2019 Presentation: Realities and Solutions of Marijuana Claims

Michelle Burton recently led a presentation on the Realities and Solutions of Marijuana Claims at a September 2019 joint conference of the CPCU and CAIP. The presentation advised key players in the insurance and legal industries of the state of marijuana legality in the country and what that means for understanding and effectively evaluating claims that may involve marijuana. Ms. Burton’s analysis addressed key insurance principles and included recent case law illustrating the expansion of those principles to address marijuana-related claims. Incorporated throughout the presentation were case studies designed to engage the audience and address questions that may arise in evaluating hypothetical, but very possible, insurance claims involving marijuana. These case studies touched on various aspects of potential liability, from growth and sale of the crop to its consumption and the products and paraphernalia used in the process.