Learn About New Cannabis Laws Taking Effect in California in 2024, Pending Federal Legislation, and More.
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Learn about new California laws affecting cannabis consumers and businesses from top attorneys in the field. California attorneys can earn MCLE credits for attending online.
Cal NORML’s Legal Seminar series is aimed at educating attorneys and the general public about current cannabis laws in California, addressing both individual rights of marijuana users in California and cannabis business law, as well as pending federal action.
The first session covers new employment rights laws that took effect in California on January 1, thanks largely to the efforts of California NORML, which sponsored AB 2188 (2022), banning employment discrimination by most California employers due to drug tests for inactive metabollites of THC, such as urine or hair tests. A second law, SB 700 (2023) outlaws asking about a potential employee’s past cannabis use. Presenting on this topic are attorney Daniel Latter of Los Angeles, and Cal NORML director Dale Gieringer.
Another new law that took effect on January 1, SB 1186 (2022), is also discussed. It requires cities and counties to allow deliveries of medical cannabis within their borders, and has a mechanism by which patients can sue jurisdictions if they cannot access their medicine in a “timely and readily accessible manner.” Cal NORML board member Lauren Mendelsohn is the presenter on this topic, and also on the topic of Cannabis Lounges and Events, covering liability and other issues.
Also covered are new enforcement laws against unlicensed cannabis businesses, several of which Cal NORML worked on in 2023 to ensure that personal or medical gardens or small businesses were not unduly impacted. Presenting on this topic is attorney Ron Naulls of Los Angeles, and Cal NORML board member Bill Panzer will give a presentation on excessive fines for cannabis operations and the 8th amendment.
On the business side, attorney Timothy Alger covers key cases affecting cannabis businesses, and Cal NORML legal committee member Dana Cisneros presents on the timely topic of Corporate Transparency. The final presentation by Khurshid Khoja addresses on the potential ramifications of federal rescheduling of cannabis.
Cal NORML has been hosting California Bar-approved Legal Seminars since 2017. “Cal NORML Legal Seminars are a chance for cannabis attorneys to meet, learn, and discuss advancements in cannabis law. We’re pleased to have been able to put together a faculty of experienced legal experts with a wide range of expertise in cannabis law,” said Ellen Komp, Cal NORML deputy director and conference planner. “Always the discussions at our seminars lead to better understanding of the laws and oftentimes improved outcomes in the courts.”
See the seminar agenda and biographies of presenters below, and buy tickets to watch the full seminar or individual sessions, with or without CLE credits.
Cal NORML members are eligible to receive a 20% discount on tickets; INCBA members qualify for a 10% discount. Email us for discount code or membership information.
Proceeds benefit Cal NORML’s advocacy work.
AGENDA – CAL NORML LEGAL SEMINAR
Session 1: New Employment Rights Laws (AB 2188 & SB 700) – Daniel Latter and Dale Gieringer
Session 2: New Law (AB 1186) Requiring Local Jurisdictions to Allow Medical Deliveries – Lauren Mendelsohn
Session 3: Local Licensing: Progress and Obstacles – Hirsh Jain
Session 4: Cannabis Consumption Lounges and Events – Lauren Mendelsohn
Session 5: Cannabis Business Law
“What Court? Is Cannabis Civil Litigation Limited to State Court, or Can You Make a Federal Case of It?” – Timothy Alger
Understanding the Corporate Transparency Act and Beneficial Ownership Disclosures – Dana Cisneros
Session 6: New Cannabis Enforcement Laws
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – Ron Naulls
Excessive Fines and the Eighth Amendment – Bill Panzer
Session 7: Federal Law: What Rescheduling Will Mean – Khurshid Khoja
PRESENTERS
Timothy Alger is a civil litigator, mediator, and owner of Alger Law APC. Formerly the head of litigation, employment law and trademarks at Google and an equity partner at three major law firms, Mr. Alger has represented leading internet, media, entertainment and advertising companies in litigation over trademarks, copyrights, unfair competition, contracts, free speech, defamation and privacy.
