changes to the previous iteration. Make your voices heard! The public comment period is open through November 21, 2022.

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[Webinar] Cannabis & Psychedelics On the Ballot

Nov 1, 2022

The November 2022 ballot has those interested in cannabis and psychedelic policy reform on their toes. From supporting adult-use cannabis initiatives in Arkansas, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Maryland, to potential psychedelic reform in Colorado, there is plenty of excitement!

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The Natural Medicine Health Act of 2022: A Measure to Access Psychedelic Medicine in Colorado

By Colleen Mitchell, Yolanda Clarke
Oct 10, 2022

Prop 122 would create a regulated system for adults aged 21 and older to access natural psychedelic medicine, such as psilocybin, in a supervised setting to treat various mental health conditions. It would also allow for the cultivation, possession, personal use, and gifting of psychedelic medicine for adults aged 21 and older. Read this for an overview of the proposition’s key components.

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The ESG Threat by Shareholders and Proxy Challenges

By Marc Ross
Sep 7, 2022

Socially responsible investors and activist board members have been throwing their ESG weight around during the last few proxy seasons at annual shareholder meetings. They demand action on climate change, diverse boards and senior leadership, restrict campaign donations, divestment in specific industries, and request measurement, benchmarking, and reporting of comprehensive ESG impacts.

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Hemp States to Watch in 2022: California

By David Kramer
Feb 7, 2022

California is hoping that this will be the year that its hemp industry emerges from the shadows and takes its place among the nation's hemp leaders. Read this article for an outline of what hemp operators should expect from the CDPH and California's hemp program in the coming months.

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ABA Global Business of Cannabis Conference is Coming to Denver

Nov 9, 2021

The American Bar Association's International Law Section will host its first annual Global Business of Cannabis Conference in Denver, Colorado from November 10-12, 2021. Marc Ross is slated to join the panel "The Environmental Impact of Cannabis Cultivation: Does Legalization Make a Difference?"

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[Webinar] Impact and ESG in the Cannabis Industry

Jun 15, 2021

Watch this recorded session to meet the new VS Impact & ESG team, learn more about this emerging business priority, and how to start planning and measuring your ESG practice – including Corporate Social Responsibility programs, meaningful Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts, environmental sustainability, and community and employee engagement.

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Prop 65 Warning Requirements for Cannabis, THC and CBD

By Andrea A. Golan
Apr 13, 2020

In early 2020, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment added Δ9 THC and marijuana smoke to the Proposition 65 list of chemicals known as reproductive toxins. What does this mean for cannabis businesses?

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California and the Gig Economy: The Fight Over AB-5

By David Kramer, Senior Associate
Mar 3, 2020

California employers beware: as of January 1, 2020, it is increasingly likely that any person who performs services for your company will be classified as an employee. The reason for this seismic shift is Assembly Bill 5 (AB-5).

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