Import / Export: The Cross Border Hemp Trade

Robert Hoban Related Seminars and Products

Global Cannabis Authority

Bob Hoban

Bob Hoban sits at the center of the world’s largest commercial cannabis industry network; a cannabis industry ecosystem that he has painstakingly cultivated since 2008.  Since the cannabis industry became commercialized, he has been widely credited for creating the class of lawyers now known as “cannabis attorneys.”  He is known for the tremendous value that he places in his relationships and is not satisfied unless he can help his business clients thrive in this burgeoning global industry; an industry he has played a significant role in establishing.  Bob has earned a reputation as a cannabis industry deal-maker representing start-ups, entrepreneurs, and companies in all stages of development.  Mr. Hoban has truly transcended the practice of law and is regularly involved in assembling and structuring large-scale cannabis industry M&A transactions.  Above all else, Bob is a cannabis industry expert.  

Beginning in 2008, he deliberately constructed the Hoban Law Group (HLG) to become the world’s leading full-service commercial cannabis industry law firm; the first of its kind.  Since that time, HLG has indeed become the world’s leading cannabis industry law firm, with offices in seventeen states and ten nations abroad, and over fifty attorneys who specialize in all aspects of the commercial practice surrounding the cannabis industry. For nearly ten years, HLG has represented the cannabis industry’s titans in every aspect of the commercial cannabis industry around the world.  And he is largely responsible for the establishment and growth of the CBD industry due to his legal strategies, litigation matters, and policy efforts executed on behalf of HLG clients.    

From 2010-2016, Bob served as one of the Nation’s first cannabis policy instructors at the University of Denver, where he regularly lectured regarding cannabis topics (government regulations, public policy, and research-based policy courses), and where he led a University-sanctioned research practicum concerning the efficacy of marijuana regulation; the first of its kind in the U.S.  He then taught several international travel courses concerning the emergence of the global cannabis industry.  Because of this academic background, Bob has been asked to work with dozens of governments across the U.S., Asia, the E.U., and Latin America (over thirty different countries) on crafting their commercial cannabis public policy solutions (legislation and regulations).  And he has served on a variety of national, state, and local task forces related to cannabis policy issues.         

He has consistently been recognized as one of the most influential people in the global cannabis industry by a variety of organizations and publications over the course of the past ten-plus years.  Since 2013, Bob has achieved the Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating, awarded to only those lawyers with the highest ethical standards and professional ability.  He was recently named a “Cannabis Law Trailblazer” by the National Law Journal, and he has been consistently recognized as one of “Denver’s Top Cannabis Lawyers” for nearly a decade.    

Bob frequently appears in media coverage as a legal expert on cannabis and has been a keynote speaker at dozens of cannabis events around the world.  He has conducted hundreds of interviews regarding marijuana policy for international, national, state, and local media outlets.  Major media outlets like the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, CNN, Rolling Stone, Forbes, VICE, MSNBC, and Bloomberg have all called on Bob for his unique perspective on the cannabis industry.

Daniel Kruse Related Seminars and Products

Hemp Entrepreneur and President

European Industrial Hemp Association

Daniel Kruse, a pioneer of the hemp industry for 26 years, is founder and managing director of Hempro International GmbH & Co. KG and HempConsult GmbH, two of Europe`s leading hemp players.  Kruse has more than 16 years of experience in hemp food production.

Hempro Int. (founded in 2002), one of Europe’s first and largest hemp food companies, produces raw material (seeds, hulled nuts, oil, protein) and offers branded hemp foods under the HANF FARM label.

Based on a strong international network HempConsult (founded 2012) follows industry trends and developments on the global hemp markets, conducts market research and serves entrepreneurs, start-ups, investors and other stakeholders of the industry as a consultant for the development of strategic goals and their successful and sustainable implementation.

Since 2013, Kruse has served as a board member of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA). In 2019 he was elected president of the EIHA.

At the EIHA Kruse is particularly active for his field of knowledge of cannabinoids in foods. For 15 years he has been involved in diverse topics in the field of THC and for 8 years also in the field of CBD. His cooperation with international experts and the advisory committee of EIHA combines the profound know-how from practice and science in the hemp and food industry. In course of this cooperation, various position papers and studies on THC and CBD in food have been drawn up and published.

Kruse represents industrial hemp stakeholders in front of the European Union and German governments, where his work has helped to advance the legal and regulatory framework for the hemp industry.

Trained as a banker, Kruse studied finance at Green Bay University in Wisconsin (USA) and Duesseldorf (Germany). He opened “HanfHaus,” a retail hemp retail shop in 1996, and in 1999 became Head of Sales as well as partner at HanfHaus GmbH in Berlin. Kruse founded Hempro International in 2002 to advance the development of hemp products, and to realise his vision: the successful combination of ecology and economy.

Eveline Van Keymeulen Related Seminars and Products

Latham & Watkins

Eveline Van Keymeulen is a partner in Latham & Watkins' Brussels and Paris offices and a member of the firm's Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice.

She advises multinational companies and start-ups in the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical devices, cosmetics, and food and beverage sectors on a broad variety of complex European, domestic and cross-border regulatory matters, including clinical trials, product approvals, regulatory incentives, market access, promotion and advertising, post-market obligations, and general compliance matters.

In addition, Eveline has extensive experience advising on cannabis and hemp based product regulations. She successfully challenged the legality of French hemp regulations in the first landmark case related to cannabidiol (CBD) products before the Court of Justice of the European Union (Case C-663/18, Kanavape).

