In this episode, Craig is joined by professor Robert Mikos from Vanderbilt University Law School to discuss the proposed reclassification of marijuana. Craig & Rob take a look at the history of the war on drugs, cannabis law, and what constitutional right an individual has when it comes to drug use.

Guest Jenifer Dana Kaufman is a Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp attorney who has developed a wealth of experience where marijuana law collides with fair compensation and treatment. In this episode of Workers’ Comp Matters, hear how Kaufman unraveled a complicated case and how competing state and federal laws tangle the issue of appropriate care when marijuana is involved, even when prescribed in a state where medical marijuana is legal.

Intent and medical recommendations matter, but can insurers be required to pay for a drug that is technically illegal under federal law? What’s the difference between an insurer paying directly for marijuana vs. reimbursing a patient? Take a deep dive into how marijuana therapy as a Workers’ Comp issue continues to develop.

Cao examines to what extent – if any – evidence of prior marijuana consumption can be used against injured workers, as a growing number of states legalize marijuana both for recreation and medical use.

The nexus of marijuana and injury compensation is a sticky issue. Evidence of marijuana can be detected in an injured worker’s system for weeks after use, unlike alcohol, but it can be present without indicating intoxication. How reliable is testing? How consistent are the rules across states? And what about presumed consent for a drug test after a workplace accident? All interesting topics that could affect your clients.

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George Flores is a 2L at Penn State Law, University Park.

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Andrew Livingston is director of economics and research for Vicente Sederberg, providing analysis on legal and regulatory matters as well as economic market projections for adult-use and medical marijuana laws in Colorado and around the world.

Barb Brohl is currently a principal at BJ Brohl Strategies, where she consults on drug policy strategies for the 21st century.

Jason Searns is general counsel for Grok.

Amanda Ostrowitz is a regulatory attorney and founder of RegsTechnology and its current product, CannaRegs–a tool to aid attorneys, business people, and governments with localized tracking of regulatory issues.

Leonard Frieling is the first ever chair of the Colorado Bar Association’s Marijuana Law Committee and a criminal defense attorney with over 38 years of experience.

Damon Cassens is a trial lawyer at Waters, Kubik, & Cassens who has practiced law in Colorado Springs since 1994.

(Host) Vince Imhoff is managing director of Imhoff & Associates.

Charlie Bachtell is the CEO of Cresco Labs, LLC. In this role, Bachtell ensures that Cresco is an industry leader, setting new standards for a progressive, transparent and reputable medical cannabis community.

Dina Rollman is GTI’s Chief Counsel – Compliance. In this role, she monitors and ensures full compliance with state and federal laws pertaining to GTI’s multi-state cultivation and dispensary operations.

Matt works for Corry & Associates, and he has successfully resolved numerous marijuana cases ranging from cultivation to RICO violations, and has assisted in the formation of grows, dispensaries, and MIPs across Colorado, from the Western Slope to Pueblo, County.

On Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host J. Craig Williams joins Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML and Ben Cort, business development manager for the Center for Addiction Recovery and Rehabilitation (CeDAR), to discuss the recent decision by the DEA to keep marijuana on the Schedule 1 list. They will talk impact, the legalization of marijuana, manufacturing marijuana for scientific purposes, and what the future holds on this controversial topic.

Paul Armentano is deputy director of NORML, and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, and a senior policy advisor at Freedom Leaf, Inc: The Marijuana Legalization Company. He is the co-author of the book “Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?” Paul was also the principal investigator for defense counsel in U.S. v Schweder, the first federal evidentiary since 1973 hearing to challenge the constitutionality of cannabis as a schedule I controlled substance.

Ben Cort is business development manager for the Center for Addiction Recovery and Rehabilitation (CeDAR), part of the University of Colorado Health system. Ben’s passion for recovery, prevention and harm reduction comes from his own struggle with substance abuse. Sober since 1996, Cort is also a junior fellow at the University of Florida’s Drug Policy Institute and serves on the boards of Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) and the Stout Street Foundation.

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In this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, hosts J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi interview Tom Downey from Ireland Stapleton, Professor Sam Kamin from the University of Denver, and Leonard Frieling from NORML. Together they discuss existing federal restrictions, criminal penalties, and how H.R. 2076 might change the landscape. Tune in to hear about the Supremacy Clause, money laundering, and much more.

Tom Downey is a director and attorney at Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, where he represents primarily liquor and marijuana businesses. Prior to that, he led Denver’s Department of Excise and Licenses where he redrafted Denver’s policies and procedures for liquor licensing and wrote the original policies and procedures for Denver’s recreational marijuana licenses.

Sam Kamin is the Vicente Sederberg Professor of Marijuana Law and Policy at the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law where he teaches ‘Representing the Marijuana Law Client’. His areas of research include criminal procedure, death penalty jurisprudence, federal courts, and constitutional remedies.

