Cannabis Legal Services & Practice Areas

Brief Summary of Services

Where

Focusing in Maine.
All 16 counties. Downtowns, mills, industrial sites, farms, storefronts.

Nationwide and international knowledge of cannabis law, history, industry trends.

What 

Advice & Strategy
In-Person, Phone, Video Call, Workshops

Investments & Transactions
Business, Real Estate, Licensing

​Compliance & Navigation
Federal, State, Local
Legislative, Executive, Judicial

​Who

Med, Biz, Invest
Cultivators & Caregivers, Landowners, Investors, Labs & Scientists, Product Manufacturers, Concentrate Extraction Engineers, Medical Professionals, Retailers, Lawyers, Ancillary Businesses, Interested Folks

Areas of practice

Cannabis: Marijuana & Hemp & Cannabinoids (including THC & CBD)
McCabe Law assists a wide range of entities across the various sectors of the marijuana, hemp, and cannabinoid industries, including producers, distributors, and manufacturers; brands and ancillary businesses; trade associations; nonprofits; universities and other research institutions; and governments. Our services include: 

• Navigating federal, state, and local laws, identification of potential conflicts, and mitigation of risk

• Legal and regulatory compliance when cultivating, marketing, selling, and/or shipping hemp and hemp products, including hemp-derived cannabinoid oils and isolates, hemp-based foods, supplements, beverages, cosmetics, and other products (perhaps derived from CBD)

• Counseling on matters such as federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Department of Food and Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and state agricultural and health departments.

Land Use, Zoning, Real Estate
McCabe Law assists marijuana business operators with a wide variety of land use, zoning, and real estate matters, including:

• Zoning analysis
• Permits and other municipal approvals
• Abutter relationships
• Public hearings
• Zoning petitions to amend allowable locations
• Applications for special permits and other zoning relief
• Landlord & tenant incentive strategies, and negotiation
• Lease drafting, reviewing, and negotiating
• Purchase and sale agreements
• Financing strategies

We have worked closely with mayors, city and town council members, planning boards, neighborhood organizations, regulators, law enforcement, and other stakeholders to determine the most suitable locations for cannabis operations, and we know how to allay the concerns that are most likely to arise within the community.

Compliance
McCabe Law assists with regulatory and legal compliance in the following ways: 

• Compliance Questions: investors, business owners, and in-house compliance teams.
• Labeling and packaging regulations. Branding advice. Review of packaging and labeling designs to identify issues.
• Facility evaluations with recommendations for compliance. Itemized reports detailing potential issues and action items.

• Trainings on regulations, license type, and transitioning from medical to retail markets.e
• Standardized documents, streamlined binder systems of required records, standard operating procedures, operational guides, compliance checklists, labeling guides, and employee training manuals.

Licensing
McCabe Law assists with marijuana and hemp licensing applications, as well as ownership changes and modifications of existing facilities. Our services include:

• Applications, including applications for new business licenses, license renewals, changes of ownership, changes of location, modification of premises, and occupational licensing

• Tax permits

• Hearings
• Tracking and assistance

Corporate & Business
McCabe Law offers a limited suite of corporate and business legal services, including: 

• Entity formation
• Commercial contract review, including specialized marijuana contracts
• Real estate transactions
• Advising non-cannabis companies on the legal risks involved in entering the cannabis industry
• Acting as special cannabis regulatory counsel to other law firms in corporate transactions
• Regulatory and other specialized opinions
• General regulatory and compliance counseling

Government & Policy
McCabe Law provides legal and advisory services to assist governmental bodies with the development and implementation of medical and adult-use cannabis laws and regulations. We offer comprehensive guidance to governments on a wide variety of subjects, including:

• Licensing
• Testing
• Delivery
• Product safety
• Social use
• Hemp and CBD
• Operational regulations
• Seed-to-sale tracking
• Packaging and labeling
• Community plans
• Social equity plans
• Tax and fee structures

 
Administrative Law
We have worked with many marijuana regulators and government attorneys. We are able to recommend the best options based on our skills and experience.  We negotiate with tact.  We track local and state marijuana laws and regulations.  We have a strong understanding of how laws are implemented and enforced, including disciplinary and denial trends.