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CANNABIS BUSINESS LAW

From cannabis operators, landlords, investors, ancillary businesses, local governments, the regulatory attorneys at RZA Legal provides strategic legal counsel for clients entering, operating in, exiting, or regulating the cannabis market, including:

  • Cannabis business licensing

    • Dispensaries, manufacturers, cultivations, hospitality, transporters, testing facilities, findings of suitability, social equity 

    • state, local, business, occupational

  • Business formation & restructuring

  • Intellectual Property licensing & royalty agreements

  • Zoning  

  • Commercial real estate

    • Lease & purchase drafting & negotiation

  • Corporate & commercial transactions

  • Mergers & acquisitions

  • Licensing defense from administrative actions

  • Employment contracts, handbooks & policies

  • Representation in local licensing hearings

  • Compliant financing guidance

  • Policy & legislative drafting and review

  • Vendor & ancillary business contracts 

  • Standard Operating Procedures

  • Product packaging & labeling compliance

  • Regulatory compliance

  • Business succession planning

  • Business strategy consulting

  • Notary 

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After serving in-house, Brian moved into consulting, where he helped develop one of the nation’s first industry-specific liability insurance policies for a nationwide carrier. He later advised clients on competitive licensing applications and regulatory strategy across multiple jurisdictions, counseling on legislative, regulatory, and public policy matters. Brian joined RZA Legal in 2020, where he represents Colorado businesses and property owners throughout the full lifecycle of their operations and investments. His practice includes real estate acquisitions and dispositions, commercial leasing, land use and zoning matters, entity structuring and financing, contract negotiation, regulatory compliance, employment matters, and state and local government representation. He regularly works with mountain community clients navigating complex local regulations affecting development, use, and operation of real property. Brian also assists municipalities with drafting and revising ordinances governing regulated business activity, balancing operational realities, community priorities, and legal risk. Brian is active in legal scholarship and education. He has published in the University of Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law and the Pepperdine Law Review, written on regulatory reform for the Cannabis Industry Journal, and previously served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Wyoming. Before practicing in Colorado, Brian worked in New York City in private practice and clerked for a judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade. Brian lives in Grand Lake, Colorado, with his wife and has volunteered as a first responder with Grand County Mountain Rescue and Rocky Mountain National Park Rescue since 2015. Outside of work, he enjoys backcountry skiing, playing old-time rock ’n’ roll, and spending time with family in New Jersey. Brian is licensed to practice law in Colorado, New Jersey, and New York. Optional closing sentence: You don’t have to navigate an evolving regulatory and real estate landscape alone—RZA Legal is prepared to guide you at every stage.

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(303) 586-5020

Denver, Fort Collins & Grand Lake

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The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

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© 2017-2025 by Rachael Z. Ardanuy, Attorney at Law, P.C.

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