Leonard Frieling is the first ever chair of the Colorado Bar Association’s Marijuana Law Committee and former executive director of Colorado NORML, which is part of a nationwide organization dedicated to reforming laws on marijuana. In addition, he is a criminal defense attorney with over 38 years of experience.

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Joseph Yastrow is president of Laner Muchin in Chicago, a 45 person labor and employment law boutique that represents employers in all labor relations matters. He presented at ‘The Employment Law Implications of Medical Marijuana’ session at the ABA Annual Meeting.

Adding to this confusion, the marijuana industry is attracting lawyers willing to help clients navigate criminal codes and regulatory bodies in what is still a crime under federal law. Doesn’t that mean these lawyers are breaking the law and the oaths they swore to their respective state bars? If you’ve ever wondered about these issues, you are not alone.

Moderated by Above The Law Editor Staci Zaretsky and hosted at Legal Talk Network headquarters, this Q&A podcasting event feature experts like Hilary Bricken from Harris Moure’s Canna Law Group, Tom Downey from Ireland Stapleton, Professor Sam Kamin from University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and Brian Ruden, who owns Starbuds, Tree of Wellness, and Altermeds.

Host:

Staci Zaretsky became an editor for Above the Law in June 2011. Her writing has appeared in other legal publications, such as Judgepedia, Lawyerist, and Ms. JD. She has been featured on various television and radio programs, including CNBC’s Power Lunch, CBS Radio News, BBC Radio, CLTV Chicago, HuffPost Live, TF1 TV France, Chicago Public Radio, and Civil Discourse Now.

Guests:

Hilary Bricken is a litigator who joined Harris Moure in 2010, where she represents startups, entrepreneurs, and companies in all stages of development. She has been named Deal Maker of the Year by the Puget Sound Business Journal and is a contributor to Al Jazeera America, CNN, Fox News, and the New York Times

Tom Downey is a director and attorney at Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, PC, where he represents primarily liquor and marijuana businesses. Prior to that he led Denver’s Department of Excise and Licenses where he redrafted Denver’s policies and procedures for liquor licensing and wrote the original policies and procedures for Denver’s recreational marijuana licenses.

Professor Sam Kamin is the Vicente Sederberg Professor of Marijuana Law and Policy at University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law where he teaches ‘Representing the Marijuana Law Client’. His areas of research include criminal procedure, death penalty jurisprudence, federal courts, and constitutional remedies.

Brian Ruden is an attorney who owns three dispensaries in Colorado called Starbuds, Tree of Wellness, and Altermeds. He has spent many years researching growing techniques and testing strains to deliver high quality medical and recreational marijuana products. Prior to entering the marijuana business in 2010, Brian was a litigator turned tax resolution expert.

In this month’s Asked and Answered, Seattle lawyer Ryan Espegard chats with the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward about how he advises the marijuana industry–being mindful of state and federal regulation–and what sorts of business development activities have worked for him.

Sabrina Fendrick currently serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for NORML the Washington DC-based National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. In 2010, she founded the NORML Women’s Alliance and served as Director of Women’s Outreach to develop multiple female-focused awareness campaigns to educate women, and empower them to speak out on behalf of progressive cannabis policies. Today Fendrick remains dedicated to increasing women’s involvement throughout all aspects of the legalization movement, including parenting and child custody issues.

Carla Lowe is the founder of Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana (CALM). She has been a volunteer anti-drug activist since 1977. Carla co-founded Californians for Drug-Free Youth and Californians for Drug-Free Schools. In addition, she chaired the Nancy Reagan Speakers’ Bureau of the National Federation of Parents for Drug-Free Youth. Lowe is a mother of five grown children, grandmother of nine, and former high-school teacher.

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Jim Andrews has served as an executive in the pharmacy industry for the past 30 years. Currently, he is the Executive Vice President of Pharmacy Services for Healthcare Solutions and a frequent presenter on industry topics. He is also a renowned writer and thought leader in pharmacy journals.

Albert Randall is a principal at Franklin & Prokopik where his practice concentrates in employer defense for labor and employment, workers’ compensation, tort liability, administrative and regulatory matters, and general civil litigation. He is also a member of the National Defense Lawyers Network and counsel to Maryland Motor Truck Association.

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Brian Vicente is a Colorado criminal defense attorney and founding partner of Vicente Sederberg. He also serves as Executive Director for Sensible Colorado, chairs the Denver Mayor’s Marijuana Policy Review Panel, and coordinates the Colorado Bar Association’s Drug Policy Project.

Dan Riffle is a former assistant prosecutor for Vinton County, Ohio who has turned lobbyist on Capitol Hill. He currently serves as the Director of Federal Policies for Marijuana Policy Project and has shepherded 2013 legislation through Illinois making it the second largest medical marijuana state.

Kathy Haddock is the Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Boulder, Colorado. She is primarily responsible for advising finance, records, elections, airport, special districts, and special projects including medical and recreational marijuana. She has also been responsible for drafting the laws that license and govern medical marijuana businesses in Boulder, Colorado.

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