As many states continue to ease regulations and the Food and Drug Administration considers moving cannabis to Schedule III, commercial real estate is increasingly buzzed with interest in properties for use by cannabis businesses, from agricultural land and warehouses to retail spaces. Despite this seemingly abundant opportunity, investors currently find themselves navigating the still murky waters of federal illegality.

The Blunt Truth’s Stan Jutkowitz joins James O’Brien and Eric Greenberg on The Property LineTM Podcast to discuss the cannabis industry landscape, hurdles faced when securing and investing in suitable real estate, and risks and liabilities for owners leasing to cannabis businesses.Continue Reading Highs and Lows of Cannabis CRE

Employers considering a tolerant attitude towards recreational cannabis in the workplace should consider safety hazards and legal liabilities. 

In the heyday of the two-martini lunch, employers regularly tolerated alcohol in the workplace or employees presumably impaired by alcohol returning to work.  Over the succeeding decades, employers began to concentrate on the business and legal liabilities imposed by drug and alcohol use and impairment in the workplace — including increased absenteeism, mistakes, sexual harassment, workplace violence, and accidents/injuries.  Employers also discovered that their insurance companies claimed exemptions for certain claims if the employee that created the issue had been consuming alcohol at work. As a result, employers largely began to adopt policies that prohibited employees from using or being under the influence of alcohol (and drugs) while at work.  Most employers since have prohibited alcohol and drugs entirely or restricted alcohol to occasional company Christmas parties and social functions.
Continue Reading Weed at Work: Should Employers Expand “Alcohol at Work” to Cover Recreational Cannabis?

The Illinois General Assembly passed SB 1557, revising the language of the Recreational Cannabis Law to reduce but not completely eliminate employer liabilities.

As we previously blogged, the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (410 ILCS 705) (the “Legalization Act”) will legalize recreational cannabis for Illinois adults starting January 1, 2020. The Legalization Act specifically allows Illinois employers to
Continue Reading Illinois General Assembly Passes Amendments to Recreational Cannabis Law That Help Reduce Employer Liability

The National Safety Council released a policy statement endorsing employer zero-tolerance policies for cannabis use for employees who work in safety-sensitive positions, explaining that no level of cannabis is safe.
Continue Reading National Safety Council Endorses Zero Tolerance Prohibition on Cannabis/Marijuana for Safety-Sensitive Employees

Seyfarth Shaw LLP has released the results of its fourth annual Real Estate Market Sentiment Survey, which polled commercial real estate executives around the country from all sectors. Of interest to our readers, this year’s survey revealed that, despite the dramatic increase in the number of states legalizing marijuana, 85% of respondents are putting the brakes on investing in cannabis
Continue Reading Survey Says…