US Social Equity - Cannabis & Criminal Justice Reform

Jessica F. Gonzalez, Esq. Related Seminars and Products

Cannabis & Trademark Attorney

Rudick Law Group, PLLC

From Advocate to Architect, Jessica's passion for justice drives her groundbreaking work in the cannabis industry. Her successful legalization advocacy and policy expertise set new precedents in cannabis law. Jessica's deep knowledge of intellectual property law empowers clients to protect their innovations and thrive in this dynamic market.
Jessica Gonzalez is an award-winning cannabis attorney, adjunct professor, advocate, consultant and international speaker. An Ecuadorian immigrant, Jessica has dedicated her career to uplifting communities harmed by cannabis prohibition through advocacy and education.

In 2020, Jessica led the social impact committee for NJ CAN 2020, the coalition that ran the most successful cannabis legalization campaign in the U.S. Through her advocacy work, she has helped shape cannabis policy on the statutory, regulatory, and municipal levels in New Jersey and has advised on social equity efforts in multiple states. 

In 2021, Jessica made history with the first cannabis industry presentation to over 400 USPTO trademark examiners, further establishing her as a leading figure in cannabis policy and legal practice. As a cannabis attorney, she has assisted clients in navigating the legal cannabis industry in the areas of trademark, commercial transactions and state cannabis licensing applications for over five years. 

Most recently, Jessica’s consulting company, Veridis Quo, was selected by the New Jersey Business Action Center (NJBAC) to serve as the inaugural consultant to develop and launch the New Jersey Cannabis Training Academy (NJCTA) underscoring her significant contributions to cannabis education. Understanding the importance of cannabis education, Jessica has taught cannabis history and policy courses at both Hudson County Community College and Rowan University at the graduate level. 

She also serves as an executive board member of Supernova Women, a national nonprofit that supports small business owners of color in the cannabis economy. Jessica is also an alumnus of the New Jersey New Leaders Council, a national organization that selects civic leaders in their respective fields. 

Jessica has been recognized as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People” in Cannabis by High Times Magazine, “Reformer of the Year” by Cannademix, “Top 40 under 40 Rising Stars” by Marijuana Venture Magazine and Cannabis Now Magazine, designated as a “Cannabis Law Trailblazer" by the National Law Journal and awarded “Community Game Changer of the Year” by NJ Cannabis Media. She's been quoted and featured in numerous media outlets such as New York Times, Rolling Stone, NJ Law Journal, MJBIZ Daily, Cheddar, and the Cannabis Business Times.

Joseph A. Bondy Related Seminars and Products

Founder | Principal

The Law Offices of Joseph A. Bondy

Named one of America’s Top 100 Attorneys and one of the Top 100 Criminal Trial Lawyers by the American College of Trial Lawyers, Joseph Bondy is an internationally-recognized expert in criminal litigation. With over 25 years of superlative trial and federal sentencing experience, Bondy has advised thousands of clients in complex criminal defense, cannabis business and advocacy, and crisis management matters. The New York Times has described him as “eloquent and armed with the serene demeanor of a surgeon,” saying that “his oratorical intensity hovers at the evangelical.” High Times dubbed Bondy “one of the nation’s preeminent cannabis attorneys,” and his outstanding talent for defense strategy has been hailed by such outlets as CNN, Politico, and New York Law Journal, as well as legal analysts from around the world. Bondy’s unique approach to criminal defense and public media strategies were particularly praised on a global level while he represented Lev Parnas, a Guiliani associate connected to the Ukraine scandal leading to Donald Trump’s first impeachment. Bondy and Parnas’s interview on The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC) was its highest audience-drawing episode of all time, earning an Emmy nomination; and a subsequent feature on Anderson Cooper 360 was one of that program’s most-viewed episodes of the year.

Bondy serves on the Board of Directors for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and is a Vice President and Board Member of the Cannabis Cultural Association (CCA). A graduate of Columbia University and Brooklyn Law School, Bondy was a member of a team of attorneys on the seminal case Washington v Barr (2019), originally Washington v Sessions (2017), which took action against the Department of Justice with the aim to legalize cannabis federally. He is the founder of In The Know 420, a well-known early podcast on cannabis law, policy and industry. Bondy is also a lifetime member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and serves on the faculty of Cardozo Law School’s Intensive Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP). 

Specialties: Defense of complex criminal cases, Cannabis business and licensing.

Devaughn Ward Related Seminars and Products

Marijuana Policy Project

As senior legislative counsel, DeVaughn is the lead attorney in MPP's efforts to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. His work also covers marijuana policy reform efforts in a handful of other states.

Prior to his role at MPP, DeVaughn spent nearly a decade gaining experience in law and public policy by serving in legislative roles in the Connecticut State Senate, the Connecticut Department of Public Health, and City of Hartford. Immediately preceding his role with MPP, DeVaughn managed a civil rights focused law practice in Hartford, Connecticut. DeVaughn is particularly proud of his work on behalf of Connecticut inmates in their battle to be tested and treated for Hepatitis C. In 2019, DeVaughn was recognized as one of the "New Leaders in the Law" by the Connecticut Law Tribune.

DeVaughn earned his B.A. from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law. He is admitted to the bar in all state and federal courts in Connecticut. He resides in Hartford and serves as a board member for several non-profit organizations in the Greater Hartford area.

Ami Kachalia Related Seminars and Products

American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey,

Ami is a Campaign Strategist at the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, where she develops and implements policy advocacy campaigns with a focus on criminal justice reform and immigrants’ rights.

She comes to this position from Drug Policy Alliance in Trenton, NJ, where she executed statewide policy advocacy campaigns on criminal justice and public health issues related to drugs, including pretrial justice, parole reform, marijuana legalization, civil asset forfeiture reform, harm reduction, and access to treatment. Previously, she served at The Fund for New Jersey as a philanthropy fellow and program associate, where she conducted grantmaking to organizations advocating for progressive social and economic policy in New Jersey.

Ami holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rutgers University – New Brunswick.