R. Lance Boldrey

The Leader of Dykema’s Cannabis Industry Group, Lance has been at the forefront of the development of a licensed and regulated cannabis industry in the State of Michigan. He is heavily involved in lobbying activities with respect to the State's medical and adult-use cannabis laws and regulations. He regularly interfaces with State department officials and legislators to advocate for his clients' interests.

Lance’s signature accomplishments include:

• Lance has handled several hundred applications for licensure in Michigan, leading the preparation and shepherding of license applications for every available license type. Among his victories are the very first commercial grow licenses in the state.
• At the local level, Lance has worked to ensure that his clients' goals are advanced in local ordinances, and has overseen successful and pending local license applications in numerous Michigan municipalities, as well as the implementation of local ballot initiatives.
• Lance has advised multiple clients concerning the legality and regulatory aspects of hemp-derived cannabinoid products. He has also worked to secure and address legislative responses to this evolving market.
• In addition to government relations and licensing matters, Lance has been involved in regulatory and disciplinary matters, cannabis-related capital raises, lending, M&A work, joint venture agreements, licensing agreements, real estate matters (leasing, property acquisition, zoning and permitting), and banking issues. As the leader of the Firm's large and expanding Cannabis team, he can bring the right resources to bear for virtually any client needs.

Representative Cannabis Cases & Matters

• Glorious Cannabis Co: Lance guided the largest investor group in multi-state operator Glorious Cannabis Co. through a merger of a large cultivation concern and Michigan’s largest cannabis processor. He advised on business structuring and led the process of obtaining regulatory approvals from the State and municipal governments. Lance continues to represent Glorious in regulatory matters. 
• Level Up Ventures: As lead counsel, Lance represented Level Up Ventures in what state regulators described as the largest and most complex merger to come before them. This significant transaction involved nearly 40 subsidiaries, requiring approval from nearly 30 municipalities. Lance now leads outside representation of LUV on Michigan regulatory matters.
• VB Chesaning d/b/a High Life Farms: After representing Michigan’s first licensed grower, VB Chesaning, d/b/a High Life Farms, in all licensing and regulatory matters, Lance helped High Life merge with another large operator, Common Citizen. He secured multiple state and municipal regulatory approvals, including first-time cannabis ownership changes in two cities. The combined company is now fully vertically integrated with over 30 Michigan licenses.
• Winewood Organics: Dykema serves as counsel to Winewood Organics, a social equity company that established just the second cannabis “micro-businesses” in the State of Michigan. In doing so, he worked with Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency to flesh out licensing and operational protocols for this license type.
• Primitiv Holdings: Lance assisted NFL stars Calvin Johnson's and Rob Sims' cannabis company, Primitiv, with licensing appeals following an initial denial by Michigan's now-defunct Medical Marijuana Licensing Board due to unpaid parking tickets. Dykema continues to represent Primitiv in Michigan licensing matters and its expansion and franchising into other states.
• 710 Labs: Lance assisted California-based 710 Labs in expanding into Michigan, identifying a site in River Rouge. Since the city had already issued the maximum number of licenses, Lance worked with the local government to amend the ordinance, enabling the development of a 105,000-square-foot facility.
• Lume Cannabis Co: Lance represented Lume Cannabis Co., the largest single-state Adult-Use cannabis company in the U.S., in early-stage licensing and regulatory matters, including successfully overturning initial licensing denials from the Michigan Medical Marihuana Licensing Board.
• Gaming & Native American Law
• Lance's Indian gaming experience includes transactional work concluding business agreements between consultants, developers, management companies and tribes; negotiating tribal-state gaming compacts; and negotiating intergovernmental agreements involving tribes. In the litigation arena, Lance has been involved in federal and state court tribal gaming matters at the trial and appellate levels, as well as arbitrations.
• Lance has also assisted state and local governments in navigating complex tribal gaming matters. In addition to serving as counsel for Native American issues to Michigan Governor John Engler, Lance has been retained as special counsel to seven other governors (for five separate states) to advise on gaming and state-tribal relations. Most recently, he represents Colorado in a potentially precedent-setting i-gaming case and represented Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb in negotiating Indiana's first tribal-state gaming compact.
• Administrative law experience includes work on tribal fee-to-trust applications, the application of all of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act's exceptions that permit gaming on "after-acquired lands," and approvals of tribal-state gaming compacts.
• Indian gaming financing work includes representing tribes, banks and  investors  and interacting with the National Indian Gaming Commission to obtain de facto approval of financing agreements. Lance has led or assisted on deals totaling over $2 billion.
• Lance has long been involved in tribal treaty rights matters, serving as lead for the State of Michigan Governor's Office in the formulation of a consent decree governing tribal and state fishing in much of the Great Lakes. He also represented parties in litigation over whether a 300+ square mile area of Northern Michigan is today an Indian reservation, and was a lead negotiator for the country's first comprehensive tribal-state tax agreements.
• Lance has advised tribes and tribal companies on economic development matters. He has also represented utilities, general contractors, hospitals, architects, and other businesses in doing business with Indian tribes.