Overview

David M. Ullian is a Partner in Vicente LLP's Boston Office, where he advises clients with a wide variety of cannabis regulatory, licensing, permitting, compliance, and land use and zoning matters. He has extensive experience in the Massachusetts market, assisting a range of commercial cannabis clients, from multi-state operators to small family-owned companies, to navigate the evolving 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 dozens of clients successfully obtain and maintain both medical and adult-use cannabis business licenses from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission. David also guides clients undergoing complex regulatory changes of ownership and control, represents licensees subject to administrative enforcement actions, and assists cannabis businesses to mediate commercial disputes.

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, 2022 and 2023.

David received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law, where he served as an Editor for the American Journal of Law & Medicine and completed a Concentration in Health Law with Honors. During law school, he worked as a legal intern 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 in the New York Office of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.

David is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Experience

Leadership & Community Involvement

• Member, International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA), February 2024 — Present

Recognition

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America®, Administrative / Regulatory Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, 2021-2024

• Boston Magazine, "Boston's Top Lawyers," 2021-2023

Publications

Insights

• Co-author, "More Green in the Green Mountain State: Cannabis Statutory Changes and New Cultivator Licensing Opportunity in Vermont," July 18, 2024
• Co-author, "Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission Reviewing Host Community Agreements for Compliance With New Regulations," June 5, 2024
• Co-author, "Model Host Community Agreement (HCA) Released by Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission: What You Need to Know," March 7, 2024
• Author, "Washington, D.C. Medical Cannabis Program Update: Open Application Periods for Retail Licenses and Increased Enforcement Against Unlicensed Operators," February 26, 2024
• Author, "The Massachusetts Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund: What You Need to Know," February 13, 2024
• Author, "South Carolina Cannabis Update: Legislative Developments for Medical Cannabis and Hemp Products," February 6, 2024
• Author, "North Carolina Consideration of Cannabis Reform to Continue: Medical Cannabis & Hemp-Derived Products," February 6, 2024
• 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, Boston University School of Law,, "Massachusetts Cannabis Lawyer Highlights,” Boston, November 16, 2023
• 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