The NORML Key West Legal Seminar has outstanding speakers from around the country presenting important topics such as issues related to defense of marijuana consumers, legal issues in the cannabis industry, and resources to support each other in the pursuit of justice.
Paul Armentano
Paul Armentano has over two decades experience working professionally in cannabis policy. He is the Deputy Director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, and he also serves on the faculty of Oaksterdam University, where he is the Chair of Science.
His writing on cannabis and cannabis policy has appeared in over 1,000 publications, scholarly and/or peer-reviewed journals, as well as in more than two dozen textbooks and anthologies. Mr. Armentano is the co-author of the book Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? (2009, Chelsea Green), which has been licensed and translated internationally. He is also the author of the book The Citizen’s Guide to State-By-State Marijuana Laws (2015), available from Whitman Publishing.
He is the 2013 Freedom Law School Health Freedom Champion of the Year and the 2013 Alfred R. Lindesmith award recipient for achievement in the field of scholarship. He is the 2019 recipient of the Al Horn Award to Advance the Cause of Justice, presented by the NORML Legal Committee.
Joe 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 Giuliani associate connected to the Ukraine scandal leading to Donald Trump’s first impeachment. Bondy and Parnas’ 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 as Chair of the Board of Directors for 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 leading 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 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).
Victoria Cvitanovic
Victoria Cvitanovic is a psychedelic medicine and cannabis attorney at Rudick Law Group, PLLC specializing in matters such as commercial transactions, regulatory compliance, state licensing, insurance, supply chain logistics, medical malpractice defense, medical board defense, and corporate law. Victoria leverages her diverse experience across criminal law, healthcare regulatory law, logistics, and litigation portfolio management to act as a strategic partner to her clients, mitigating risk in multiple interdisciplinary aspects of their growing businesses.
Victoria first witnessed the need for sophisticated representation in the cannabis and psychedelic medicine spaces as a prosecutor for the State of Louisiana, Parish of Orleans, where she handled a substantial felony docket, made charging decisions in violent criminal cases, managed and obtained indictments before grand juries, tried numerous cases to verdict, and rose to become the Chief of the Juvenile Division, making her the youngest person to obtain a “Chief” rank in that office at that time. As a prosecutor, Victoria advocated for diversion, addiction treatment options, and hybrid sentencing options. After transitioning out of prosecution, Victoria defended doctors and hospital networks on behalf of both the state of Louisiana and private insurance companies, securing verdicts on behalf of healthcare providers at both the pre-panel and post-panel levels and before various professional regulatory bodies. These successes led Victoria to become a contract drafter, a regulatory advisor, a tactical ally in structuring, securing, and enforcing complex settlement agreements, and a strategic partner to her healthcare clients. During this time, Victoria’s lifelong interest in technology, data privacy, and supply-chain logistics led her to litigate on behalf of several large corporate technology companies. Once again, Victoria’s courtroom success led clients to seek out her strategic advice, leading her to perform litigation portfolio management, contract development, and technological/trade secret discovery management to ensure consistent success across business lines and jurisdictions.
Victoria’s personal experiences drive strategic growth for her clients. After a life-altering injury, Victoria experienced the transformative power of psychedelic medicine and cannabis therapy as a patient. Chronic pain drove her to set a goal of bringing together her litigation, healthcare, and strategic business experience to ensure patients and others in need of access to these modalities. Now, Victoria provides high quality legal services to a variety of psychedelic medicine and cannabis businesses and healthcare providers, with an emphasis on Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAT/KAP) providers, Cannabis medical markets, Cannabis recreational markets, emerging Psilocybin medical and therapeutic programs, Cannabis supply chain logistics, and Psychedelic supply chain logistics.
Victoria is a frequent speaker and guest on psychedelics podcasts. She is a prolific psychedelic policy commentator on LinkedIn, where she provides updates on breaking news, litigation, and legislation affecting the Louisiana and New Mexico markets. She is also a dedicated Zen Buddhist and meditation and yoga instructor, focusing on making these practices accessible to other chronic pain patients.
