Richard M. Blau Attorney At Law

Richard presides over GrayRobinson’s regulated products practice and oversees the firm’s legal guidance, compliance, and support services for the alcohol beverage, cannabis, food, and tobacco products industries. GrayRobinson's regulated products team focuses on the rules and regulations that govern the cultivation and production, processing, distribution, sale and dispensing of medical marijuana, hemp, CBD and related cannabis products.

Mr. Blau has been rated by Chambers USA since 2007, and was among the first lawyers in America to be rated Band 1 Nationwide for Cannabis Law. He also is listed in Best Lawyers in America, and is "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell. A substantial portion of Richard’s professional efforts are focused on trade regulations, litigation and dispute resolution involving regulated products, including medical marijuana, hemp, Cannabidiol (CBD) and related cannabis derivatives. He has been involved extensively with the legalization of cannabis in Florida since its outset with passage of the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014 (SB 1030) into law on June 6, 2014. Mr. Blau also has represented several investors in the cannabis industry, advising principals on compliance issues associated with Florida Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (MMTC) license acquisitions.

An elected member of The American Law Institute, Richard also is a member of The Florida Bar, The New York Bar, The Bar Association of the District of Columbia, the American Bar Association and the Federal Bar Association. Additionally, Richard served for over eight years as the Chair of the American Bar Association’s Committee on Beverage Alcohol Practice. He currently serves as a board member of the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys (AHIA).

Richard has written and lectured extensively on issues related to the legalization of the medical marijuana and broader cannabis industries, as well as the interaction between federal and state laws regulating cannabis. Most recently, he was the keynote speaker in the National Business Institute’s seminar Medical Marijuana in Florida, as well as a lecturer on Mastering Cannabis and Marijuana Regulation for The Rossdale Group, and a featured Cannabis Law expert for Florida Venture’s 2021 Cannabis Webinar. Richard also advises financial institutions and investment organizations such as JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Raymond James on the unique legal issues associated with the interplay between federal financial services regulations and state laws legalizing cannabis.

Mr. Blau has been interviewed regarding medical marijuana issues by newspaper, radio and television journalists from numerous media outlets. He also has written extensively regarding medical marijuana and cannabis. Examples include:

• Virginia Legalizes Commercial Cannabis (Almost), Set to Be 1st Southern State to Clear Adult Use
• Election Day 2020 is a Big Win for Cannabis: Every State Initiative on Marijuana Passes
• A Step Forward for Cannabis Legitimacy: FinCEN Issues Guidance for Hemp Related Businesses
• Legalizing the Recreational Use of Marijuana in Florida Appears a No-Go in 2019
• Federal Appellate Court to Review Idaho Seizure of Industrial Hemp
• FDA Issues New Warning Letters To Four CBD Products Companies

Mr. Blau received his B.A. from Brandeis University and his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as the Associate Editor for Topics of the Georgetown Law Journal.

• Background

  Mr. Blau received his B.A. from Brandeis University and his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as the Associate Editor for Topics of the Georgetown Law Journal.

