Federal DEA matters nationwide · State counsel in CA, NY & MA

Cannabis DEA registration & federal compliance

Ryan Kocot helps medical cannabis businesses navigate DEA applications, agency requests, supply-chain questions, and ongoing federal compliance. Cannabis enforcement defense and business counsel in California, New York, and Massachusetts.
DEA Registration & ComplianceEnforcement Defense
Call (916) 572-6445  ·  Text Ryan
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Contracts, corporate, or compliance work? See Cannabis Business Counsel
Ryan Kocot, cannabis attorney handling DEA registration and enforcement defense
Ryan Kocot
Attorney · Licensed in CA, NY & MA
Licensed CA · NY · MA Federal DEA matters nationwide Criminal trial experience Former in-house cannabis counsel
Enforcement matters

Cannabis enforcement defense and the matters we handle

If you have received any of these, a response deadline may already be running. Terminology and procedure differ by state; the state links below cover the specifics.
Explore enforcement defense →
Regulatory investigations, inspections, and records requests
Accusations and other formal disciplinary proceedings
Citations and administrative fines
License or registration suspension and revocation
Product holds and embargoes, where your state uses them
Local permit enforcement, where applicable
Not sure what you received? Identifying the document is the first thing we sort out.
Discuss an enforcement matter
Enforcement defense

Choose your state

Each state runs its own enforcement machinery, with its own agency, documents, and deadlines.
California: DCC license defenseAccusations, emergency orders, embargoes, Notices to Comply, citations, and local permit actions before the Department of Cannabis Control.California license defense → New York: OCM enforcementEnforcement defense, licensing, and compliance for operators regulated by the Office of Cannabis Management.New York cannabis attorney → Massachusetts: CCC enforcementEnforcement defense, licensing, and compliance for operators regulated by the Cannabis Control Commission.Massachusetts cannabis attorney →
California resources: Enforcement deadlines by documentAsset forfeiture after a seizure
After the resolution
Corrective obligations after a resolution
Most enforcement resolutions come with obligations attached: corrective action plans, updated procedures, training. Where it makes sense, Ryan can stay on to help implement them. That is a separate, optional engagement, and compliance work is also available to operators with no enforcement history.
Compliance & regulatory →
Why Ryan

Ryan’s background

Criminal trial experience
Ryan tried criminal cases as defense counsel. Administrative enforcement is not a criminal trial, but the skills transfer: evaluating the evidence behind an allegation, finding its weaknesses, preparing witnesses, and negotiating with a clear view of what a contested proceeding would require.
Cannabis regulatory representation
Enforcement defense and regulatory work before cannabis agencies in California, New York, and Massachusetts, matter by matter, under each state’s own procedures.
In-house legal and compliance leadership
Ryan led legal and compliance functions inside a cannabis company. When a resolution comes with corrective obligations attached, he has implemented them from the operator’s side, not just drafted them.
You work with Ryan
When you call, you talk to Ryan, not an intake desk, and he personally responds to inquiries within one business day.
Guides

Guides and resources

California enforcement deadlinesKey DCC enforcement tools, the clocks they start, and every California enforcement article.Enforcement hub → The Federal Cannabis FileThe latest federal cannabis updates, practical analysis, and the newsletter archive.Read federal updates → All resourcesArticles by state, the Federal Cannabis File archive, and the firm’s guides.Resources →

Questions, answered

Do you handle federal DEA registration?

Yes. Federal DEA registration and compliance for state-licensed medical cannabis operators is a distinct practice area, from evaluating whether registration fits your operation through the application, inspections, and follow-up questions. See DEA registration and compliance.

I applied for DEA registration in the window. Who can I do business with now?

Under the October 30 federal guidance, qualifying Timely Applicants and DEA registrants authorized for Schedule III medical marijuana may do business with each other and no one else, with due diligence on each partner and an expectation that Timely Applicants have compliant supply chains by November 29, 2026. Read the analysis, then call to talk through your own supply chain.

I received an enforcement document. What should I do first?

Note the date and how it reached you, keep everything, and call before you respond. Every enforcement document starts its own response deadline, some measured in days, and the rules differ by state: California’s DCC, New York’s OCM, and Massachusetts’ CCC each run their own procedures. Call or text (916) 572-6445. A free 30-minute consultation can help identify the document, assess the apparent deadline, and discuss next steps.

What does it cost to work with you?

Where the scope is clear, the fee is quoted in writing after the free 30-minute consultation. Open-ended matters may be handled in phases. Either way, the engagement letter sets the scope and the fee before the work begins.

Can you review a contract before I sign it?

Yes. Supply, distribution, white-label and brand licensing, consulting, leases, and purchase agreements, reviewed with written risk flags and recommended revisions. I also draft and negotiate. See contracts and transactions.

Do you handle corporate and LLC work?

Yes: entity formation, operating agreements, member buyouts and ownership changes, and governance, including the regulatory disclosures and approvals an ownership change can trigger. See corporate and governance.

Do you accept referrals from other attorneys?

Yes. Attorneys refer cannabis regulatory and enforcement matters in California, New York, and Massachusetts. Call to discuss the matter; how responsibility and client communication are divided is agreed at the start and set out in the engagement letter.

Will I actually be working with you?

Yes. When you call, you talk to me, not an intake desk, and I personally respond to inquiries within one business day.

Discuss your matter

I personally respond within one business day. Please don’t send confidential details or documents until we’ve spoken and confirmed there’s no conflict.
Prefer to talk?
Call or text

Calling or texting is the fastest way to reach me. Enforcement notices can carry response windows measured in days.

Call (916) 572-6445 Or text (916) 572-6445 →

Contracts, corporate, compliance, or a DEA question without a deadline? Pick a time instead.

Book a free 30-minute consultation →

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