Tom Dean
Tom Dean has been an attorney advocate for nationwide cannabis policy reform for over 25 years. He attended his first NORML state chapter event in Ohio while a sophomore in college. As a young lawyer in Flagstaff, Arizona, he represented numerous clients charged with marijuana related offenses facing the many terrible consequences of marijuana prohibition. In 1995, he joined the NORML Legal Committee and remains an active Lifetime Member.
In 1998, Tom became the Legal Director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in Washington, DC. As Legal Director, he initiated and managed important marijuana related cases of national importance to the cannabis community. In that capacity, he also coordinated the efforts of the NORML Amicus Committee (former chair) in key cases throughout the U.S. He is also credited with creating The NORML Foundation Freedom Card and initiating the NORML Hemp Alliance.
In 2015 the organization recognized his successful advocacy by inducting him into the NORML Distinguished Counsel’s Circle.
Tom moved back to Phoenix in 2008 and established his current practice which provides representation in marijuana related criminal and administrative matters. In 2016, Tom received the President’s Commendation award from the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice (AACJ) for his work in cannabis criminal defense. In 2020, Tom received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Errl Cup, a medical marijuana event producer which includes Arizona’s premier cannabis awards festival (30,000 attendees this year). In 2021, Tom received the Mikel Weiser Lifetime Achievement Award from Arizona’s Marijuana Industry Trade Association (MITA). Most recently, in 2023, Tom was honored by NORML with the Al Horn Award, which is awarded each year “in recognition of a lifetime of ceaseless work to advance the cause of justice and for their extraordinary support for NORML.”
Tom is also active in other important cannabis organizations on both a local and National level. Of note, he was a founding member of the Arizona Cannabis Bar Association (ACBA), an organization that seeks to educate lawyers and the public about the many unique aspects of cannabis law and emerging cannabis related areas of practice. He continues to serve on the ACBA board and as its current Vice President. In 2024, Tom formed a new firm with two other phoenix attorneys, Julie Gunnigle and Jon Udell, called Full Spectrum Law Collective. FSLC represents clients in a broad array of cannabis practice areas. Outside of his practice, Tom enjoys, among other things, trout fishing, hiking, and presenting at marijuana and hemp related seminars and conferences for lawyers and the public.
Stephen Dillon
Stephen W. Dillon is a 74 year-old attorney who has practiced criminal defense and constitutional law throughout the state of Indiana and U.S.A. in both federal and state courts for almost 50 years.
Steve lives in Monroe County with his wife, Jessie A. Cook. She is also a criminal defense attorney and is an adjunct professor of law at Indiana University in Bloomington. Steve has one child and four grandchildren. Born in Sterling, Illinois on December 5, 1949, Steve grew up and lived in Lafayette, Indiana. He graduated from Culver Summer Naval Academy in 1966. He graduated from Jefferson High School in 1968 and graduated from Purdue University in 1972 (cum laude) with a major in Communications and a minor in Psychology. He was a varsity debater and a member of Phi Kappa Psi social fraternity, Phi Kappa Phi academic honorary, and Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha debate honorary. Steve was employed at Dillon Hardware Company in Lafayette during high school and college. Steve was on the Board of Directors of Dillon Hardware Company (Indiana) and Dillon Travel Agency (Florida) for many years.
Steve moved to Indianapolis in 1972 to attend Indiana University Law School at Indianapolis. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence in May 1975 and was admitted to the Indiana Bar in October of 1975. Steve served the State as a Deputy Public Defender of Indiana from 1975 until 1977. From 1978 until 1988 he practiced with other private Indianapolis attorneys. In 1988 Steve opened Dillon Law Office which is located at 3601 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46205.
