General Counsel / VP of Legal & Compliance
At Minnesota Cannabis Services, we’re not just building businesses — we’re building the people who make them great. Our team partners with leading operators across cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, and retail to deliver world-class expertise in legal, finance, analytics, marketing, HR, and technology.
We’re looking for professionals who take pride in their work, move with purpose, and thrive in fast-changing environments. The kind of people who hold themselves to high standards, think creatively, and find satisfaction in solving hard problems.
When you join our team, you’ll work alongside some of the most experienced leaders in the industry — professionals who share their knowledge freely and lead by example. You’ll be challenged, supported, and trusted to take ownership of meaningful work that shapes the future of one of the fastest-growing industries in America.
The Opportunity
This is the senior-most attorney seat in our organization. You will own the legal and compliance function end to end: legal strategy, regulatory compliance, corporate structure, real estate and transactions, and risk management across everything we and our clients do. You'll report directly to the CEO, work daily with a four-person executive team that decides fast and doesn't do bureaucracy, and help set the standard for a corporate office being built right now. The path to Chief Legal Officer is real and defined for the right candidate.
For the right candidate, the work itself is the draw: cannabis regulation is complex, fast-moving, and genuinely interesting, and this seat touches all of it — regulatory strategy, governance, leasing and land use, legislative affairs, lender relationships, licensure. Your first six months will have defined strategies and objectives, so you'll know exactly what you're walking into and exactly what success looks like.
What You'll Own
- Regulatory compliance and audit-readiness across every market and license type we support — built and maintained to a standard that welcomes scrutiny.
- Corporate governance and structure: architect, draft, and implement entity and compliance frameworks in partnership with financial advisors.
- Real estate and transactions: lease review, subleasing, and transactional work supporting turnkey construction and facility solutions for licensed operators.
- Legal team leadership: you'll work with an established team — an in-house attorney, two paralegals, and a Director of Legal Operations — while directing outside counsel with tight control of scope and spend.
- Government affairs: you must speak purple. Cannabis policy here advances through bipartisan relationships, and we work credibly with lawmakers and stakeholders across the political spectrum — Republicans and Democrats alike — as a matter of principle. If partisan politics would get in the way of our mission, you’re not the right candidate.
- Other important responsibilities include zoning, land use, and municipal approvals; labor and employment partnership with Human Resources; and litigation readiness quarterbacking external counsel.
Who This Seat Fits
A senior attorney who builds and is deeply fulfilled by navigating complexity and responsibility. The balance here leans player over coach: you'll draft, negotiate, research, and file — and be proudest of the work you produce with your own hands. It fits someone energized by ownership, high standards, and particularly variety in their scope of work and expertise. We want someone who practices at the modern frontier: we lead with AI and technology across the entire company, legal included, and genuine current fluency and mastery with AI legal tools is part of the job.
We're an in-person team by design — we believe presence is how mentorship, exceptional culture, and a corporate office actually get built — so this role is on-site in Edina, five days a week between the hours of 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
What We Offer
$225,000–$250,000 and benefits. A defined path to Chief Legal Officer. Direct access to ownership and real decision-making authority. A modern, AI-forward legal practice. Relocation assistance for the right candidate. And a seat at the table in a nascent industry where the impact is still being influenced by people like you.
Qualifications
- JD with active bar membership in good standing; Minnesota admission or ability to obtain promptly.
- 8+ years including senior in-house leadership, with demonstrated experience building or owning a legal or compliance function.
- Deep multi-state regulatory experience in cannabis (strongly preferred) or a comparably regulated industry: alcohol, pharmaceuticals, gaming, tobacco, etc.
- Multi-unit retail, franchising, or real estate depth is a plus.
- Exceptional attention to detail, decisiveness, and the highest ethical standards.
At Minnesota Cannabis Services, we believe great teams are built on trust, initiative, and follow-through. We invest deeply in our people — providing mentorship, on-the-job training, and opportunities for advancement across multiple sectors of the cannabis industry.
Here, you’ll be part of a high-performing culture that values precision, reliability, and continuous improvement. Every project is a chance to grow your skills, strengthen your leadership, and contribute to something that matters.
If you’re driven, resourceful, and ready to make an impact, we want you on our team. Apply today and take the next step in your career with Minnesota Cannabis Services.
Skills
As published by greenhouse · 23 questions · 6 written answers
Basics
First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, Resume/CV, Cover Letter
Short answers (7)
- Preferred First Name optional
- Street Address
- City
- Zip
- LinkedIn Profile optional
- Are you currently licensed and in good standing with a state bar? Which state(s)?
- What is your earliest availability start date?
Pick from a list (10)
- State
- Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?
- Can you provide documentation establishing your identity and eligibility to be legally employed in the United States?
- Are you willing to consent to a criminal background check?
- Are you at least 21 years of age at the time you are submitting this application?
- Are you admitted to the Minnesota bar, or able to obtain admission promptly (including by UBE score transfer or reciprocity)?
- This role is 100% on-site in Edina, MN. Do you currently reside within commuting distance, or are you willing to relocate?
- How many years have you held a senior in-house legal leadership role — owning outcomes and managing a team?
- What is your desired base salary?
- How did you hear about this role?
Written answers (6)
- If you are relocating: this position has a firm in-office start, so please be specific. (1) What is your realistic timeline to be living and working on-site in the Twin Cities? (2) What relocation support, if any, would you require, and what dollar amount? "Negotiable" or "open to discussion" is not a sufficient answer — give us a proposed number and a date. Local candidates please put N/A.
- Do you have direct cannabis legal or regulatory experience? If yes, which states and license types? If no, which comparably regulated industry (alcohol, pharmaceuticals, gaming, tobacco, financial services, healthcare)?
- How do you currently use AI tools in your legal work — today, not aspirationally — for research, drafting, review, or compliance, and how do you protect privilege and confidentiality while doing so?
- Tell us about a legal function or team you built or fixed. What did the before-and-after look like, and what systems did you put in place?
- Describe your experience engaging legislators, regulators, or industry coalitions to influence policy or secure approvals, including working productively with stakeholders and lawmakers across the political spectrum.
- Our posted base salary range for this role is $225,000–$250,000. Please share your specific salary and benefits expectations relative to this range. "Negotiable" or a similar non-answer is not sufficient.