A close up of a marijuana plant.

Administrative Appeals for the Cannabis Industry

The top of a building with columns and statues.
Cannabis

Administrative Hearings Cause Problems — Our Lawyers Resolve Them

As a pioneer in a new industry, your cannabis business is subject to nebulous laws and regulations. Cannabis laws change often, so staying up to date is a challenge. Compliance is critical to your business’s sustainability as more states legalize cannabis for medicinal and recreational use and more competitors enter the market.

An alleged regulatory or legal violation will leave your business susceptible to substantial penalties. These penalties range from fines to the complete loss of your business license. Fortunately, the legal experts at Harris Sliwoski have a history of defending cannabis companies in administrative hearings.

Contact Us

Protecting Your Business From Government Rulings

Taking the right steps when presented with a violation notice is critical. The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) enables you to challenge the claim against your business by petitioning for an administrative appeal. You must submit an appeal by the date the government mandates to claim your right to defense. Otherwise, you show that you accept the penalties as they are.

Harris Sliwoski will work diligently to meet deadlines and achieve a favorable outcome during an administrative appeal. We have been handling cannabis administrative hearings and appeals since 2012. Our cannabis attorneys know how to help your cannabis business succeed in state administrative hearings and appeals across state and international boundaries. Use our experience and our depth to gain the edge you need.

oregon cannabis litigation oda

Experienced Legal Representatives for Administrative Hearings

Appealing an administrative ruling against your cannabis business requires time, energy and expertise. Proper legal representation will help you handle the arduous appeal process. The astute legal representatives at Harris Sliwoski are on your side for the administrative appeal process.

At Harris Sliwoski, we offer full-service legal capabilities to help your business file and win appeals. You’ll receive timely support from our experienced litigators at every step of the process so that you fulfill all requirements and meet all deadlines. Our cannabis administrative law attorneys will:

  • Begin the appeal: Our team of cannabis lawyers can help ensure your administrative pleadings meet the stringent criterion for submission to the relevant state agencies.
  • Gather evidence: We will work with your organization to gather evidence that shows compliance with the relevant cannabis laws and regulations. We will also make the government provide their evidence of the alleged infraction.
  • Study past cases: We will reference our portfolio containing over a decade of cannabis-related administrative appeal cases as we solidify your position.
  • Prepare arguments: We will work relentlessly to develop intelligent and well-researched arguments vital to making your appeal successful
  • Present your argument: Our experienced attorneys will stand tall at your side during the administrative hearing to fight against the ruling.

Representation During Any Administrative Hearing

We have the experience and resources necessary for effective representation before any governing body. In addition, our attorneys are experienced with negotiating outcomes to avoid motions and trail. Our Cannabis Administrative Law Attorneys have guided clients through appeals and hearings on the following:

  • Business license revocations and denials, including successfully arguing that payments made by a licensee to a sales representative did not violate Washington’s rules requiring disclosure of all true parties of interest in a licensed marijuana business
  • Non-renewals of specialty licenses
  • Contested license applications
  • Fines, sanctions and penalties for violations, including securing multiple settlement agreements with reduced penalties
oregon cannabis license moratoria

Cannabis Consultants and Litigators

Legal stability allows your business to prosper by focusing on your product without distraction. The Harris Sliwoski attorneys will allow you to continue your forward momentum by defending you when necessary and preventing hearings from occurring. Our legal experts will analyze your business’s practices and provide recommendations to improve areas that risk violations. We know the law and will help your cannabis business maintain a secure position within it.

Full Legal Services Surrounding
Cannabis Administrative Appeals

canna law blog

AWARD-WINNING
CANNA LAW BLOG

An intelligent, timely resource for the cannabis industry

Beyond advising individual businesses, our cannabis attorneys are committed to fortifying, defending, and building credibility for the industry as a whole. Harris Sliwoski’s cannabis business lawyers are more than legal strategists—they are thought leaders: forward-thinking bloggers, educators, writers, and speakers.

They regularly write articles for legal journals and frequently post to our acclaimed and widely followed Canna Law Blog. We speak to business and trade groups, academic institutions, and government bodies on a variety of cannabis legal issues, and our cannabis lawyers are frequently quoted by global, national, and local media outlets. We also have compiled (and are forever adding to) a Cannabis Glossary, to help with industry terminology. 

View Blog

Get in Touch with Our Cannabis Law Attorneys

The experienced lawyers at Harris Sliwoski will manage your cannabis company’s administrative appeal to increase your chance of success. Get started by filling out the form, or call 1-888-330-0010 to schedule an initial consultation.