Steve was an active member of the National and Indiana Libertarian Party for many years. He is a member of F.I.J.A., the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Indiana Bar Association. Steve was a founding member and continues to remain active on the NORML Legal Committee. He helped start Indiana NORML in 1974 and was State Director for over 30 years. He continues to be active on the Indiana NORML Board of Directors. Steve has served as a member of the NORML Board of Directors since 1991 and was Chairman of the Board from 1999-2011. In 1993, Steve was ordained as a minister by the Indiana Association of Spiritualists, Inc.. Steve served seven years on the Board of Trustees of the Association. In 1994, Steve became an active member of the Criminal Justice Section of the Indiana State Bar Association and served as chair 2013-2014. Steve served for years as an active member of the Indiana Supreme Court Committee to Study Evidence-based Pre-trial Release. He served four terms on the Judicial Committee of the National Libertarian Party. Steve served six years on the Board of Directors and was President of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington for two years. Steve has served for over twenty years as President of the Lake Lemon Homeowner’s Association, Inc.. Steve has authored two books: A Collection of Short Stories and Poems (2017) and More Short Stories and Poems (2019).
Steve entered the political arena in 1986 when he ran for Prosecutor of Marion County on the Libertarian ticket. In 1987 Steve put his name in the running for City-County Council at Large as an unslated Republican. In 1988 Steve was nominated for U.S. Senator as a Libertarian. The Libertarian Party was unable to collect the required 35,000 signatures on petitions to put his name on the ballot. In 1990, primarily through the efforts of Steve and Dillon Law Office, the Libertarian party won their federal lawsuit against Indiana’s ban on write-in voting. Therefore, Steve once again was on the campaign trail for the Libertarian Party of Indiana running for the United States Senate as a write-in candidate in the fall election of 1990. In 1992, Steve was on the ballot for U.S. Senate as a Libertarian receiving over 30,000 votes.
In 1994, Steve ran as a Libertarian for Secretary of State of Indiana and received over 32,000 votes statewide, which represented 2.2% of the total vote count and secured ballot status for the Libertarian Party of Indiana. In 1995, Steve ran on the Libertarian ticket for Mayor of Indianapolis and received 6.5% of the total vote. In 1996 Steve was the Libertarian candidate for Governor and received about 2% of the total vote. In 1998 Steve was on the ballot again as the Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State of Indiana and received over 3% of the total vote. In 2000, Steve ran as a Libertarian candidate for Monroe Circuit Court Judge and received 28% of the vote in a two-way race.
Steve was honored with several professional awards. In 1999, Steve received the “Dr. Barbara Bourland Light of Liberty Award” from the Libertarian Party of Indiana. In 2009, Steve received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the NORML Board of Directors in recognition of “a lifetime of activism reforming marijuana laws and advancing the cause of personal freedom.” In 2011, Steve received the “Attorney of the Year Award” from the Indiana Cannabis Action Network and Relegalize Indiana. In 2014, Steve received an award for leadership and dedication as Chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the Indiana State Bar Association. Also in 2014, Steve received the Al Horn Award for “a lifetime of ceaseless work to advance the cause of justice and extraordinary support for NORML” from the NORML Legal Committee.
In 2016, Steve received the, “Steve Dasbach Chairman Award for Extraordinary Service” from the Libertarian Party of Indiana for helping to grow the party in extraordinary ways over many years. In 2024, Steve was honored by the State of Indiana with a Proclamation for 50 years of work to reform the marijuana laws with Indiana NORML. Steve also received a Founder and 50 Year Service Award from the Indiana NORML Board of Directors.
Morgan Fox
Morgan Fox is the Political Director at NORML, focusing on congressional lobbying and changing federal cannabis laws. As a professional cannabis policy reform advocate since 2008, Morgan has been directly involved in dozens of successful state ballot initiative campaigns to establish medical and adult use cannabis programs, as well as legislative victories at the local, state, and federal levels. He has been featured in hundreds of print, radio, television, and online publications. Morgan was most recently the Media Relations Director and chief spokesperson for the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) before joining NORML, and spent nearly a decade at the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) prior to that. He lives in Washington, DC, and when he’s not working to end prohibition and repair the damage it has caused, he can usually be found exploring the numerous parks and playgrounds of our nation’s capital with his children.
Nikki Fried
Nikki Fried, Florida’s 12th Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, is a lifelong Floridian, attorney and passionate activist. Born and raised in Miami, Commissioner Fried graduated from the University of Florida, where she received her bachelor’s, master’s in political campaigning and juris doctor degrees. While at the University of Florida, she served as student body president – the first woman to hold the position in nearly two decades.
