What A California Cannabis Criminal Defense Attorney DOes

Adult-use cannabis is legal in California for licensed operators. But the line between “licensed and legal” and “criminal exposure” runs through specific conduct: operating without a license, sales outside the regulated framework, unpermitted cultivation, environmental violations, possession with intent to distribute.

The criminal exposure is real. California still prosecutes unlicensed cannabis activity, and a charge can carry felony exposure, asset forfeiture, and license consequences for any related licensed business.

If you’re facing a cannabis-related criminal matter in California, you need defense counsel who understands both the criminal law and the regulatory context because the regulatory context often dictates the defense strategy and the collateral consequences.

mATTERS Our California Cannabis Criminal Defense Attorney Handles

• Unlicensed cultivation Charges related to cultivation outside the licensed framework — including cases where the line between personal-use cultivation and unlicensed commercial operation is being challenged.
• Illegal sales Sales charges where the conduct fell outside the licensed retail framework, including cases involving unlicensed delivery operations, gifting structures, and intra-state transport without manifest.
• Possession with intent Possession charges where quantity, packaging, or other circumstances support an intent-to-distribute theory.
• Manufacturing without license Unlicensed extraction, infusion, and product manufacturing, including BHO and other extraction-method-specific charges.
• Diversion and licensee-related charges Cases where a licensed operator is alleged to have diverted product outside the regulated track, with attention to the interplay between criminal exposure and license action.