"*" indicates required fields

I agree that an attorney-client relationship will not be formed until I enter into a written fee agreement with Harris Sliwoski. I also agree this submission does not constitute a request for legal advice, nor will information received in response to my submission constitute legal advice.*
I agree that an attorney-client relationship will not be formed until I enter into a written fee agreement with Harris Sliwoski. I also agree this submission does not constitute a request for legal advice, nor will information received in response to my submission constitute legal advice.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

cfdc  cea a bccefb

Our Clients' Successes

“Harris Sliwoski expertly guided us through the formation of our company. They continue to assist with necessary registrations and compliance with numerous regulations. They were able to promptly answer all our many questions and provide understandable options, explanations and practical advice. We expect to continue to use Harris Sliwoski on a regular basis as our company expands. They were also able to introduce us other professional experts. We would not hesitate to recommend Harris Sliwoski to any companies in need of legal advice.”

user icon Three Continents Foods LLC

This law firm was a huge help as our company went through the process of commercial licensing in the California cannabis industry.  They have helped us with a variety of legal issues in a timely fashion, while clearly communicating with us throughout the process.  Everyone we’ve worked with at Harris Sliwoski is an expert in their field and we have always felt that we were in good hands through our legal representation.

user icon Wil Crummer, CEO PRO Farms

Legal stuff is always scary. And I’ve had to play offense a couple times, begrudgingly. To have Harris Sliwoski have my back? It made things a lot less prickly. They quickly walked me through my options, and were refreshingly consistent in their communications, timing and billing. I’ve been lucky to stay out of the legal side of things my whole career, thankfully. When things went a little wrong, Harris Sliwoski quickly made things right.

user icon Aaron Draplin, Founder Draplin Design Co.

I am impressed with this law firm. They answered all my questions regarding cannabis businesses and the California cannabis framework, and they have helped me with a variety of legal issues in a timely fashion, while always clearly communicating with us throughout the process. They also redirected me to other quality people for my business needs. Everyone I worked with at Harris Sliwoski is an expert in their field, and I was in good hands throughout my legal representation.

user icon Corey T., CEO Thinc Cubed, LLC

I have been working with the lawyers at Harris Sliwoski for more than 20 years both as a business owner and as an executive at a large east-coast health system and that is because they have always efficiently provided high level and clear international law advice. Most recently, Harris Sliwoski provided legal support on many matters related to procuring medical products worldwide. Their support was particularly helpful to during the onset of COVID, when there was a big need for securing PPE quickly, all while navigating complicated international and domestic legal requirements. Harris Sliwoski’s team of international lawyers helped by conducting rapid-fire due diligence on potential suppliers, navigating the legal logistics for getting product from overseas and through U.S. customs, and drafting contracts to protect against various sorts of horribles. They did this by essentially providing what amounted to 24/7 service. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

user icon Dan Pak Hospital Supply Chain Executive

Harris Sliwoski has represented our company in the legal cannabis industry for years. Harris Sliwoski has advised us in a wide variety of legal matters, and they are truly experts in their field. I would highly recommend Harris Sliwoski to anyone with questions about cannabis law, or any legal matters. They have been great for our Company, and will continue to guide us as our industry evolves

user icon Matt Hurt, COO Cannabis Nation

You won’t find a better partner than Harris Sliwoski when trying to navigate the complex world of healthcare regulations.  They not only give sound and reliable legal advice, but they are also very responsive and are able to guide you in a way that helps you reach your business objectives as well.

user icon Joseph Axelrod, General Counsel Irwin Naturals

When we started the process of building a ‘seed to sale’ cannabis company in Oregon, we saw the need for expert legal counsel.  The cannabis sector is fraught with potential peril at every turn, and we wanted the best legal advice we could find.  After talking to several firms and individuals, we feel extremely fortunate to have chosen Harris Sliwoski as our legal counsel.

user icon Tony Theiss, CEO and Co-Founder Redbarn Cannabis 

We use Harris Sliwoski on all our international legal matters, including on our international litigation matters. We have over the last few years been involved in a couple big international legal disputes and Harris Sliwoski’s international dispute resolution team provided us with expert legal assistance on both matters. They were always very careful to explain to us what they were doing and why and what their actions would likely cost us in legal fees. Most importantly, we did extremely well on both cases and I have no doubt Harris Sliwoski was a big factor in that.

user icon Kevin English, CEO We Are Camp

We have used Harris Sliwoski for legal help related to our international manufacturing. The lawyers with whom I worked had extensive familiarity with the international legal issues involved in our various projects and offered us key insights. I particularly appreciated how they always quickly and efficiently do what they say they will do and always within their cost estimates.

user icon Andrea Barona Valladolid, Senior Legal Counsel Fairphone
city landscape

We do tough. We do bold.
We do innovative.

Put us to work for you