How the 2023 Farm Bill Can Reshape Hemp and Regulated Cannabinoid Policy

Pamela Nicole Epstein Related Seminars and Products

Chief Legal & Regulatory Officer

Terpene Belt, Inc.

Pamela is an accomplished legal professional with a wealth of experience.  Pamela currently holds the esteemed position of Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer at Terpene Belt, Inc.  In this pivotal role, she spearheads a dynamic team responsible for a diverse range of functions, including legal oversight, domestic and international governmental affairs, compliance, licensing, corporate stewardship, and corporate governance. Her unwavering dedication is focused on driving solutions that align with the company's strategic priorities while safeguarding Terpene Belt, its customers, and the broader cannabis and hemp industries.

Before joining Terpene Belt in 2022, Pamela served as the General Counsel and Chief Licensing & Regulatory Officer at Eden Enterprises, Inc a legacy cannabis operator. Her trailblazing journey in the cannabis industry began in 2016 when she founded Green Wise Companies, solidifying her position as a thought leader in the field. Pamela provided a comprehensive range of legal, consulting, and government affairs services to various segments of the cannabis supply chain in California and Arizona. She further cemented her reputation as a trusted resource on cannabis matters, lending her expertise to regulatory agencies and municipalities. Notably, she served as the Special City Attorney for cannabis matters to the City of Hollister, guiding them through their inaugural Medical Cannabis Ordinance and application process in 2018.

Prior to her groundbreaking work in the cannabis sector, Pamela seamlessly combined her passion for environmental sustainability with her legal acumen. She honed her skills as the Managing Attorney and Legal Program Coordinator for the San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club's Environmental Law & Policy Clinic and later with the prestigious law firm of Adams Broadwell Joseph & Cardozo in South San Francisco.

Pamela's diverse background, encompassing legal expertise, land use knowledge, and environmental advocacy, uniquely positions her to lead and advise her clients and the broader cannabis and hemp communities. She is recognized as an expert in her field and a fearless advocate for the normalization and advancement of cannabinoids. Pamela is a sought-after speaker at cannabis industry conferences nationwide, where she delivers engaging and insightful commentary on an array of topics affecting the cannabis and hemp sectors, offering valuable guidance to traditional market participants venturing into this space.

Pamela served two terms as the President of the Board of Directors for the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA), the state's largest cannabis trade association, where she was a driving force in shaping the industry's future. Pamela also actively leads the charge to establish standards for Determining Intoxication of Cannabinoids within ASTM's D37 Committee for Cannabis and Hemp.  She also serves on the Food Drug Law Institute (“FDLI”) Cannabinoid Committee. 

Courtney Moran Related Seminars and Products

Founding Principal

EARTH Law LLC

Courtney N. Moran’s mission on the National Cannabis Bar Association (NCBA) Board of Directors is to provide leadership and support to fellow attorneys engaged in restoring justice and establishing a solid foundation of Cannabis law as we end prohibition.

Courtney, the founding principal of EARTH Law, LLC and chief legislative strategist for Agricultural Hemp Solutions, LLC, is the leading expert on hemp law championing legal policy for sustainable Cannabis hemp agribusiness development. Courtney's article, Industrial Hemp: Canada Exports, United States Imports was published by the Fordham Environmental Law Review. She participated in the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem in April 2016. In October 2016, Courtney testified before the Senado de la República in Mexico City, Mexico. She successfully lobbies for the Oregon Industrial Hemp Farmers Association passing legislation, HB 4060 (2016), SB 1015 (2017), and HB 4089 (2018), protecting Oregon hemp agricultural interests. She authored H 3559 (2017), establishing the South Carolina hemp program. Courtney provided foundational language for SB 119 (2017), establishing the Wisconsin hemp program. Courtney strategically guided drafting SB 6 (2018), establishing the Alaska hemp program. She also provided pivotal strategy in drafting Missouri hemp legislation HB 2034 (2018), establishing the Missouri hemp program. Courtney is co-petitioner of the Relegalizing Industrial Hemp Project, a formal administrative rulemaking petition to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency that will remove hemp from the Controlled Substances Act. She also worked closely with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in drafting the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 (S. 2667).

