California Says OK to Counsel Clients on State Marijuana Laws

California, the nation’s largest bar and the world’s largest cannabis market, is now giving guidance to attorneys who advise marijuana businesses on how to represent their clients and protect their licenses. The combined influence of having the most lawyers and the greatest market could easily make the state’s decision influential elsewhere.

The tax, trade, intellectual property, local licensing, employment, environment, and other issues for which a cannabis business would consult an attorney are similar to that which would compel any federally legal business to seek counsel.

The wrinkle, of course, is marijuana is illegal under U.S. law. While other state ...