BCL’s work in the cannabis field ranges from complex proceeds of crime and compliance advice, to controlled drug licensing and liability under the Misuse of Drugs Act and Regulations. We offer bespoke legal services drawing on decades of experience in highly specialist areas. Our skillset is unique and enables us to navigate this difficult legal area for our clients.
Our clients in this exciting and fast-moving field include global corporations, heritage brands, and cutting-edge start-ups. We offer advice and assistance to companies and institutions, whether starting from scratch, or with a desire to explore how to harness existing market position to expand into this important space.
We are specialists in the following areas:
Advice to Corporates and Investors
- Proceeds of crime and anti-money laundering compliance
- Advising on drugs laws for international trade and M&A
- Advising in relation to Suspicious Activity Reports to the National Crime Agency
- IPO assistance and due diligence reports
Controlled Drug Regulation and Licensing
- Preparing applications to the UK Home Office for domestic controlled drug licences
- Support using the Home Office NDS system for import/export licences
- Advice and support in establishing cannabis cultivation and research facilities
- Preparing standard operating procedures, including security and transport
- Support during DFLU site compliance visits
- Compliance and completion of controlled drug annual returns
Advising and supporting retail and CBD businesses
- Advising as to the legality and route to market of proposed new products
- Assistance in relation to the Food Standard Agency’s (FSA) Novel Foods application process
- Representation in FSA product seizures and investigations
- Representation in UK Border Force goods seizures and interviews under caution
Examples of our recent work include:
- Advising and assisting several medicinal cannabis research start-ups in applying to the UK Home Office for Schedule 1 controlled drug licences, including for cultivation and import/export of cannabis;
- Forming part of a team of advisors assisting a medicinal cannabis start-up in preparing for an IPO to list on one of the major UK stock exchanges. As part of this instruction, we were responsible for advising on and preparing due diligence reports in connection with controlled drug licensing, AML, and POCA considerations;
- Advising an exciting new CBD lifestyle brand on proposals to introduce CBD products for sale at a major UK heritage retailer. This instruction required a detailed analysis of the laws and regulations controlling the possession and supply of CBD products which may contain trace elements of controlled cannabinoids;
- Helping UK companies navigate their way through the POCA implications of investing in cannabis, including applications to the NCA and obtaining consent;
- Challenging seizures of CBD products and assisting with interviews under caution of company directors where criminal allegations were made under the 1971 Act (discontinued following our representations).
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Added By Mike Morgan-Giles