• Articles and Publications
  • "Major Movement: HHS Recommends DEA Reschedule Marijuana to Schedule III of Controlled Substances Act," GrayRobinson Insight, September 5, 2023
  • "Marijuana and the Right to Bear Arms: A New Direction Emerges," GrayRobinson Insight, August 10, 2023
  • "The Growing Confluence Between Alcohol and Cannabis: A-B Sells Craft Brands to Tilray," GrayRobinson Insight, August 8, 2023
  • "This Small Law Firm Is Investing Big—in Artificial Intelligence," Law.com, July 18, 2023
  • "DEA Reportedly Set to Issue New Rules for Synthetic Cannabinoids, Including Rules for Delta-8 THC," GrayRobinson Insight, May 31, 2023
  • "Florida Recreational Marijuana One Step Closer to the November 2024 Ballot," GrayRobinson Insight, May 16, 2023
  • "How The World Turns: The U.S. and Bolivia Come to Trade Terms Over Singani and American Bourbon/ Tennessee Whiskey," GrayRobinson Insight, January 30, 2023
  • "Lower Food Prices Ahead?" GrayRobinson Insight, January 17, 2023
  • "US Treasury Issues Unified Agenda and Rule-making Initiatives For TTB," GrayRobinson Insight, January 11, 2023
  • "Florida's Medical Marijuana Industry: 2022 In Review," Law360, December 20, 2022
  • "DTC Lawsuits Are Failing to Reach Supreme Court Resolution," Wine Industry Advisor, December 12, 2022
  • "2022 Election Results: Cannabis Initiatives," GrayRobinson Insight, November 9, 2022
  • "Florida Regulators Issue Emergency Order Defining Dosage and Supply Amounts for Medical Marijuana Patients," September 1, 2022
  • "Rhode Island Becomes the 19th State to Legalize Recreational Marijuana," May 27, 2022
  • "Biden Launches 'Rural Playbook' for Expanded Relief to AG- America Part 2," April 21, 2022
  • "Biden Launches 'Rural Playbook' for Expanded Relief to AG- America," April 14, 2022
  • "Alcohol Beverage Lines Continue to Blur," January 7, 2022
  • "4 Ways Cannabis Impacts Personal Insurance Lines," October 4, 2021
  • "USDA Support Payments Now Available for Farmers Affected by The Pandemic," October 4, 2021
  • "How Biden's Competition Order Helps Independent Farms," Law360, July 13, 2021
  • "The Florida Supreme Court Rejects Florigrown’s Constitutional Challenge To The State’s Vertical Licensure System For Medical Marijuana," Cannabis Law Journal, July 8, 2021
  • "Fla. High Court Keeps Tight Grip On Medical Pot Licenses," Law360, June 4, 2021
  • "Most Distilleries That Registered to Produce Hand Sanitizer After January 27, 2020 Will Be Exempt from FDA Fees," March 26, 2021
  • "New York Lawmakers Successfully Agree On Terms to Legalize Recreational Marijuana," March 25, 2021
  • "U.S. House of Representatives Votes to Legalize Marijuana!" December 2020
  • "Adios, Cigarros Cubanos (And Alcohol Too, Mi Amigos and Amigas)!", October 2020
  • "Florida is the Latest State to Consider Making Cocktails-To-Go Permanent," September 2020
  • "All Branches of the US Armed Forces Formally Ban Use of Hemp and CBD Products," September 2020
  • "EPA Directed to Deny Biofuel Waivers to Domestic Oil Refiners," September 2020
  • "COVID-19 in Rural America Jeopardizes America’s Food Chain and Requires Greater Federal Support," September 2020
  • "Trump Administration Rejects Habitat Designation for Endangered Rusty Patch Bumble Bee," September 2020
  • "USDA to Convene a Virtual Town Hall on Salmonella," August 2020
  • "Medical Marijuana Recall Warrants Greater OMMU Disclosure," August 2020
  • "Five to Watch in the Cannabis Industry," August 2020
  • "HEROES Act has Important Benefits for American Farmers and Farmworkers," July 2020
  • "USDA Adds Commodities Eligible for Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)," July 2020
  • "FDA Will Resume Domestic Inspections in Late July," July 2020
  • "The USMCA and America’s Alcohol Industry," July 2020
  • "A Step Forward for Cannabis Legitimacy: FinCEN Issues Guidance for Hemp Related Businesses," June 2020
  • "Washington State Leads the Way to Greater Farm Worker Safety," June 2020
  • "As the Industry Develops, Cannabis and CBD Producers Sail Into the Dangerous Shoals of Product Recalls," May 2020
  • "The Future of CBD and Medical Marijuana In Public Schools," May 2020
  • "Fight COVID-19 by Supporting Farmworkers and Truckers," April 2020
  • "The Increasing Frequency of Grocery and Restaurant Bankruptcies: Canaries In America’s Economic Coal Mine?" January 2020
  • "New York's New Hemp Extract Law and the CBD Marketplace," January 2020
  • "For the First Time, EPA Approves Pesticides for Use in Cultivating Hemp," January 2020
  • "Pending SAFE Banking Act Would Legitimize Marijuana- Related Businesses," New York Daily Weed Report, December 2019
  • "TTB Issues New Priorities for FY 2020," November 2019
  • "USDA Issues New Regulation Creating the Domestic Hemp Production Program," October 2019
  • "CBD Marketplace: How Should We Navigate It?" Food Safety Tech, September 2019
  • "Where Does the Law Stand on Producing Foods and Beverages Containing Cannabidiol (CBD)?" May 2019
  • "USDA Alert - Last Chance to Answer Agriculture Census," July 2018
  • "FDA Issues First Ever Approval for Plant-Based Pharmaceutical Cannabidiol Product to Treat Seizures in Patients with Severe Forms of Epilepsy," June 2018
  • "TTB Clarifies its Position on Cannabis/Marijuana as an Ingredient in Alcohol Beverages," May 2018
  • "FDA Advisory Committee Issues First Ever Approval for Plant-Based Pharmaceutical Cannabidiol Product to Treat Seizures in Patients with Severe Forms of Epilepsy," April 2018
  • "Alcohol and Marijuana: California ABC Issues New Guidance on the Interplay Between the Alcohol and Cannabis Industries," January 2018
  • "FDA Issues New Warning Letters To Four CBD Products Companies," November 2017
  • "DEA’s Final Rule Listing Marijuana Derivatives As Schedule I Drugs May Prohibit Hemp-Infused Beverages," June 2017
  • "At Last: Scientific Evidence Of Marijuana’s Medicinal Potential Begins To Appear," May 2017
  • "What A Week! Recent Events Impacting the Legalization of Marijuana," January 2017
  • "The Future of Cannabidiol Oil, Hemp and Other Cannabis-related Products," January 2017
  • "Trump’s Cabinet Picks Roil The Cannabis Industry: TOO SOON FOR DOOM?," November 2016
• Presentations and Seminars
  • “Mastering Marijuana, CBD, and Hemp Business Law in 2023,” The Rossdale Group CLE Recording and Podcast, April 2023
  • "The Cannabis Industry is Bigger Than You Think," 30th Anniversary Florida Venture Capital Conference, March 4, 2021