Cannabis Appellations of Origin: Redux

Genine Coleman Related seminars and products: 1

Executive Director

Origins Counsel

Genine Coleman is the Founder and Executive Director of Origins Council, a nonprofit education, research and policy advocacy organization. Origins Council is dedicated to sustainable rural economic development within legacy cannabis producing regions and establishing nationally and internationally recognized, legally defensible, standards-based, geographic indication systems for cannabis. Genine lives in Mendocino County and has over 20 years of cannabis cultivation experience. In 2012, she stopped cultivating cannabis to take up cannabis patient and policy advocacy. She is the co-founder of the Mendocino Appellations Project, which is now a regionally sponsored project of Origins Council, and serves on the Board of Directors for the 420 Archive which is devoted to collecting, preserving and sharing the history of cannabis culture and prohibition in the United States. Genine is also a founding board member of the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance, formed in 2019. From 2017 – 2020, she served on the Board of Directors of the California Growers Association. Genine has a background in fine art, marketing, communications and education. She has studied traditional arts from around the world including Ancestral Earth Skills, West African and Zimbabwean music, Internal Chinese Martial Arts and Kriya Yoga.

Richard Mendelson Related seminars and products: 1

Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty

Richard Mendelson is an internationally recognized wine lawyer with Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty in Napa. He also directs the Wine Law and Policy Program at UC Berkeley Law School, and he is the sole proprietor of Mendelson Wines, producing Pinot Noir and fortified dessert wines. Richard is a graduate of Harvard College, Oxford University, and Stanford Law School. He is the author of From Demon to Darling: A Legal History of Wine in America, Wine in America: Law and Policy, and Appellation Napa Valley: Building and Protecting an American Treasure.

Luke Zimmerman Esq. LL.M Related seminars and products: 1

President

Law Office of Luke S. Zimmerman APC

Luke Zimmerman, Esq. LL.M. founded the Law Office of Luke S Zimmerman APC in 2013 and focuses his practice on assisting clients with trademark, copyright, and other intellectual property related issues.

Luke founded the intellectual property section at Oaksterdam University and regularly teache at the school. He has written articles for a variety of cannabis publications on the issues of intellectual property. He is also a regular speaker at cannabis events and has lectured internationally about emerging intellectual property issues in the global cannabis industry. Luke was identified as a subject matter expert in the field of intellectual property by the CDFA and participated on the Appellations of Origin working group. He is also a life-time member of the National Cannabis Bar Association.

Luke believes there is a need for drug policy reform in the United States, which is why he
offered pro bono representation, through the 2014 Clemency Project, to a federal inmate
serving a life sentence for criminal charges related to a nonviolent drug offense. He was
successful in assisting the inmate to receive a commutation from President Barack Obama.

Luke holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Oregon, a Juris Doctor from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and a Masters of Laws focused on international trade and investment law from the University of Amsterdam. Luke is currently enrolled in a Masters of Laws program focused on international intellectual property at ITC-ILO School of Development, a member of the WIPO Academy, in Turin Italy researching issues relating to the international harmonization of the Nice Classification System as it relates to cannabis trademarks.

Eleanor Kuntz Related seminars and products: 1

CEO

Leafworks Inc.

Eleanor is the Co-founder and CEO of LeafWorks Inc.– a genetics company specializing in identification for the cannabis/hemp and herbal industries. Eleanor has a B.A. from Smith College and a PhD in Genetics from the University of Georgia. A trained herbalist under the mentorship of the "Godmother" of modern American herbalism, & Rosemary Gladstar, Eleanor has spent her career using plant genetics to design and implement best agricultural practices for natural product companies. With a career rooted in entrepreneurship, Eleanor additionally co-founded the Canndor Herbarium, the world’s first cannabis/hemp herbarium, to document and preserve cannabis/hemp diversity.

Anne Kelson Related seminars and products: 1

McAllister Garfield, P.C.

Anne Kelson is an attorney at Kelson Law Group, a law firm in Oakland, California. Anne’s practice areas include employment law, licensing, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, and outside general counsel for licensed cannabis businesses and other small to mid-sized businesses. Anne has represented small businesses and multi-state companies in state and federal courts, administrative proceedings, and arbitration regarding employment, business and other civil litigation matters. Anne routinely provides advice and counsel on a variety of employment related matters, including employee discipline, state and federal leave requirements, wage and hour compliance, employee handbooks and recent state and federal legislation. Anne also assists cannabis operators in navigating regulatory compliance matters, and state and local licensing.  

Anne served as an advisor to the Compassion Coalition, a group of California-based compassion programs who provide donated cannabis to the terminally ill, veterans and other patients with serious medical conditions.  For two legislative cycles, Anne worked with various stakeholder organizations and advocacy groups who contributed to SB 34, the Dennis Peron and Brownie Mary Act. She has also provided pro bono legal assistance to compassionate care programs.

Anne serves as Co-Chair of the International Cannabis Bar Association’s (“INCBA”) Appellation Rights Subcommittee and is a contributing member of the INCBA’S Continuing Legal Education Committee.  Additionally, Anne has also served as an advisor to stakeholder organizations working on cannabis appellations. 

Anne received a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College. She is a graduate of U.C. Davis School of Law.