When Nikki won her election, she became Florida’s only statewide elected Democrat, first democrat elected to the Cabinet in nearly 2 decades, and the first female ever elected to serve as Commissioner. Since taking office as Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner, she has helped build the state hemp industry, stood up for LGBTQ+ equality, and fought for clean water, improved the gun licensing process, and much more.
Prior to being elected, Fried was the head of the Felony Division at the Alachua County Public Defender’s Office and worked in private practice in South Florida, defending homeowners against foreclosure during the 2007-2008 housing crisis. She also worked at law firms as a government consultant, advocating on behalf of clients before the Florida Legislature. In 2017, she formed her own firm to advocate in Tallahassee for at-risk children, the Broward County School Board, and for the expansion of patient access to medical marijuana.
Throughout her career she has served with numerous organizations including the Young Lawyers Board of Governors, Chair of the Broward Days Board of Directors, Legal Needs of Children Bar Committee, LeRoy Collins Institute, Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, University of Florida Governmental Relations Advisory Committee, University of Florida Board of Trustees, Florida’s Children First, and others.
Gerald “Gerry” Harris Goldstein
Gerry Goldstein is a nationally known and respected defense lawyer at Goldstein, Goldstein & Hilley in San Antonio, Texas. He is a past president of both the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He has served as amicus curiae for NACDL in many high-profile cases, including CNN v. Manuel Noriega and Joe Does v. United States, arguing lawyers should not be required to disclose the identity of cash-paying clients on IRS forms.
His forceful Congressional testimony during the 1996 House Waco hearings is credited with helping to turn the tide against further suppression of citizens’ rights in America. More recently, he represented Dr. Al-Badr Al Hazmi, a fifth-year radiology resident in San Antonio who was arrested on Sept. 12, 2001. Subsequently, Goldstein testified before Congress on his client’s request to speak with counsel.
Gerry Goldstein is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and Texas Lawyer’s Legal Legends. He also has been profiled in numerous publications, served as an adjunct professor of law at University of Texas School of Law in Austin and at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio and is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
He also is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. In his role as an adjunct professor, Gerry teaches a course titled Advanced Criminal Law (Defense of a Complex Federal Prosecution). Other lectures and presentations include U.S. Supreme Court updates, Crawford & the Current State of the Hearsay Rule, Crossing the Double Crosser and Federal Appeals.
His published works include: Grand Jury Practice; Pretrial Release; Indictment [Joinder/Severance/Transfer]; Pretrial Motions; Suppression of Evidence; Jury Selection; Trial [Evidence]; Examination of Witnesses; Jury Instructions; Closing Arguments; Creative Trial Techniques; Criminal Issues – Civil Cases; Jury Arguments [Closings to Remember]; Search and Seizure; Life and Hearsay – Post Crawford Era; Federal Appeals; and Supreme Court Review.
Gerry earned his juris doctor at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas, in 1968. He also graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1965, with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Gerry received a certification in Criminal Law in 1975 from the State Bar of Texas. He holds the following bar admissions: Texas (1968), Colorado (1989), U.S. District Court Western District of Texas (1970), U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit (1982), U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit (1970), U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit (1983), U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit (1979), U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit (1983), U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit (1981) and the U.S. Supreme Court (1975).
