Lost in the Weeds
How Cannabis Law Intersects with Other Areas of Law and Practice
This session, led by a local cannabis transactional attorney and a local business lawyer/litigator, will explore the many different areas of law in which cannabis-related issues may arise (including intellectual property, M&A, bankruptcy, commercial transactions, and regulatory compliance), and debunk some common misconceptions about this budding industry. Attendees will also learn about professional ethics requirements and communication issues when representing cannabis clients or cannabis parties; and unique challenges when litigating cannabis-related issues.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
1.Identify at least five legal practice areas impacted by cannabis law.
2. Recognize at least three "red flags" related to cannabis-related fact patterns.
3. Identify key principles in communicating with cannabis clients or parties.
4. Evaluate challenges litigating cannabis-related or cannabis-adjacent issues in court.
5. Determine the current legal distinction between "cannabis" and "hemp," and how CBD products factor into the landscape.
Registration Fee
SCBA Members: $65 | Barristers Club (1st 5 yrs. of practice): $45 | Public: $80 | Students: $20
For the comfort of our guests, a limited number of in-person seats are available. If you wish to attend in-person, we suggest notifying our office at your earliest convenience to reserve your seat. Walk-ins will be admitted as space allows. In-person registrations expire at the start of the presentation. We do ask that you arrive promptly; otherwise your reserved seat may be given to a walk-in attendee. In-person reservations are non-refundable unless cancelled prior to 3 pm one business day prior to the presentation. All registrations are assumed to be remote unless otherwise stated. To reserve your seat for the in-person option, please contact Ann Horn at Ann@SonomaCountyBar.org or (707) 542-1190 ext. 100 to transfer your remote registration to in-person.
Speakers
Ross Jones
Ross B. Jones, Attorney at law
Mr. Jones has over three decades of experience as a business attorney, representing clients in transaction and litigation matters across industries such as agriculture, cannabis, telecom, and food manufacturing. Ross’s recent cannabis-related engagements include commercial real estate transactions, trials to judgment involving cannabis leases and distributorship disputes, and intellectual property protection issues in industries such as cultivation technology and soil nutrients. Ross served as past Chair of the Sonoma County Bar Association's Intellectual Property and Technology Law section.
Lauren Mendelsohn, Esq.
Senior Associate Attorney
Law Offices of Omar Figueroa
Lauren Mendelsohn is a Senior Associate Attorney at the Law Offices of Omar Figueroa, one of the leading cannabis, hemp, and psychedelics law firms in California. She is an activist at heart who enjoys helping individuals and businesses navigate regulatory regimes and coming up with creative solutions to problems. An East Coast native with roots in New York and New Jersey, Lauren was named a Northern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers® in 2020, 2021, and 2022 and a “Lawyer of Distinction” in the area of Intellectual Property by Sonoma Magazine in 2021 and 2022.
Lauren’s current focuses include permitting and licensing, regulatory compliance, business formations and transactions, intellectual property, administrative hearings and appeals, and policy work from drafting to analyzing to advocating for various pieces of legislation. She frequently writes for her law office’s blog and has been featured in newspapers and online publications. She has spoken at numerous cannabis industry conferences and events, and has also taught several continuing legal education seminars in both live and virtual formats. She was selected as a judge for the 2022 and 2023 Emerald Cup competitions.
For several years, Lauren has been involved in drug policy reform as well as other social justice efforts. She formerly chaired the Board of Directors of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, an international youth-led nonprofit organization, and more recently served on the Board of the International Cannabis Bar Association. Currently, Lauren sits on the Board of Directors of California NORML, the Sonoma County Cannabis Alliance, and Círculos Inc. She also volunteers as a chapter leader for the Sonoma County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, and is a member of Americans for Safe Access’ California Advisory Committee.
Lauren earned her J.D. from the University of California, Irvine School of Law and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Maryland. She is a proud member and supporter of the California State Bar, the Sonoma County Bar Association, the International Cannabis Bar Association, Sonoma County Cannabis Alliance, the Students for Sensible Drug Policy Alumni Association, California NORML, the National Cannabis Industry Association, Americans for Safe Access, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Sonoma County Regional Parks.