Overview

David M. Ullian is a partner at Vicente LLP and a member of the firm’s Land Use & Zoning, Licensing, and Regulatory Compliance Departments. His practice focuses on assisting a wide range of commercial cannabis clients, from multi-state operators to small family-owned companies, in obtaining state and local cannabis licenses, permits and approvals, and navigating the ever-changing regulatory landscapes of the cannabis industry.

David routinely represents clients seeking host community agreements, special permits, site plan approvals and operating permits in municipalities across Massachusetts, and he has helped numerous clients successfully obtain both medical and adult-use cannabis licenses from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Cannabis Control Commission. In addition to his work with marijuana businesses, David is a member of Vicente LLP's Hemp and Cannabinoids Department, where he focuses on the hemp regulatory program in South Carolina.

Since 2021, David has been recognized by his peers in the "Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch" list for his work in land use and zoning law. He was also recognized as one of "Boston's Top Lawyers" by Boston magazine in 2021 and 2022.

David received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law, where he was an editor for the American Journal of Law & Medicine and completed a Concentration in Health Law with Honors. He also interned at Boston Children’s Hospital, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina. After law school, David was awarded a BU Law Public Service Fellowship to work in the General Counsel’s Office at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He received his B.A. from Amherst College, and before law school, he worked as a Corporate Legal Assistant at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York City.

Prior to joining Vicente LLP, David was a staff attorney at LibbyHoopes, P.C., a Boston law firm specializing in white-collar criminal defense and government investigations. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Recognition

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Land Use and Zoning Law, 2021-2024

• Boston magazine, "Boston's Top Lawyers," 2021-2022

Publications

Insights

• Author, "New Cannabis Regulations in Massachusetts Are Now in Effect: What You Need to Know," October 31, 2023
• Author, "Washington, D.C. Medical Cannabis Update: Expanded Medical Cannabis Access, Social Equity Opportunities and Open Licensing Periods," October 26, 2023
• Co-author, "Cannabis and Hemp Developments in North Carolina," October 5, 2023
• Co-author, "Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission Proposes Draft Amended Regulations: What You Need to Know," August 9, 2023
• Author, "Washington, DC Medical Cannabis Expansion and New Licensing Opportunities," June 28, 2023
• Author, "Medical Cannabis Legalization Bills Advance in North Carolina and South Carolina," March 7, 2023
• Author, "Sweet Carolinas: Medical Cannabis Legalization Bills Introduced in North Carolina and South Carolina," January 31, 2023

• Co-author, "Massachusetts Enacts Significant Changes to Marijuana Laws: What You Need to Know," August 11, 2022

• Co-author, "How to Find Appropriate Real Estate for Your New York Cannabis Business," July 21, 2022

• Author, "5 Years of Legal Cannabis in Massachusetts," November 8, 2021

• Co-author, "Massachusetts Cannabis Retailers Can Now Sell Hemp Products: What Retailers Need to Know," May 24, 2021

• Co-author, "New Massachusetts Medical and Adult-Use Marijuana Regulations," November 1, 2019

External Publications

• Co-author, "The Evolution of the Cannabis Industry in Massachusetts," Bloomberg Law, October 2022

• Author, "A Rope, A Tree, Hang the Referee!": Exploring the First Amendment Boundaries of Offensive Fan Speech Regulation in College Sports," The Sports Lawyer's Journal, Spring 2016

• Co-author, "Administer But Do Not Dispense: Effect of Change in Medication Handling by Nurses on Home Dialysis Patient Outcomes," The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, February 1, 2016

• Author, "'Well Beyond' Permissible: How Severing the Leadership Act's Policy Requirement Affirms Our Commitment to First Amendment Vales," American Journal of Law & Medicine, December 1, 2012

Events

• Speaker, Vicente LLP, "Washington, DC Cannabis Business Licensing Update,” Online, August 24, 2023
• Speaker, New England Cannabis Convention, "Special Delivery! Setting Up for Cannabis Delivery Success,” Boston, March 10, 2023
• Speaker, Vicente Sederberg LLP, "Massachusetts Cannabis Regulatory Update,” Denver, August 31, 2022
• Speaker, NECANN Boston, "Super Sale: How to Sell Your Marijuana Business in MA & Stay Out of Trouble,” Boston, March 19, 2022
• Speaker, Boston University School of Law, "Law and Regulation of Cannabis,” Boston, November 18, 2021
• Speaker, Charleston Association of Legal Assistants, "Cannabis Law and Medical Marijuana in South Carolina,” Charleston, April 28, 2021
• Presenter, Boston University - School of Law , "Law & Regulation of Cannabis ,” Boston, March 02, 2020
• Speaker, Weed Wonks, "Episode 6 - Massachusetts Deep Dive with Brandon, David, Casey, and Dan,” Podcast, December 12, 2019