Alger also represents legal cannabis businesses in civil litigation and regulatory disputes with governmental entities. Recent representations in this industry include civil litigation over trademarks, contracts, relocation of a cannabis dispensary, excessive fines on cannabis cultivators, civil rights violations by law enforcement agencies, and ownership and management disputes in cannabis business partnerships.
Before attending law school, Mr. Alger was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the First Amendment Coalition, and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Disability Rights Legal Center. He is a member of the Southern California Mediation Association, the Media Law Resource Center, and the Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Orange County Bar Associations.
Dana Cisneros is the founder of the Cannabis Corporate Law Firm, a boutique business and real estate law firm representing a wide variety of individuals and companies throughout California. The firm was founded with an eye toward diversity, compliance and legality from the outset to further our clients’ interests and avoid complicated legal and criminal issues in this complex, highly regulated industry.
The Cannabis Corporate Law Firm offers a wide variety of business and real estate legal services to California’s commercial cannabis industry, including structuring business entities, conducting due diligence and handling complicated transactions, as well as associated land use, transactional and compliance matters.
The Cannabis Corporate Law Firm is a member of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), the National Cannabis Bar Association (NCBA) and the California Bar Association as well as several local bar associations throughout Southern California.
Dale Gieringer has been the state coordinator of California NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) since 1987. He is also on the national NORML board of directors, and directs the California Drug Policy Forum (DPFCA).
Dr. Gieringer has published original research on medical marijuana, the history of marijuana and drug prohibition, the economic benefits of legalization, potency and CBD testing, marijuana and driving safety, and drug urinalysis. He sponsored path-breaking R&D on vaporizers as a smoke-free delivery system for cannabis. He has testified before the legislature and in court on issues concerning personal use of marijuana. He was one of the original co-authors of California’s medical marijuana initiative, Prop. 215, and the proponent of Oakland’s Measure Z cannabis initiative in 2004. Dale lead the charge for employment rights for cannabis users in California, resulting in the passage of AB 2188, which took effect on January 1, 2024.
Hirsh Jain is the Founder of Ananda Strategy, a consultancy that serves many of California’s leading cannabis brands and retailers, helping guide their competitive licensing efforts, expansion strategy, regulatory compliance and M&A activity within California.
Hirsh began his cannabis journey he was 18 years old, working in UC Berkeley’s Public Defender’s Officer defending students that were accused of cannabis violations by the University. After graduating, Hirsh attended Harvard Law School, where his focus was the legal architecture and social impacts of The War on Drugs. He spent several years working in management consulting and the tech industry before joining the cannabis industry in 2018 as the West Coast Director of Government Affairs for MedMen, a Los-Angeles based cannabis retailer. He went on to work for Caliva, a San Jose-based cannabis brand, as its Director of Government Affairs. Hirsh serves on the Board of Los Angeles and California NORML and the Los Angeles Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, and is as a Workshop Instructor at Success Centers, a San Francisco-based cannabis equity and educational non-profit.
Khurshid Khoja is CEO of Greenbridge Corporate Counsel, P.C. a business law firm he founded in 2012, which represents legal cannabis and psychedelics-related enterprises on regulatory and transactional matters. He’s participated in legislative and initiative drafting, stakeholder meetings, executive agency outreach and rulemaking proceedings in connection with California’s cannabis laws and regulations, including Proposition 64 and the Medicinal and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA), a well as the Minority Cannabis Business Association’s Model Municipal Social Equity Ordinance.
Khurshid serves as Chair Emeritus of the Board of Directors of the National Cannabis Industry Association, as the Co-chair of NCIA’s Policy Council. He has previously served on the Board of the Minority Cannabis Business Association and as Co-chair of its Policy Committee, as well as serving as a founding board member of the California Cannabis Industry Association and as its General Counsel. He was profiled in The National Law Journal’s first ever Cannabis Law Trailblazers’ list in 2018, was awarded NCIA’s Inaugural Steve Fox Excellence in Advocacy Award, and he’s been named to the annual Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars list multiple times. He was elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, has twice received Students for Sensible Drug Policy’s Unsung Hero Award, and Arcview Investor Network’s Outstanding Member Award. His work has been profiled in in Bruce Barcott’s book Weed the People, and his earliest days in California’s pre-regulated industry are chronicled in Doug Fine’s book Too High To Fail.
