State Licensing: Navigating New Jersey's Cannabis Regulations

Lauren Rudick Related Seminars and Products

Managing Principal

Rudick Law Group, PLLC

Lauren previously co-founded of Hiller, PC's cannabis law practice. What started as a
passion project in patient rights during a brief residency in California, Lauren has become
one of the Nation’s preeminent cannabis attorneys. Her practice is centered upon the
representation of start-up organizations and investors. With her diverse background in
corporate law, litigation, and land-use and zoning, she provides clients with the most up-
to-date information necessary to operate and invest in successful cannabis and ancillary
businesses. Lauren has run successful applications in competitive medical cannabis states
and adult-use markets alike, and represents a broad spectrum of cannabis and hemp
clients, including plant-touching breeders, cultivators, processors, and product
manufacturers; investors, including family offices and angels; and multiple ancillary
businesses, including networking associations, packaging businesses, ingredient
manufacturers, medical professionals, and industry consultants. Lauren is also a member
of the legal team that brought an action against former Attorney General Sessions and the
federal government seeking, among other things, a declaration that the mis-classification
of cannabis as a Schedule I drug is unconstitutional, on, among other things, due process,
equal protection, free speech, and commerce clause grounds.

Lauren is an Expert Contributor to Marijuana Venture Magazine, a frequent
speaker at national and local cannabis events, including, among others, MJ Biz Con, the
Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition, NCIA, Emerald Cup, and the Women
Grow Leadership Summit and provides pro bono legal and advocacy services to the
Cannabis Cultural Association, among others. Lauren also serves on the Executive
Committee of the Board of Directors for the International Cannabis Bar Association, as
the organization’s Treasurer. Lauren enjoys an extensive network of cannabis
professionals nationwide, enabling her to provide full legal and business services to her
clients.

Jessica F. Gonzalez, Esq. Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

Rudick Law Group, PLLC

As a cannabis attorney, Jessica Gonzalez assists cannabis clients navigating the legal cannabis and hemp industry in the tristate area. She has counseled start up and medium sized cannabis/CBD companies on various matters, including corporate entity set-up, state and local compliance, private offering documents and applications for state cannabis licenses. Jessica also counsels corporate and individual clients on intellectual property procurement, prosecution, protection and enforcement for domestic and international trademarks. As cannabis advocate, Jessica has presented on both the municipal and state level on topics such as social justice/social equity, IP protection, cannabis legislation, state and federal banking and state cannabis licensing.

Cecilia Oyediran Related Seminars and Products

Cannabis Attorney

Foley Hoag LLP

As an associate in the Cannabis group of Foley Hoag, Cecilia Oyediran advises clients on licensing, regulatory, and compliance matters in the legal cannabis industry. Prior to joining Foley Hoag, Cecilia was Corporate Counsel at Acreage Holdings, a publicly traded company holding a large and diverse portfolio of cannabis cultivation, processing and dispensing operations in the tristate area and across the United States. In her role as Corporate Counsel at Acreage, she advised the company on all aspects of the business including transactional, regulatory, compliance, real estate, and labor/employment matters. 

Cecilia serves as Chair-elect of the Cannabis Section of the New York State Bar Association, Co-Director of the Student Committee of the International Cannabis Bar Association and currently sits on the board of NJ NORML. A passionate advocate for cannabis education, Cecilia is a frequent speaker and panelist on a range of issues related to state cannabis licensing, social equity, and corporate law, and volunteers her time to mentor students and young professionals interested in entering the cannabis industry. Cecilia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University, a Master’s in Education from Harvard University, and a law degree from Stanford Law School.

Heather Kumer Related Seminars and Products

Heather works on a wide array of cannabis and hemp matters including, state and local licensing applications, policies, regulatory compliance, zoning and land/use issues, and business startup strategy. She represents a broad spectrum of clients, including: hospitals, non-profits, large corporations, municipalities, and interested individuals new to the industry. She is passionate about providing a voice to her clients and guiding them through this newly legal and regulated cannabis market.

Over 17 years ago, Heather first became involved with drug policy reform and cannabis legislation in 2004 as a student member of Students for Sensible Drug Policy during her undergraduate studies. Considered a thought leader in the cannabis industry, she has been invited to speak at various conferences including the American Planning Association NYC Chapter Planning Conference, New Jersey Association of Planning and Zoning Administrators, Rutgers University Center for Government Services 19th Annual Current Issues in Planning and Zoning, and American Planning Association New Jersey Chapter Planning Conference. Additionally, she continues to work in cannabis industry advocacy as the policy advisor for the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association.

Heather received her B.A. in Law & Society from American University and her J.D. and Environmental Law Certificate from Pace University School of Law.

William Caruso Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Archer & Greiner, P.C.