Eveline is ranked in Chambers for Life Sciences Regulatory (2020) and has been recognized as a Legal 500 Rising Star / Next Generation Lawyer in Healthcare and Life Sciences (2018-2020), and as a National and Global Leader by Who's Who Legal Life Sciences (2016-2020). She has recently been awarded the European Advisory Lawyer of the Year and Impact Case of the Year awards by LMG Life Sciences (2021).

Eveline has authored numerous articles and has been a featured speaker on EU regulatory matters at prominent conferences such as the Pharmaceutical Law Academy in Cambridge. She also serves on the editorial board of the European Pharmaceutical Law Review.

 In addition, Eveline has been quoted in BBC Business Daily, Bloomberg, The Times, Les Echos, and other leading international business journals on life sciences regulatory and policy matters.

David Wenger Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel & Chief Strategy Officer

Asia Horizon

GRA Capital invests in US and foreign private and public cannabis companies, with a focus on cannabis operators, brands, and global supply chain.

Principal David Wenger is a NYC attorney who has been studying and investing in the cannabis industry since 2016.

David wrote a seminal White Paper on the US cannabis industry widely read across the world: The Green Regulatory Arbitrage: A Case for Investing in US Multi-State Vertically-Integrated Cannabis Companies (New Cannabis Ventures, Sept. 2018).

David has also published articles on judicial and legislative developments affecting the industry:

The U.S. cannabis industry needs access to the U.S. stock markets (MarketWatch, Nov. 2019);

How the U.S. harmonizing federal legalization with international drug treaty obligations will spark a wave of liberalization abroad (ICBC, Aug. 2019);

Extending the SAFE Banking Act to offer protections to US exchanges listing US cannabis companies (New Cannabis Ventures, Feb. 2019);

The declining risk of enforcement against state-legal cannabis businesses (New Cannabis Ventures, Jan. 2019); and

A federal court case that could end cannabis prohibition (MJ News Network, Dec. 2018).

David is GC, Chief Strategy Officer at Asia Horizon; a member of Body and Mind's (CSE: BAMM)'s Board of Directors; and an advisor to Noa Botanicals and RCVR.

In addition, David is a member of the US Senate Cannabis Working Group and the US House of Representatives Cannabis Working Group. In those roles, he has the historic opportunity to work with Congressional staffers on advancing federal cannabis legislation.

David has been a speaker or panelist at many cannabis events across the US, Europe, and Asia: ICBC (Berlin); ICBC; EuroAmBizCon (Prague); First Asia Hemp Investment Summit (Hong Kong), Arcview (Santa Monica), CWCB (Boston); ROTH (Laguna Beach); NCBA Annual Gathering (Washington, DC), CannaGather (Trenton); Arcview, Capital Roundtable, Winter & Fall Pitches, Business Insurance's 2019 Cannabis & Hemp Conference, IMN's IC3, and many others (New York), Arcview (Chicago), NCIA/CannaVest (San Jose); Cannabis 2.0 (Hawaii); and Investor Intelligence Conference (Las Vegas).

For 13 years, David represented foreign government and major corporate clients in high-stakes complex cross-border disputes and transactions. Working in the New York office of the global law firm DLA Piper, he acted for clients around the world such as Kingdom of Thailand, Petrobras, Ruler of Dubai, Afghanistan, PPG, Irving Shipbuilding, Pfizer, Troy (Vietnam), and Oman. As a law student, he interned for federal court judge Honorable Harold Baer Jr. in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

David is an avid cyclist and private pilot.

Kai-Friedrich Niermann Related Seminars and Products

Lawyer

KFN+

Kai is characterized by his outstanding expertise and diverse practice in the cannabis industry. With a broad range of expertise in cannabis and business law, he provides comprehensive legal support to companies and individuals.

From contract drafting and company formation to day-to-day legal support, he assists cannabis companies with customized solutions in all legal matters, including white collar criminal law where necessary.

Kai is also the author of the blog canna-biz.legal, where he positions himself as an expert in the thriving cannabis business. Canna-biz.legal not only provides insights into the legal status of cannabis in Germany and Europe today, but also current developments and offers resources for businesses and interested parties.

His work spans all aspects of the cannabis industry, from advising companies on cultivation licenses and production regulations to assisting with regulatory issues in product development. His deep understanding of the complex legal framework in this sector makes him a sought-after contact.

Kai and his law firm KFN+ advise large CBD and medical cannabis companies, as well as companies and associations interested in the emerging recreational cannabis market. He is also advisor to the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA), which has submitted a joint application to the EU Commission for authorization as a novel food for various CBD products.

With an international perspective, Kai operates not only nationally, but also across borders. His network in the industry enables him to support companies in their global activities and adapt to the challenges of an ever-changing legal landscape.

Kai regularly speaks at international cannabis conferences on topics related to the German and European legal framework for cannabis, and publishes articles at Krautinvest, BusinessCann and in law journals.

Born in Löhne/Westf. in 1972, studied law at the Universities of Marburg, Adelaide (Australia), Cologne, legal assistant at the press center of the German Bundestag (2000-2002), worked for the Berlin District Court, for the Director of Public Prosecution in Berlin, for the Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Hong Kong Consulate General.

Areas of Law:

• Legal Cannabis Consulting
• Regulatory approvals for medical cannabis and CBD
• Business law (company, commercial and contract law) 
• Law of torts
• Criminal business law