Daniel Latter is the principal of Latter Law Group, APC based in Beverly Hills, California. Dan’s practice consists largely of addressing employment-related matters, in a wide spectrum of contexts, including matters involving the use of cannabis in and out of the workplace. Dan dispenses employment advice to small and medium-sized employers, as well as to employees, located throughout the state of California.
Dan litigates cases throughout the state of California concerning employment and business disputes, including those particular to cannabis businesses. He devotes a portion of his time to transaction-oriented matters, including the sale of businesses, as well as to matters attendant to the organization of business concerns and legal nurturing of start-up concerns.
Dan received his law degree, with honors, from George Washington University. He received his undergraduate degree in economics, with distinction, from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
Lauren Mendelsohn is a Junior Partner at the Law Offices of Omar Figueroa, one of the leading cannabis, hemp, and psychedelics law firms in California. She is an activist at heart who enjoys helping individuals and businesses navigate regulatory regimes and coming up with creative solutions to problems.
Lauren’s current focuses include permitting and licensing, regulatory compliance, business formations and transactions, intellectual property, administrative hearings and appeals, and policy work from drafting to analyzing to advocating for various pieces of legislation. She frequently writes for her law office’s blog and has been featured in newspapers and online publications. She has spoken at numerous cannabis industry conferences and events, and has also taught several continuing legal education seminars in both live and virtual formats.
For several years, Lauren has been involved in drug policy reform as well as other social justice efforts. She formerly chaired the Board of Directors of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, an international youth-led nonprofit organization, and more recently served on the Board of the International Cannabis Bar Association. Currently, Lauren sits on the Board of Directors of California NORML, the Sonoma County Cannabis Alliance, and Círculos Inc. She also volunteers as a chapter leader for the Sonoma County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, and is a member of Americans for Safe Access’ California Advisory Committee.
Lauren earned her J.D. from the University of California, Irvine School of Law and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Maryland. An East Coast native with roots in New York and New Jersey, Lauren was named a Northern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers® in 2020, 2021, and 2022 and a “Lawyer of Distinction” in the area of Intellectual Property by Sonoma Magazine in 2021 and 2022.
Ronald B. Naulls boasts a uniquely personal journey through the cannabis industry, seamlessly merging lived experience with formal legal expertise. With a rich background spanning decades in compliance for corporations across the U.S., Ronald has carved a niche in corporate regulatory compliance, cannabis law, and technology.
As the author of “Compassion, Consequences and Criminal Perseverance” and “The Audacity of Dope and Perseverance,” he adeptly covers business continuity, governance, cybersecurity, and a multitude of legal disciplines. Beyond theoretical insights, Ronald’s hands-on approach focuses on practical business solutions, addressing operational deficiencies, and optimizing effectiveness. His mission: to empower clients to navigate risks and consistently achieve victories, a testament to the ethos of Naulls Legal Group.
Ronald’s advocacy roots trace back to the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. As a passionate minority stakeholder in the movement, he pioneered a cannabis dispensary in Riverside County in 2006. Yet, faced with adversity, the establishment was raided by law enforcement within its inaugural year. Undeterred and deeply impacted, Ronald pivoted to the legal arena, earning his credentials as an attorney. Today, he, along with his dedicated team, champions the cause of cannabis businesses. They provide unmatched guidance on compliance, legislative shifts, governmental intricacies, and evolving cannabis enforcement regulations, ensuring businesses not only survive but thrive in this dynamic landscape.
William Panzer is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley and Golden Gate University School of Law. He has been practicing law in the Bay Area for thirty years, specializing in cannabis defense. Panzer is a co-author of California’s Proposition 215, the nation’s first law legalizing the use of cannabis by patients pursuant to a physician’s recommendation. In his practice he has represented patients, growers, and medical cannabis dispensaries throughout California in state and federal court, at both the trial and appellate level.
Bill has lectured at numerous NORML legal seminars, conferences and other events on cannabis law and related issues. He is a former winner of the NORML “Al Horn Award” and a two-time winner of the Sonoma Alliance for Medical Marijuana’s “Compassion In Action” Award, as well as a High Times magazine “Freedom Fighter of the Month.”
