ELG is a boutique firm in northern California that helps clients achieve their dreams, and at times fight their nightmares. We at ELG care deeply about the outcome of the clients we take on, and we pride ourselves in the integrity and dedication of our practice of law.

We have represented environmental associations, environmental activists, doctors, lawyers, professors, accountants, agricultural farms,  and collectives .just to name a few of the type of people and organizations we have worked with. We have been hired by non-profits, small businesses, and have even fought for client property rights. We are a small town practice with big goals. We have helped dozens of businesses launch into the legal cannabis market, and help our clients not only get their licenses but thrive and survive.  

We are best known for our advocacy through the years, both with cannabis and with other advocacy based issues.  Sometimes that involves landlords, sometimes tenants.  We also handle TROs (restraining orders) and Family law matters, labor law issues, Business and contract disputes, and general litigation. Whether it be picking a jury, or small town lawyering and negotiating, we have experience and always keep our clients’ needs first.  If you look at our testimonials one thing you will see is that we genuinely care about our clients, and sometimes we achieve results that even the client themselves did not imagine possible.  

As the founder of Emerald Law Group, I seek to find clients that we inspire and who we are well suited to help them in their path.  People come to see a lawyer often when they have lost hope, when their problems have become overwhelming to them.  My favorite part of this job is when we work together and solve and overcome those problems, helping them jump this hurdle so they can move on in their life.  This comes in many colors and each case is different and so are the people whose lives we get to help.    

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about ELG.  We would love to hear more about your interests, dreams and how we can help you pursue them. 

Licenses in CA for commercial cultivation are for the most part still achievable.  Given the particularities of your location, a search can be done to ascertain the likelihood of achieving the permission to do what it is you are trying to do.  These restrictions are often zoning sensitive and require careful consideration with respect to choosing said location and developing a business plan that can be achieved. 

Every day we help clients reach for dreams they never saw possible.  Having helped start some of the largest and first distributors in CA, as well as cultivations, our time is equipped to take yours to the next level.  There are resources out there that can help you better understand your local rules; making sure that you are using the most current guidelines both locally and on the state level is critical towards success.

As a property owner in CA there are several challenges faced with when one considers renting or leasing to a cultivator or cannabis operator, irregardless of the licensing aspect.  There are protections worked into the new laws that protect property owners whose tenants are operating within the confines of the law.  However, both Federally and locally, these protections can be challenging and are certainly no guarantee. 

Other considerations for example is how the property is financed.  This is an issue for several reasons.  One is that if the property is mortgaged by a bank chances are unless it is a cannabis friendly lender, there are prohibitions within the loan documents that limit the rights you have to leasing to said tenant.  Banks routinely appraise their commercial properties, mostly on an annual basis, so even if the loan is given and then the operation begins the loan may be called if violating the loan agreement is discovered.  We’ve had clients who were not even scheduled for appraisals or visits from the bank, but the representative was able to determine the use based on the public record, google earth, or by simply driving by.  Once the note is called finding a new lender can prove itself nearly impossible.  Understandably, a private lender may have less issues with the cannabis but may seek to charge a premium knowing the restrictions of you going to banks for funding given the intended operation.

Properties that are paid off have their own set of issues, as asset forfeiture may be a choice on the part of the government and not having a lender may tend to make the property more enticing as it may be seen as an easier target for asset seizure. 

Talking to a lawyer who understands this industry can serve to mitigate some of these issues in their entirety, and  diminish the possibility of property loss. 

Another issue a property owner needs to consider is the lease limitations and make sure to  lease only the intended area to the tenant.  Sometimes counties restrict the number of permits and type of permits allowed on the parcel.  So, if a tenant rents to one farmer the maximum allowed to be cultivated as per the county ordinance they can not turn around and lease to another farmer. 

Also, counties often link the grow under the license to either a person, or the parcel.  This is imperative to consider.  If the permit is given to the individual make sure you are protected if that tenant decides to pick up and move to another location, they may opt to take the permit with them, and you need to understand how that could affect your property rights, in that it may prohibit leasing to another applicant in the future.  

The cost of starting and operating a commercial cannabis license depends on several factors. The brick and mortar cost of your location needs to be one of the first considerations. Depending on where you decide to operate your local costs and taxes will be determined. Make sure you understand how the local taxes work when they become due, what the penalties for non payment are, and how they are assessed. These are all critical business factors that need to be calculated in your budget and will change with the location.

The size of the operation will vastly change the cost depending on the necessary modifications that need to be made, such as ADA mandated access etc. 

The license type greatly influences the process and the cost of the licensing. Even though all license types will need security, the size of the location, and the type of location will change as will the expenses.

The license fees may depend on your gross sales or license type as well.  On the more inexpensive side of things an Event license, or a delivery license tend to be on the lower end of the spectrum, where retail outlets, labs, manufacturing facilities and cultivations tend to be more pricey.   We have had clients spend anywhere from 50 thousand dollars to bring their license to operation, and over 3 million on the opposite end of the spectrum until licensing is achieved. 

There is no specific time frame that is for all locations, every municipality and even the state operate on a case by case basis in order to process license applications. Some of my clients have been able to start immediately under local authorization, until state licensing is achieved. While most counties do not allow for this, the process to achieve a license is typically under a year, and sometimes as little as 2-3 months.

Banking in the Cannabis Industry may be one of a licensee’s biggest challenges.

If you are facing criminal charges don’t feel like you are defeated or alone. The process is likely to be draining on your resources and your energy, but choosing a team you feel confident in I believe is critical to finding a solution you are happy with.

Our system is set up to lure first offenders in with a deal that will serve them poorly in the future. Most times they are forced to give up their rights to privacy agree to be searched anytime day or night, and worse of all give up the right to a jury of their peers in taking the deal. Don’t get trapped in the probation game if it can be avoided, this means advocating for your rights long before you agree to take a deal. Learn about the courtroom you’re being charged in, even attend ahead of time, and observe some of the local lawyers practicing their craft.

We strongly encourage interviewing several lawyers before making a decision, and realizing that the cheapest lawyer may not be the best depending on the resolution you are looking for. Fighting every case like it is a murder trial is a reputation that we cherish. Having been accused by a judge in a DUI case of fighting like it was a death penalty case is an honor, not an insult in my opinion.

Yes. We are happy to meet with our clients over the phone or via zoom at their preference. Just call our office to se6t it up!

It depends on the type of matter you wish to speak to one of our lawyers about. Initially clients complete an intake form when calling our office.  Based on this intake we can determine if there is a conflict, and we are not able to represent you. We do this through running a conflict check both with the attorneys and with our computer system. If there is not a conflict then we look more into the intake form and determine if we as a firm are a good fit for helping you. If it is determined that we are not or there is a conflict we will notify at our earliest possible time so that you can look elsewhere to help handle your legal matters.

If we are a possible fit and you are in need of legal advice immediately, we may charge you for your initial consultation with the attorney. If you want to just meet us and have what I would call a “Meet and Greet” typically those meetings are 15 minutes or less, and we do not charge for those meetings. This gives you a chance to meet with a lawyer on our team and assess more information about us and our experience so you can judge for yourself if we are a good fit. We do not actually dispense legal advice in these meetings so they are not always the best fit for everyone.  

If you are charged with a crime, then typically we do a lengthier intake that may involve a longer meet and greet which we also do not charge for.  During these meetings lawyers may discuss in more detail strategy for the case to see if we are a good fit for your needs and to ensure both the client and the attorney are clear on the goals and manner in which the case will be handled to the best of our knowledge and ability at the time.