Gerry Goldstein received NORML’s Al Horn Award in 1999, which commemorated a lifetime of advocacy and support for responsible marijuana law reform. He has also received the following honors and awards: Best Lawyers in America, 1987 — Present; Texas Monthly – Texas Super Lawyers; Top 100 Texas Super Lawyers; Top 50 Central and West Texas Region Super Lawyers, Criminal Defense: White Collar, 2003 — 2007; Scene in SA Monthly – San Antonio’s Best Attorneys, San Antonio Law, Top Ten Lawyers, 2004 — present; Texas Lawyer Legal Legends, 100 Best Lawyers over Last 100 years (100 Year Anniversary of State Bar of Texas), 2000; Fellow, State Bar Foundation, 1976 — Present; Recipient, Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award [Outstanding Criminal Defense Attorney in the United States] from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1991; Recipient, Outstanding Criminal Defense Lawyer in Texas from the State Bar of Texas, 1991; Justice Albert Tate, Jr. Award [Outstanding Contribution to Criminal Advocacy] from the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1993; Recipient, John Henry Faulk Civil Libertarian of the Year Award from the American Civil Liberties Union; Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Hall of Fame, 2002; Marquis Who’s Who, Who’s Who in American Law, 14th Edition, 2006 — 2008; First Annual Michael J. Kennedy Social Justice Award, George Washington University, (May, 2016); William S. Sessions American Inns of Court First Annual Goldstein Award of Excellence (2015); San Antonio Bar Association, Joe Frazier Brown, Jr., Award of Excellence for Outstanding Leadership and Service to the Legal Community & Citizens of Texas, 2016.
He is a member of the following professional associations: National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Past President (1994 — 1995); Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Past President; International Academy of Trial Lawyers; American College of Trial Lawyers; American Board of Criminal Lawyers; American Board of Trial Advocates, President; Dean’s Round Table, University of Texas School of Law; Texas Civil Liberties Union; San Antonio Bar Association; American Bar Association; and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.
John Wesley Hall
John Wesley Hall, Little Rock criminal defense attorney, is a Past President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Hall received the organization’s prestigious Robert C. Heeney Award in 2002 for service to the criminal defense bar. He was chair of the NACDL Ethics Advisory Committee from 1990-2005, and on the International Criminal Court’s Disciplinary Appeals Tribunal. He has tried 250+ jury trials and handled 250+ appeals, including three in the U.S. Supreme Court. He is the author of Search and Seizure (3d ed., 4th ed. forthcoming), Professional Responsibility in Criminal Defense Practice (3d ed.), Trial Handbook for Arkansas Lawyers (4th ed.), and numerous articles. He has done CLEs in 38 states, 3 provinces, and The Hague.
Sonia Martinez
Ms. Martinez is a licensed attorney in Arizona and California. In 2004, Ms. Martinez graduated Magna Cum Laude from Southwestern Law School, located in Los Angeles, CA. In addition, Ms. Martinez graduated as a John J. Schumacher Minority Leader Scholar, and earned special United States Congressional recognition for her ‘Outstanding and Invaluable Public Service to the Community.’ After graduation, in 2004, Ms. Martinez practiced complex environmental law in California until she moved to Arizona in 2006. In 2006, she began practicing law in Arizona, and worked as a Special Prosecutor for the Ak-Chin Tribal Nation. Later, she became a Litigation Associate at Jones Skelton & Hochuli P.L.C., handling complex environmental law, commercial and general defense work.
From working at the prestigious Jones Skelton & Hochuli P.L.C., handling complex litigation to opening her own practice in 2008, Ms. Martinez has represented clients large and small for nearly 15 years. She made headlines in late 2017 when her office secured recognition of same-sex marriage rights for tribal members a part of the Ak-Chin Tribal Nation. Ms. Martinez regularly takes cases in Indian Country, and is licensed to practice in multiple tribal jurisdictions. A large portion of her practice focuses on representing tribal members in their private family, dependency, criminal, and civil law matters.
Ms. Martinez practiced long before Arizona’s passage of the 203 Medical Marijuana proposition, which occurred in 2010. Ms. Martinez’ practice has stayed in front of the curve as she has regularly worked and continues to work with clientele faced with legal issues stemming from the Arizona’s Medical Marijuana Act. Also, Ms. Martinez worked with clients in anticipation, but ultimate rejection of the ‘Yes on Prop 205’ Campaign, and has done so since 2015. Moreover, Ms. Martinez is the Vice President of the Arizona Cannabis Lawyer’s Association.
Ms. Martinez has participated in numerous lawyer organizations, most notably, affiliated with the Arizona State Bar. Further, Ms. Martinez has presented as a panelist at dozens of education seminars and has been invited to teach as a guest lecturer related to her practice in Indian Country. Last, but certainly not least, she is the mother of two daughters.