Bill serves as Chair of Archer’s Cannabis Group. Bill is one of the leading advocates and influencers for the cannabis industry, and served as an influential voice in New Jersey’s long battle to end cannabis prohibition. He is a co-founder of New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform, a group that laid the groundwork for the legalization movement. Bill was also a leader with the advocacy group, NJ CAN 2020, that spearheaded the November 2020 ballot initiative to legalize cannabis for personal use.

In his practice, Bill represents clients that are both veterans and new leaders in the medical and adult-use cannabis industries, including retailers, processors, growers and ancillary businesses. He provides guidance on marijuana-related business issues, including issues pertaining to strategic planning and transactions, banking and finance, taxation, labor and employment, land use and zoning, real estate, municipal law, and healthcare law.

Bill has a deep knowledge of New Jersey government and strong relationships with political and industry leaders in the state. Prior to joining Archer, Bill served nearly five years as the Executive Director of the New Jersey Assembly Majority Office in Trenton. He was responsible for developing and implementing the Assembly’s policy agenda, and, as top aide to the Speaker, served as lead staff negotiator on all policy matters and as liaison to the Governor’s office, Senate and state departments. He was responsible for daily management of approximately 30 policy research professionals and communications and administrative staff. During his tenure, Bill helped shepherd through numerous pieces of landmark legislation, including pension and health benefits reform.

Prior to taking the Assembly post, Bill served for more than 11 years as Chief of Staff for U.S. Rep. Andrews, a Camden County Democrat. In that position, Bill had responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the Congressman’s policy and public relations agenda, with specialization in economic development, education and defense policy. He was responsible for daily management of approximately 20 policy research professionals and communications and administrative staff in offices in New Jersey and Washington, D.C. Bill also served 11 years as Congressman Andrews’ Campaign Manager.

Bill served as Democratic legal and public relations advisor to the 2011 New Jersey Apportionment Commission, which was tasked with redrawing the lines of the state’s 40 legislative districts following the 2010 census.

Alana M. Hans-Cohen Related Seminars and Products

Assistant Counsel

New York State Office of Cannabis Management

CANNABIS ATTORNEY LICENSED IN NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, MASSACHUSETTS, ILLINOIS, COLORADO, AND WASHINGTON

-Chair, New York City Bar Association, Committee on Drugs and the Law - AKA the Cannabis Law Committee
-Director, Cannabis Advisory Group

Alana Hans-Cohen is a one-woman repository of legal knowledge, rap lyrics, and bad puns. An attorney in the cannabis group at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, Alana is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Washington State, Colorado, and Illinois. A self-proclaimed “cannabis nerd,” who focuses on cannabis law and policy, and how this new, highly regulated industry intersects business, real estate, government, and public policy. She’s pragmatic, direct, with a deep social conscience: the perfect combination for a modern lawyer.

An unbreakable advocate for her clients and their causes, navigating her way through the strange maze of cannabis law with no lawyerish crap along the way. She is a firm believer in the idea of an equitable and diverse legal and regulated cannabis industry, and many have had the benefit of her compassionate and fierce advocacy in their cause. Alana is focused on helping the cannabis industry become less "pale, male, and stale." She always says it like it is, in a voice that’s not hard to hear and she might have speeds other than fast forward, but no one is sure. Up for anything, filled with opinions she is happy to share, Alana is basically a good vibe.

Laid back but certainly not slow moving, Alana is your quintessentially millennial NYC professional. Disinclined to accept that anyone should be asleep if she’s not, maybe Alana never actually sleeps. No one really knows. If there’s one thing for which Alana is famous, apart from her mad skills and taste in music, it is for belying the conventional belief that lawyers are boring. She puts an exclamation mark on that sentence.

• From start-up to exit strategy, representing businesses and individuals at each level of the cannabis supply chain, including state-licensed adult-use cannabis, medical cannabis and hemp cultivators, manufacturers, distributors, and dispensaries, whether vertically integrated or operating as standalone businesses, as well as investors in those businesses.

• Advising a full range of vendors, plant-touching and ancillary, which supply their products and services to the cannabis industry, such as bio-mass, technology, advertising, social media, consumption products and security companies on the considerations pertinent to entering into the cannabis space.

• Assisting cannabis-related clients in understanding and assessing the federal and state regulatory framework for cannabis; applications for licenses to operate and related administrative matters; commercial litigation; negotiating and documenting investments, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions; conducting due diligence on the targets of such transactions; federal, state and local tax issues; day-to-day regulatory advice and general business counsel; and labor and employment, including workplace training and litigating workplace claims.

• Providing to public sector stakeholders involved in legislation, rule-making, regulation and municipal decision-making relevant guidance from established cannabis-friendly states, cannabis industry operators, advocates, and thought leaders.

• Educating and providing actionable perspectives to government and private clients on the “how” of the development of legal access to cannabis at the state and local levels.