Learn how L&M planted the seed for success to protect this cannabis fertilizer company’s brand name

Reefertilizer
Industry:
Fertilizer
Company Size:
Small Business (1-25 employees)
Location:
Ottowa, Ontario
Reefertilizer

Services Utilized

Trademarks

Intellectual Property

USPTO

Cultivating Cannabis Success

Reefertilizer provides a complete nutrient system specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of cannabis plants throughout their various growth stages. Suitable for both novice and seasoned growers, it delivers outstanding results, including higher yields and exceptional bud quality.

Reefertilizer
Fertilizer

Their Story

In 2016, Joey and Mike Drouin founded Reefertilizer Inc. with the aspiration of normalizing cannabis through home growing. Reefertilizer offers a straightforward, three-step fertilizer and nutrient grow system that empowers anyone to grow both cannabis and a variety of other plants at home. Their high-quality, Canadian-sourced ingredients make plant cultivation more accessible, affordable, and efficient for novices and experts alike across a global community of growers.

Quote

Working with the L&M team was a fantastic experience, as they were able to help us finalize a trademark in a highly regulated market. The knowledge and support we received was first class and helped us complete a trademark journey that had lasted over 7 years. We’ll definitely be using L&M again for any legal advice concerning our brand.”

Navigating the Maze: Cannabis Trademarks

Due to the unusual federally illegal, “state-legal” status of some types of cannabis in the United States, it can be quite tricky to get trademark registrations for cannabis goods at the USPTO. This is true even of ancillary products like Reefertilizer’s, which contains no actual cannabis. The USPTO has a number of specific requirements in place for cannabis trademarks to ensure that these registrations only cover federally lawful products. Fortunately, Rachael Dickson, Lloyd & Mousilli’s Senior Trademark Counsel, has extensive experience handling cannabis trademark applications both as an examining attorney at the USPTO and in private practice.

A 7-Year Battle Ends in Trademark Triumph

The average time for a U.S. trademark application to proceed from filing to registration is around 14 months. However, prior to hiring Lloyd & Mousilli, the Reefertilizer application was pending for over 7 years! The trademark was approved for publication for opposition less than two weeks after the firm took over the case. After a few months of publication and processing on the USPTO’s end, the mark finally registered on Nov. 5, 2024.

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