Courtney currently serves on the Oregon State Bar Cannabis Law Section Executive Committee, as Second Vice Chair on the national NORML Board of Directors, and is the national Hemp Industries Association Legislative Review Committee Chairwoman. Her extensive background in Cannabis hemp law reform and program development brings a unique perspective on the administrative, agricultural, and environmental aspects of Cannabis law to the NCBA Board and membership.

Shawn Hauser Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Vicente LLP

Shawn Hauser is a partner at Vicente LLP, where she co-chairs the firm's Hemp and Cannabinoids Department and serves as a leading member of the firm's Psychedelics and Emerging Therapies practice. She helps cannabis, hemp, and psychedelics businesses navigate the intersections between state and federal law, including cannabis and psychedelics laws and food and drug laws as they evolve. Her practice focuses on regulatory compliance, licensing, general business representation, investment advice, policy reform and strategic guidance to best position businesses for success at the at state, national, and international levels.

With more than a decade of experience in cannabis law and policy, Shawn is a go-to source for businesses, industry groups, governments, and reporters seeking opinions, analysis, and guidance. She has presented on cannabis law and policy to many local, federal, and international agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and UK Parliament.

Since directing Sensible Colorado's local government implementation team following the passage of Amendment 64, Shawn remains active in policy work with local and state governments in Colorado and Texas. She is passionate in supporting the development and implementation of cannabis, hemp, and psychedelics regulations that advance the industries in a dynamic and responsible manner. Active in the community, Shawn currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Cannabis Bar Association and previously served on the steering committee of the American Hemp Campaign—a project of Vote Hemp—which was instrumental in legalizing hemp in Texas in 2019.

Well-regarded in her field, Shawn has received many accolades. She was named one of the top cannabis lawyers in the United States Chambers and Partners and was recognized by her peers in The Best Lawyers in America® for her work in cannabis law. Additionally, Shawn has been listed in 5280 magazine's "Denver's Top Lawyers" list since 2015 and was included in Denver Business Journal's "40 Under 40" in 2021.

After attending law school at the University of Denver, Shawn was an associate attorney at McAllister, Darnell & Gottlieb PC, one of the first marijuana-focused law firms in Colorado.(32) Shawn Hauser | LinkedIn

Rusty Rumley Related Seminars and Products

Senior Staff Attorney

National Agricultural Law Center

Rusty was born and raised on a family farm in Cogar, Oklahoma. He graduated magna cum laude from Oklahoma State University in 2004 with a B.S. in AgriBusiness and in 2007 earned his juris doctor from the University of Oklahoma. While attending the University of Oklahoma he was a member of the American Indian Law Review and worked part-time for Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation.  After law school, Rusty earned his LL.M in Agricultural Law at the University of Arkansas.  He is licensed to practice law in the states of Oklahoma and Michigan.

Rusty has published law review articles discussing the future application of special use valuation for inherited farmland, “right to farm” statutes, and the enforcement of animal cruelty statutes by private organizations. He has also written on landowner liability, agritourism, food labeling, local food production, business organizations, crop insurance, estate planning, leasing, and other land use topics in his work at the Center. Further, Rusty presents around the country to producer, consumer, extension, industry and legal groups on an array of topics.

Additionally, he has  co-taught a course titled “Animals and Agricultural Production, Law and Policy”  several times at the University of Oklahoma College of Law and most recently at the University of Nebraska College of Law and teaches an introduction to agricultural law course through the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, & Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas.  He is also an adjunct faculty member in the  University of Arkansas’ Animal  Science Department  and the Agricultural  Economics and Agribusiness Department.

His primary areas of interest are in estate planning, taxation, business organizations, landowner liability, leasing and agritourism.