Overview
Over a decade ago, Torys was working with early movers in the cannabis market, helping our clients as they mapped uncharted territory in Canada.
As a result of our history with the cannabis industry in Canada, we don’t just understand the regulation: we understand the business—from production to financing to corporate governance. Today, as the full life cycle of the cannabis market matures, clients look to Torys to help navigate the issues that affect them. We continue to offer clients sophisticated cannabis expertise alongside the corporate legal acumen Torys is known for as the industry heads toward recreational legalization.
Our Work
Our clients range from blue-chip companies to start-ups, who look to us for our deep expertise in corporate transactions, food and drug regulatory, and intellectual property. Our work in this area includes:
- representing private equity firms which have invested or are proposing to invest in cannabis-related companies;
- advising financial institutions on the risks and compliance-related issues for customers engaged in the cannabis industry;
- advising on applications to Health Canada to cultivate, produce and sell cannabis products;
- meeting with representatives of Health Canada and Agriculture Canada in relation to cannabis-related agriculture products or the supply of such products to cannabis companies;
- advising on acquisitions of cannabis-related companies;
- advising cannabis companies on various corporate matters including commercial agreements and financings;
- advising on compliance initiatives regarding criminal law, police and security checks for employees, officers and directors, suppliers, customers;
- advising on advertising, marketing, promotion of cannabis related products;
- tracking laws and proposed laws affecting the cannabis industry and advising clients on the strategic takeaways relating to those laws and proposed laws;
- advising leading U.S. companies on innovative ways to obtain patent protection for marijuana plants with improved medical properties.
Torys provides cannabis-related advice solely for clients whose activities are lawful in the jurisdictions in which they operate.