We’ve previously written a lot about commercial leasing issues in the California cannabis space, including some basic concepts, some key things to consider in getting leases right, and some ways to improve your leases. But there are certain common questions that tend to come up in a leasing transaction, and whether you are the landlord or the tenant, getting yourself up to speed on these issues now will save you loads of trouble down the road. Here are five examples of questions that frequently come up in cannabis leasing.
I’m a commercial landlord, what are my risks if I decide to rent to a cannabis tenant?
In a federal law enforcement scenario, the consequences could be serious. Marijuana is still (as of this writing) a Schedule I controlled substance, meaning that on the books, the federal government views cannabis as being on par with fentanyl-laced heroin. That may sound absurd—and it is—but in terms of federal drug enforcement it means that civil asset forfeiture actions are a real risk for landlords that knowingly rent to cannabis tenants. Making matters worse, the Department of Justice rescinded Obama-era enforcement guidance that deprioritized prosecution of state-legal cannabis businesses that comply with state law and don’t involve themselves with things that the federal government really cares about, like organized crime, growing on federal land, advertising to minors, or exporting to non-legal states.
So that was the scary part. The good news is that with each passing day, the federal government is getting closer to adjusting federal law to align with public opinion on legalization, whether it’s the administration apparently abandoning the federal crackdown on cannabis, or the Senate minority leader introducing a bill to decriminalize, or the former Republican Speaker of the House joining the board of a cannabis investment fund and saying his views on cannabis have “evolved.” While the Department of Justice is still prosecuting cannabis operations and filing asset forfeiture actions, in the last few years it has continued to follow the Cole Memo priorities, even post-rescission, a fact that may actually prove to help California establish and enforce its regulatory regime.
The key to this equation for commercial landlords is requiring a tenant’s strict compliance with state law as an affirmative obligation of the lease agreement, and building in termination contingencies for changes in law or federal enforcement actions.
My prospective tenant says she needs a signed lease before she can get a permit to operate, but I don’t want her in without a permit. How do I protect myself?
In most jurisdictions, both the local permit and the state license are tied to the property, and are non-transferable, so both parties almost always run into this chicken-and-egg problem. A common solution is to build in a licensing timeline and contingencies for failure of permits to issue. A bit like a tenant improvements build-out plan but with fingerprint scans and background checks, cannabis permits and licenses are no sure thing. But the uncertainty of getting government approvals can be built into the lease, sometimes with abated rent in the meantime.
My property insurance seems like it might increase, should I pass that cost onto the tenant?
Trick question: You need to start shopping for new insurance. You will likely lose your existing building insurance coverage when your carrier finds out you’re bringing on a cannabis tenant, and if you wait until you have to submit a claim to let them know, you could have a rude awakening when the carrier declines to pay on the policy due to breach of the insurance contract. While landlords can charge a premium for rent to cannabis tenants, so too can insurance companies charge a premium for premiums on commercial cannabis tenancies.
I have a mortgage on my building, will that be affected if I take on a cannabis tenant?
It depends on the contract, but probably. And that also applies if you want to refinance down the road. Most loan agreements and deeds of trust securing a loan with real property contain some sort of language requiring compliance with “all laws” regarding use of the property for the duration of the loan. Absent a smart carve-out for federal law inconsistent with state cannabis laws, such phrasing presents a problem for potential cannabis uses. Any decision to take on a cannabis tenant must consider existing security interests on the property and compliance with the terms of the contracts. That may mean shopping for hard-loans, but it’s certainly a problem better dealt with prior to the new tenancy rather than midway through when you find out your lender is calling your loan due for violation of contract terms.
My potential cannabis tenant wants to sublease to other operators. Is that a problem?
It depends what kind of subleasing we’re talking about. The general rule is that the state prohibits a tenant from subleasing all or part of a licensed premises. But as of last month, the state is now allowing manufacturers, under certain circumstances, to operate in shared spaces under a sort of timeshare arrangement. Depending on the nature of the space and the terms of the proposed subtenancies, a landlord may want to prohibit subleasing in the lease terms and work backwards from there.
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At the current rate, we could soon see a sea change in federal policy such that cannabis tenancies become less risky and less expensive very quickly. But even if some of the more modest proposals take hold, it will still be imperative to mandate strict compliance with state cannabis laws as part of a tenant’s lease obligations as a means to protect the landlord, as well as the viability of the tenancy. Only time will tell.