Cannabis Comes Out of the Shadows in Legal Disputes

As cannabis operations continue to gain more traction, legal issues may play out in courts across the state.

SAN FRANCISCO—Last month, a California jury rendered a verdict in favor of Grupo Flor, a Salinas cannabis company, against its prior landlord and real estate developer, Nader Agha and the Moss Landing Commercial Park LLC. The case concerned Grupo Flor’s leaseholds at Agha’s Moss Landing Commercial Park, a World War II-era industrial park located in Moss Landing.

After almost three weeks of testimony by cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, distributors, and industry experts and professionals, the jury ruled in favor of Grupo Flor. The jury found that Moss Landing Commercial Park LLC breached its written contracts with Grupo Flor, said Jonathan Shapiro, partner of Baker Botts LLP of San Francisco, trial counsel to Grupo Flor.