Cannabis Law Blog

Current INCBA Executive Committee The International Cannabis Bar Association ( INCBA ) is proud to announce the appointment of our esteemed Board of Directors for the 2023-2025 term. Comprised of seven exceptional individuals, this distinguished group brings a wealth of experience and expertise to INCBA. The newly appointed Board of Directors will join Jessica McElfresh, Zach Kobrin, Meital Manzuri Lauren Rudick, Andrea Steel, and Katy Young. Their collective knowledge and dedication will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of INCBA. We extend our warmest congratulations and gratitude to the following accomplished professionals: Richard Cheng Shay Gilmore Jason Horst Amber Littlejohn David Ruskin Shoran Williams Jana Weltzin Click here to view board member details. INCBA looks forward to their invaluable contributions as the organization strives to raise the standard of legal services available to the cannabis industry, advocate for the rights of lawyers representing cannabis

International Cannabis Bar Association Welcomes  Shahiedah Shabazz as New Executive Director San Francisco, CA – The International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA) is pleased to announce and welcome Shahiedah Shabazz as its new Executive Director. Shahiedah joins INCBA after working as a municipal attorney in Southern California and as an Associate in top law firms, including at ArentFox Schiff LLP, where she was the firm’s cannabis regulatory expert and co-lead of the firmwide Cannabis Industry Group. With her 15-year career as an attorney, training in organizational leadership, and deep knowledge of the cannabis industry, Shahiedah brings a wealth of expertise and leadership to the organization. In prior roles, she worked as a transactional attorney and regulatory attorney, helping cannabis operators obtain and maintain state and local licenses, respond to enforcement actions, and successfully complete mergers and acquisitions. She also regularly facilitated communication between pri

Jessica McElfresh, INCBA Member who also holds a seat on our Board of Directors , was interviewed by 10News ABC in San Diego (KGTV) regarding a new California law banning employers from marijuana screening.  "This is a big step." Jessica McElfresh is a criminal defense attorney specializing in cannabis law. She says there's been a push for a law like this for years. "In 13 years I've gotten hundreds of calls from people who were denied a job even when they disclosed it up front it didn't make a difference that it was medical." Click here to read the full story and watch the interview on the KGTV website.

  On the weekend of September 10th, INCBA hosted the first ever Conference for Cannabis Lawyers in Europe at the CB Expo. Over the course of two days, seventeen attorneys from Europe and the US presented seven sessions on the main legal issues facing the European cannabis market. Topics included the principle of free movement of hemp and cannabis products within the EU, the legal classification of CBD products as food or cosmetics, contractual aspects of importing cannabis products into the EU, the legal hurdles in the legalization of recreational cannabis, and much more. The active and participatory audience included both lawyers as well as interested entrepreneurs who could take away valuable insights for their businesses. In addition to the unparalleled education, there was plenty of networking to be found, including the social reception at Cannavigia sponsored by INCBA on the eve of the conference, at the after-party of the conference itself, or at the closing dinner with INCBA Lea

  This week INCBA’s Professional Responsibility and Ethics Committee commented to the ABA regarding a proposed change to the Model Rules for client due diligence , and committee member Joslin Monahan spoke on behalf of INCBA at an ABA roundtable for the same.   INCBA proposed modifying Model Rule 1.2(d) and offered a comment to Rule 1.6 , both designed to promote that cannabis lawyers – and other attorneys dealing with dual sovereignty conflicts – are able to advise and represent their legal cannabis clients, and ensure attorney-client privilege with the same, without fear of discipline merely for assisting their clients in following the law. Quick Links: INCBA Request for Comment Support INCBA Ethics Hotline

Each year, the  International Cannabis Bar Association hosts the Cannabis law Institute , where the leading minds in law convene for a multi-day, immersive educational and networking event. Offering CLE credit in the United States and select other jurisdictions, CLI covers a multitude of topics in educational sessions interspersed with networking luncheons, off-site events, receptions, and committee and leadership meetings to inform your legal practice. In its fifth year, INCBA's CLI has emerged at the do-not-miss event legal event of the year, where relationships are formed, and key insights are provided. Our Fifth Annual Cannabis Law Institute featured an opening keynote by District of Columbia Attorney General, Karl A. Racine . AG Racine has been a public supporter of decriminalizing cannabis since his election in 2014 and has supported both banking initiatives as well as regulation of DC's decriminalized but unregulated cannabis industry since 2019. With his unique persp

  Facing Inconsistent Government Regulation, Cannabis Industry Aims for Doable Reforms - #CLI2022 Original article posted June 14, 2022, by Jeremy Conrad and John Murph, on Duly Noted, The D.C. Bar Blog With expanded legalization and growing capital, the cannabis industry is projected to reach $33.6 billion in global sales by 2025, but the uneven policy landscape in the United States continues to pose challenges to businesses, communities, and state and local governments. At the International Cannabis Bar Association’s fifth annual Cannabis Law Institute on June 9–11, attendees discussed the impacts of federal prohibition on the cultivation, sale, and use of marijuana as well as the lack of uniform cannabis regulation in the country. These inconsistent policies put the District of Columbia, for example, in a confusing and sometimes dangerous territory, said D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, who delivered the keynote address. Unlike many states, the District cannot have a recreational