A Massachusetts cannabis equity licensee is crying foul over a soured deal with hip-hop artist Berner’s “Cookies” brand, alleging the company is attempting to gain control of his dispensary without paying the agreed-upon price.
Ross Bradshaw and his company, New Dia LLC, filed a lawsuit Monday in Suffolk County Superior Court, Law360 reported, against several entities affiliated with the popular Cookies brand, including its operating arm, TRP, and law firm Vicente Sederberg LLP.
According to court documents, Bradshaw’s license was issued under a Massachusetts provision designating certain licenses for individuals from communities disproportionately affected by drug enforcement policies. The status limits the amount of ownership he can transfer without jeopardizing the license.
The two parties reached a a deal in 2020 for Cookies to acquire a 49% stake in his Worcester dispensary for $2 million, detailed in a membership interest purchase agreement and promissory note signed in 2021, which stipulated a $400,000 cash payment at closing and a $1.6 million promissory note. Bradshaw alleges that despite gaining approval from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission in May 2022, the Cookies entities have refused to close the deal or make any payments.
A key point of contention arose in June 2022, when the buyers