Beverly Moran
Beverly I. Moran is a professor of law and professor of sociology at Vanderbilt Law School. She teaches in federal income taxation, including individuals, partnerships, tax-exempt organizations and corporate, as well as courses in Law and Cinema, Islamic Law and Race and Law.
In addition to her work on the Internal Revenue Code, Professor Moran’s interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary work encompasses empirical legal studies (“Coitus and Consequences“), international and comparative tax law (“Taxation” in The Oxford Handbook of Legal Studies), Islamic law (“Islamic Law and Elder Care in the Central Asian Edgen System”), labor law (“The Right to Religious Accommodation in Pension Plans“), law and development (“Local Government Tax Incentives for Economic Development”), legal education (“Revisiting the Work We Know So Little About: Race, Wealth, Privilege, and Social Justice“), legal philosophy (“Capitalism and the Tax System: A Search for Social Justice“), and politics (“United States’ Trade Policy and the Exportation of United States’ Culture“).
Over the course of her career, she has won a number of teaching awards and grants, including a Fulbright award and grants from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Ford Foundation. While serving on Vanderbilt’s law faculty, she has served on the executive committee of the Association of American Law Schools, the board of the Society of American Law Teachers and as part of the American Bar Association Initiative on the Middle East and North Africa. She is a former director of Vanderbilt’s LL.M. and Social Justice programs, and was the first director of the Vanderbilt University Center for the Americas. She spent 2008-09 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an American Council on Education Fellow.
Before joining Vanderbilt’s law faculty, Professor Moran taught at the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she directed the Center on Law and Africa. She began her academic career on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She has also been a visiting professor at the University of Colorado, the University of Asmara in Eritrea, the University of Kentucky, Michigan State University, People’s University in Beijing, the Peking University in Beijing, and the University of Giessen in Germany.
Courtney Moran
Courtney N. Moran, LL.M., founding Principal of EARTH Law, LLCand Chief Legislative Strategist for Agricultural Hemp Solutions, LLC, expertly champions forward-thinking policy for hemp agribusiness success. She worked closely with the offices of Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in drafting and negotiating the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 the language included in the 2018 Farm Bill federally legalizing hemp.
Courtney co-authored and is leading efforts on the federal Industrial Hemp Act of 2023 (S. 980, H.R. 3755), with IND Hemp and the National Hemp Association, to reduce regulatory barriers for grain and fiber farmers, support industrial hemp supply chain growth, and expand hemp grain and fiber market opportunities.
She earned her Juris Doctorate from St. Thomas University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During law school, Courtney interned for Keith Stroup at NORML. She is admitted to practice in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Courtney began her career practicing medical marijuana patient criminal defense. Appealing a county court’s decision on behalf of her medical patient client, the State of Oregon conceded in State v. Ellis, 260 OR App 174 (2013), that hashish is medical marijuana.
In January 2014, Courtney graduated magna cum laude from Lewis and Clark Law School with a Master of Laws in Environmental and Natural Resources Law, with an emphasis in Industrial Hemp Law.
In the Spring of 2015 Courtney’s article, Industrial Hemp: Canada Exports, United States Imports was published in the Fordham Environmental Law Review.
From 2015 to June 2023, Courtney lobbied for the Oregon Industrial Hemp Farmers Association (OIHFA)/ Oregon Hemp Association (ORHA) to protect Oregon hemp agricultural interests, passing five pro-hemp pieces of legislation and participating in every hemp-related rulemaking within the state. In 2021, OIHFA led the passage of HB 2284 establishing the Oregon Hemp Commodity Commission, and HB 3000 an omnibus cannabis bill that creates the framework for regulating adult-use cannabinoids. Throughout 2022, Courtney served as a Governor Appointee on the HB3000/SB1564 Taskforce on Cannabis-Derived Intoxicants and Illegal Cannabis Production representing hemp farmer interests in Oregon.
She strategically guided the initial implementation of hemp programs in South Carolina, Wisconsin, Alaska, and Missouri. She continues to influence hemp policy development in numerous states throughout the U.S. and federally. In 2021, she led the passage of HB 396 in Montana, authorizing hemp food ingredients as commercial animal feed, opening markets for hemp grain, fiber, and whole plant products.
