Medical Cannabis

The DAC Beachcroft Medical Cannabis team supports both domestic and overseas clients on a variety of matters in this fast-evolving, entrepreneurial sector. Corporate Partner Jonathan Deverill leads the team, with expertise drawn from across our health, public law, corporate, life sciences and product liability teams. We count amongst our clients in this sector several well-known Canadian listed companies, certain UK-listed companies and a number of start-up businesses operating both in the UK and elsewhere, as well as investment firms and stockbrokers.  

Whilst the team is based predominantly in London, its reach is global. In North America, the team can call upon the expertise of fellow Legalign Global firm Wilson Elser in the United States; as well as the Canada Desk's long-established contacts across that country, which include several Canadian firms with well-known cannabis law practices. In Europe and elsewhere, support is drawn from the firm's own offices as well as broad links with other overseas law firms.

Recent projects include:

• Advising a Canadian cannabis company on issues arising in connection with offering its shares to investors in the UK.
  
  
• Giving an opinion and advice on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 as these might apply to holders of shares in certain companies.
  
  
• Advice in relation to the retail sale in the UK of various CBD-based products and the UK Food Standards Agency’s consultation regarding CBD products under the EU Novel Food Regulations.
  
  
• Helping several clients with M&A, financing and joint venture transactions in the sector.
  
  
• Supporting several clients making applications for cannabis cultivation licences in the UK and/or import/export licences.

Together with the firm's Public Law and Health teams, we are also able to guide clients through the process of having a cannabis-based medicine approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for use in the UK. As part of this, we prepared a paper which was used in the UK Parliament in the 2018 debates on introducing medical cannabis into the UK. We believe that it is our in-depth Health and Life Sciences capability, perhaps more than anything else, which sets us apart from other law firms advising in this sector in the UK.

In addition to advising clients, the team has built a network of contacts in the industry, including financiers, consultants and other professionals, all of whom understand the medical cannabis field and to whom clients can be introduced where this is beneficial. The team works with its Corporate Finance colleagues to advise on fundraisings and listings in the UK and elsewhere, including on London's Main Market, AIM and the NEX Exchange.

We are active commentators in the sector and Jonathan in particular regularly speaks at industry forums including Cannabis Invest UK and Cannabis Europa as well as engaging with clients internationally on roundtable discussions on the future of this exciting industry.