Real estate
The first step on the road to becoming a legal cannabis business is to find and secure an appropriate location. The most critical consideration in selecting your location is whether or not it is likely to receive approval from the local government that has authority over land use. Unfortunately not all municipalities treat cannabis the same and as a result Cannabis Businesses are subject to a quilt-work of varied local rules and zoning designations that complicate the search for an appropriate location. The attorneys at ALMO Law can navigate this patchwork of local rules and zoning, simplifying your search and saving hours of wasted time and energy.
Cannabis Businesses will not only need to consider zoning but also should acknowledge how their business fits into the neighborhood where it is being proposed. An outdoor cannabis farm would be just as inappropriate for a suburban neighborhood as a retail dispensary would be for rural farmland because in both of these circumstances the business simply does not fit the neighborhood. Additionally opposition from neighbors and community organizations can create unanticipated barriers, which often translate into unforeseen costs that can burden your business. Selecting an appropriate location prior to entering into a lease or purchase agreement can prevent these challenges. Examining how other businesses, both cannabis and non-cannabis, have navigated these hazards can be acutely informative in making your own business decisions. The attorneys at ALMO Law have helped dozens of clients identify and secure an appropriate location before proceeding with the licensing process.
Once an appropriate location has been selected the business will need to both secure control over the location and receive unambiguous approval from the landlord for use as a cannabis business. The attorneys at ALMO Law can draft a lease agreement specifically for a cannabis business that meets these requirements while also satisfying the needs of the landlord and tenant. Alternatively, if the property is being purchased then it is important to consider how plans to conduct a cannabis business upon it will affect the entity structure of the owners and the requirements of any loans that the property may secure.
The attorneys at ALMO law have assisted in millions of dollars worth of real estate transactions and hundreds of thousands of square feet of cannabis canopy. Our attorneys are experienced in securing properties for all types of cannabis licenses and understand how those businesses fit into a local community. Our attorneys are ready to assist you in creating an appropriate entity, negotiating a lease or purchase and drafting the necessary contracts for the transaction.