Courtney successfully litigated the landmark cases KaB, LLC v USPIS (2018) and RNF, LLC v USPIS, MLB 18-113 (2018) establishing the precedent for the shipment of hemp, specifically hemp-derived CBD and viable hemp seeds, through the US Postal Service.
In Fall 2021, Courtney joined the Oaksterdam University Faculty teaching Business of Cannabis: Hemp and CBD. In Spring 2022, she joined the Lewis and Clark Law School Faculty as an adjunct law professor teaching the first Hemp Law Policy course in the U.S.
Internationally, on October 26, 2016, Courtney testified at El Seminario Internacional Perspectivas Legislativas Para La Regulaciόn de la Cannabis No Psicoactiva Para Su Uso Medicinal, Terapéutico e Industrial before the Senado de la República in Mexico City, Mexico. She also participated in the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem in April 2016 on behalf of U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley.
In January 2023, Courtney joined the National Hemp Association Board of Directors as Legislative Counsel. She also serves on the NORML Board of Directors Emeritus Board, the Oregon State Bar Cannabis and Psychedelics Law Section Executive Committee, the National Hemp Association Standing Committee of Hemp Organizations, and the International Cannabis Bar Association Advisory Board.
Courtney was voted by the HIA membership as the 2018 Hemp Industries Association Advocate of the Year. She was also awarded as Hemp History Week’s Leading Grassroots Advocate. Courtney was celebrated by Capital Press newspaper as the Western Innovator: Leading the ‘green rush’. She is a sought-after attorney, lobbyist, guest lecturer, and speaker.
During his keynote presentation at the 2019 Western U.S. Hemp Growers Conference & Expo in Portland, Oregon, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden acknowledged “In a sentence, we would not have hemp legalization without Courtney”.
Gregory Morse
Gregory J. Morse is an attorney at the law firm of Morse Legal in Palm Beach County, FL where he has practiced criminal defense in state and federal court for more than twenty years. Greg began his career at the West Palm Beach Public Defender’s Office in 2000 and he is currently on the CJA panel for the United States Southern District of Florida. He is a member of the NORML Legal Committee, The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), and The American Inns of Court (CSB).
Greg has had cases featured on: Vengeance: Millionaire Murderers, 48 hours, Inside Edition, American Monster, and In Ice Cold Blood. He is considered a Top 100 trial lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers and a 10 Best Attorney in FL by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys. He has been published in the New York Law School Law Review, “Techno-Jury: Techniques in Verbal and Visual Persuasion.” He graduated from New York Law School, cum laude; SUNY Buffalo; and University of North London, England. Greg has presented on topics covering all aspects of trial from Jury selection to sentencing. Greg is also an author. His debut novel, The Untested was released in 2022.
Billy Murphy
William H. “Billy” Murphy, Jr. has practiced law for 35 years, including three years as a judge on the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, the highest level Maryland trial court. Mr. Murphy has tried numerous high-profile criminal and civil cases, including some of the most celebrated cases in Maryland history and in the country. In 2004, Mr. Murphy received the Charles Hamilton Houston Award for Lifetime Achievement in Litigation from the University of Baltimore School of Law in “recognition of his career of excellence, innovation and achievement in courtroom advocacy.”
Lauren Rudick
Lauren Rudick is a prominent dealmaker in the cannabis legal landscape, known for her leadership as the Founder and Managing Principal of the Rudick Law Group, with offices in New York City, Jersey City, Santa Fe, New Orleans, and Latin America. With extensive experience in cannabis and hemp law and regulations, Lauren has played a pivotal role in advising and representing clients within the rapidly evolving cannabis industry and ancillary industries, including agriculture technology, biotech, and psychedelics. Her expertise encompasses various legal aspects, including investment support, start-up and formation matters, team building, competitive and technical business licensing, regulatory compliance, real estate transactions, M&A, financing and secured transactions, intellectual property protection, and governmental affairs, providing invaluable support to businesses navigating the complex legal terrain of emerging, newly regulated sectors, through multiple stages of growth.
