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Will Federal Legislation Open Cannabis Acquisition Floodgate?

Client Alert

Are potential buyers quietly lobbying at federal and state levels to kick open the door to launch a new round of strategic acquisitions? Will presently pending federal legislation, the SAFE and MORE Acts, providing safe harbor for banks and re- or de-scheduling marijuana, be sufficient to mobilize into action major non-cannabis companies that previously shunned the cannabis industry due to the unknown implications of owning businesses whose activities are illegal under federal law?

When tobacco giant Altria invested $1.8 billion in Cronos, and beverage behemoth Constellation Brands invested in Canopy, the investments did not require the assumption of a smorgasbord of unknown risks that come with investing in federally illegal enterprises since neither Cronos nor Canopy had any “illegal” US operations. These include key business issues and concerns, such as banking relationships (almost certainly mitigated by the SAFE Act), stock exchange listings and liquor licensing.

It was recently disclosed that Altria, which has been acquiring ancillary cannabis businesses and intellectual property since its Cronos deal, has engaged lobbyists to promote its cannabis interests. It wouldn’t be much of a leap to speculate that they, and other potential strategic tobacco, beverage and pharma company investors, are both carefully analyzing the pending legislation in the US and actively working to firmly place their feet in the open door and widen the porthole, facilitating a new wave of acquisition activity.

Right now, as the financial performance of cannabis businesses is beginning to pop, the shelves of the acquisition market are fully stocked with potential acquisitions candidates of all sizes, shapes and flavors. If the door is opened, competition and pricing could be eye popping. Think “first mover advantage.”

Stay tuned.

For questions, please contact Business and Corporate Law Member and Managing Partner of BMD's Phoenix/Scottsdale location Stephen Lenn at salenn@bmdllc.com, or 480.687.9747.


NLRB Issues Final Rule on Joint-Employer Status

On October 26, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued its final rule on determining joint-employer status, departing from its prior 2020 standard. The final rule provides that two or more entities may be considered “joint employers” if each entity has an employment relationship with employees and if the entities share or codetermine one or more employees’ essential terms and conditions of employment. The final rule goes into effect on December 26, 2023, and will only be applied to cases filed after the effective date.

WEBINAR SERIES RECAP | Employment & Labor

BMD Partner and Co-Chair of the Employment & Labor Law Group, Bryan Meek, presented this four-part webinar series on trending topics in employment law.

Ohio Legalizes Recreational Marijuana; What’s Next for Ohio Employers?

Recent Changes to the No Surprises Act’s Federal IDR Process

Proposed changes to the No Surprises Act’s independent dispute resolution (IDR) process were recently issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Department of Treasury, and the Office of Personnel Management. The October 27, 2023, proposed rule overhauls the current Federal IDR process in an effort to create efficiencies and reduce delays relating to eligibility determinations and address feedback from interested parties and certified IDR entities.

What Inpatient Behavioral Health Providers Need to Know About ODM's New Draft Rule for Reimbursements

Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) recently released a draft rule that will transform how inpatient behavioral health services are reimbursed for some hospitals. ODM will migrate inpatient payments for behavioral health and substance use disorder services (BH/SUD) provided by freestanding psychiatric hospitals (FSPs) from the APR-DRG payment methodology to a per diem payment methodology derived from the APR-DRG system.