Vicente LLP

08/31/2026

Sally Kent Peebles, a partner at Vicente LLP and chair of the firm's real estate practice, explains how cannabis sale-leaseback transactions work, what investors, operators and brokers should each negotiate before a deal closes and the tax and licensing questions the structure raises.

Learn more:

This article explains how cannabis sale-leaseback transactions work and why they've become one of the most common ways for operators to unlock capital tied up in owned real estate. It covers what investors, operators and brokers should each negotiate before a deal closes, as well as the tax and lice...

08/28/2026

The Tennessee h**p industry just set a new standard for regulatory compliance. As oversight shifted from the Department of Agriculture to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, more than 95% of unlicensed h**p sellers complied by the July 1 deadline, exceeding TN ABC's own alcohol inspection results for the same period.

Read the full breakdown in this article by Vicente associate attorney Daniel Molina:

Tennessee h**p operators posted a 99% compliance rate after the TN ABC transition. Learn what the data means and how to stay compliant.

08/27/2026

North Carolina's HB 328 is one House vote away from moving its h**p market from one of the country's most permissive to one of the strictest.

The bill adopts the federal government's new total-THC standard, set to take effect November 12, 2026, which caps consumable h**p products at 0.4 mg of THC per container. It also introduces a formal regulatory framework, a 21-and-older purchase requirement, and oversight the industry has largely operated without.

Full breakdown from Vicente LLP's David Ullian and Juliana Todeschi:

North Carolina’s HB 328 h**p bill awaits a House vote after summer recess. Learn what the total-THC standard and 0.4mg cap mean for operators.

08/26/2026

Curious about Virginia’s new cannabis market? Join Vicente LLP for our second Virginia Cannabis Licensing Happy Hour, co-hosted with Pipp Horticulture, in Richmond on Thursday, October 22.

All licensing applicants are welcome to join us. Whether you're preparing a license application, an investor evaluating this new market or otherwise curious about how to get involved, we encourage you to attend.

🔗 RSVP here: https://VACannabisLicensingHappyHour.eventbrite.com/?aff=VLLPSocialMedia

Special thanks to our sponsors: Catalyst BC, Green Analytics, Studio Bliss, Hilb Group, Sapphire Risk Advisory Group, and LeafLink!

There are still a few sponsorship spots available for our happy hour. Contact us to inquire about sponsorship tiers and pricing.

08/24/2026

Virginia Retail Cannabis Law: Who Qualifies as an “Impact Licensee” and What Benefits Does That Status Provide?

Impact Licensees must have 51% of ownership and direct control held by a qualified impacted person or persons. A two-pronged evaluation determines eligibility. Individuals must show they have resided either: (a) between the years 1999 and 2025 in an area that is determined to have been disproportionately policed for ma*****na crimes, or (b) for at least three of the past five years in a historically economically disadvantaged community, and must satisfy at least one of six additional criteria for qualification:

- Have been convicted of or adjudicated delinquent for any violation of § 18.2-248.1, former § 18.2-250.1 or subsection A of § 18.2-265.3 as it relates to ma*****na or any substantially similar offense under the laws of another jurisdiction.

- Are the parent, child, sibling or spouse of a person who has been convicted of or adjudicated delinquent for any violation of § 18.2-248.1, former § 18.2-250.1 or subsection A of § 18.2-265.3 as it relates to ma*****na or any substantially similar offense under the laws of another jurisdiction.
- Have attended for at least five years a public elementary or secondary school located in a historically economically disadvantaged community.
- Have received a Federal Pell Grant or attended, for at least two years, a college or university at which at least 30% of the students, on average, are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant.
- Are a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States.
- Have qualified for financial assistance or relief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a distressed farmer in the last five years.

Read more:

Virginia's HB 30 legalizes retail cannabis and sales begin July 1, 2027. Our FAQ covers the license types, the application process, Impact Licensee eligibility, taxes, local control, h**p changes and the key dates through 2028.

08/21/2026

Texas's consumable h**p market now faces a stricter DSHS testing standard for Total THC (inclusive of THCA) with steep fee increases and the reinstatement of 2021 definitions placing most converted cannabinoids under the state's Controlled Substances Act. In this article, Vicente associate attorney Juliana Todeschi and partner Shawn Hauser explain what it means for products on shelves and how retailers, manufacturers, and distributors can stay compliant:

Texas's consumable h**p market now faces a stricter DSHS testing standard for Total THC (inclusive of THCA) with steep fee increases and the reinstatement of 2021 definitions placing most converted cannabinoids under the state's Controlled Substances Act. Here's what it means for products on shelves...

08/20/2026

Big congrats to our Vicente LLP team! 🎉
 
7 attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2027 and 3 on Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. And we’re Top-Listed in the U.S. for Cannabis Law with 5 recognized lawyers, more than any other firm in the country. 🏆
 
Special shoutout to founding partner Brian Vicente, named 2027 Cannabis Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Denver.
 
Also recognized: Shawn Hauser, Joshua Kappel, Philip C. Silverman, Sally Kent Peebles, Jason Tarasek, Brandon Kurtzman, Yolanda Clarke, Juliana Todeschi, and Gabriel Amatruda.
 
Best Lawyers®

08/19/2026

The New York Cannabis Control Board has delivered its first definitive interpretation of "sole control," ruling that a Harlem-based CAURD licensee didn't have "sole control" despite holding 51% of the vote, citing veto rights and disproportionate economics baked into the deal. More than 40 similar agreements are already under OCM review.

Vicente LLP attorneys Charles Alovisetti and Brandon Kurtzman provide an analysis of the Board’s ruling, compliance requirements and implications for existing deals.

Read the full analysis: https://vicentellp.com/insights/gotham-budsnew-yorks-change-of-control-ruling-caurd-licensees-cannabis-ma/

New York's Cannabis Control Board issued its first ruling on what counts as sole control for CAURD licensees, and the decision could affect more than 40 other agreements already under review. Vicente LLP attorneys explains what happened and what it means for investors and operators.

08/12/2026

Do you need an Alcohol and To***co Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) permit? What about a formula or COLA?

This FAQ by Vicente alcohol beverage counsel Seth Wolkofsky breaks down federal alcohol licensing requirements for manufacturers, importers and wholesalers, covering permits, registrations and what happens when you contract out production:

Learn TTB permit, registration, formula and COLA requirements for alcohol manufacturers, importers and wholesalers in this complete FAQ.

08/11/2026

Rhode Island's revamped retail cannabis establishment licensing process is now open to applicants.

The new law revised statutory eligibility criteria for applicants, voided the pending license application round, and required the Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) to commence a new retail license application process in compliance with the amended Act within 60 days.

This article by David M. Ullian and Emily Schroder provides a high-level overview of the statutory changes and new licensing opportunities that prior and prospective retail license applicants need to know:

Rhode Island's revamped retail cannabis licensing process opens to applicants today, August 7, 2026. The relaunch follows H 8544, signed into law by Governor McKee on June 10, 2026, which amended the Rhode Island Cannabis Act after lawsuits and a preliminary injunction paused the prior application r...