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w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6 31 Once recreational use becomes feder- ally legal, the reality is that it's not going anywhere, Fowler says. "Entrepreneur- ial firms recognize the opportunity and get into the space now and some of the more conservative firms may miss a good opportunity to grow a business that really isn't any different from any other federally regulated employer," he says. As some law firms watch skeptically from the sidelines, others are restrict- ing their work to advising ancillary businesses wishing to work alongside licenced producers. The bottom line is, Szweras says, "It's an opportunity for lawyers across all sectors. Anyone who is really serious about this industry should be involved now." Building the practice At Bennett Jones, building the practice took entrepreneurial skills but also the willingness to go the extra mile, Alves says. "I don't know any entrepreneur that's built a business that when you talk to [him or her] says, 'It was pretty easy; every second I was working I got paid for,'" Alves says. "It takes a lot of elbow grease to build a business and that's also a part of the entrepreneurial makeup." If lawyers decide to pursue this area, it will take willingness to invest time into the firm outside of their regular responsibilities, says Alves. "It's not as if we got into cannabis and abandoned our other practice areas and I came to work every day, tried to build a business and went home. I worked eight or 10 hours doing my law firm work for my other clients and every waking moment that we had outside our responsibilities to the firm was dedicated to trying to build a business in this industry." Whether serving the growing can- nabis market will be best done in bou- tique law firms or handled by big law is up for debate. Szweras says all law firms will chase the work, but "I think niche, boutique, entrepreneurial practi- ces will be able to service those clients because they're going to be able to speak their language and solve problems in a matter that's practical." That's because most participants in the industry will be entrepreneurs and small- and mid-size businesses, he says. Fowler is less convinced this is a job for boutiques. In the U.S., marijuana- related firms tend to be full-service bou- tique firms because of the stigma of cannabis use being federally illegal, he says. But "the Canadian boutique model is more geared toward services than industry," Fowler continues. "So I think I'd like to see more big firms involved in this space." Alves expects both small and large players will eventually be part of the business. Just like there's room for craft beer in the alcohol industry, there will be a part of the market that will gravitate towards small, artisanal producers, he says. "I think there's room for everyone." As a lawyer, Szweras says, it's an excit- ing time to be working in this industry. "How often is it that we get to be involved in the birthing of a new industry? That's the thing I find most amazing." O Because business issues are legal issues. So if you want to get ahead in business, get the degree that gets you there faster. ONE YEAR – PART - TIME – NO THESIS FOR L AWYERS AND NON - LAWYERS law.utoronto.ca/ExecutiveLLM GPLLM Global Professional Master of Laws [Get a Master of Laws] Untitled-1 1 2015-02-25 8:38 AM

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