Rudick has participated in dozens of competitive and non-competitive cannabis business licensing processes nationwide, securing top scores in among the most robust merit-based medical cannabis licensing competitions, including in Pennsylvania, North Dakota, New Jersey, Connecticut, and first-to-market business licenses in newly regulated adult-use markets, including in Oregon, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. She also works on various intellectual property licensing and manufacturing deals involving mushroom and cannabis formulations and processes intended for pharmaceutical and over-the-counter markets on a global scale, including in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, and Israel.
Investors and business owners seeking opportunities in newly regulated markets can find confidence in Rudick’s legal acumen, robust depth of network, and the Rudick Law Group’s commitment to facilitating compliant and successful ventures in burgeoning industries. Rudick’s reputation as a seasoned attorney positions the Rudick Law Group as a strategic partner for investors and start-ups looking to efficiently navigate legal intricacies and capitalize on opportunities in the dynamic new markets. And having practiced commercial litigation in New York State and federal courts for over ten years prior to her practice in regulatory and transactional matters, Rudick is well-positioned to see her clients through pre-litigation and alternative dispute resolution matters, including mediation and arbitration. In 2018, Rudick spearheaded the legal team which brought a massive lawsuit against former Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Justice, and the United States Government, in an effort to deschedule cannabis on a variety of constitutional grounds.
A consistent thought leader in the cannabis industry, Rudick is regularly quoted in trade and national media publications regarding market insights, prioritization, and strategy (including in the NY Times, Crain’s, New York Law Journal, New York Business Journal, AMNY, Forbes, Green Market Report, New Jersey Insider, New York Insider, etc.), and frequently speaks and educates on cannabis law and policies at the industry’s most impactful conferences and events, offering legal continuing education (International Cannabis Bar Association, Practicing Law Institute, Federal Bar Association, etc.) and general entrepreneurship coaching (including at MJBizCon, The Emerald Cup, NCIA, BevNet, International Esthetician & Spa Conference, National Cannabis Festival, Women Grow, etc.)
Rudick was the longest standing Member of the Board of Directors for the International Cannabis Bar Association, a not-for-profit organization, where she served as the organization’s Treasurer for six years; and since 2021, she has been serving as a Vice-Chair of the Committee for Cannabis Law & Policy of the American Bar Association and as a member of the Board of Directors for Breeder’s Best Inc., a B-Corp., record-label style producer of unique cannabis genetics.
Keith Stroup
Keith Stroup is a Washington, DC public-interest attorney who founded NORML in 1970. Stroup obtained his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Illinois in 1965, and in 1968 he graduated from Georgetown Law School in Washington, DC. Following two years as staff counsel for the National Commission on Product Safety, Mr. Stroup founded NORML and ran the organization through 1979, during which 11 states decriminalized minor marijuana offenses.
Stroup has also practiced criminal law, lobbied on Capitol Hill for family farmers and artists, and for several years served as executive director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). In 1994 Stroup resumed his work with NORML, rejoining the board of directors and serving again as Executive Director through 2004. He is currently serving as Legal Counsel with NORML.
In 1992 Stroup was the recipient of the Richard J. Dennis Drugpeace Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Drug Policy Reform presented by the Drug Policy Foundation, Washington, DC. In 2010 he received the Al Horn Award for Advancing the Cause of Justice from the NORML Legal Committee. And in 2012 Stroup received the High Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2013 Stroup published the history of NORML entitled It’s NORML To Smoke Pot: the 40 Year Fight for Marijuana Smokers’ Rights.
Kelly Whyman
Kelly H. Whyman is a cannabis industry veteran and senior consultant at RLG. Since entering this dynamic space in 2010, Whyman has cultivated a reputation for strategic acumen, licensing expertise, and her unwavering focus on driving operational excellence. Her deep understanding of the complexities surrounding medical and adult-use cannabis has been instrumental in securing over 200 licenses spanning 20+ states – an unparalleled achievement in this rapidly evolving market.
Whyman’s influence extends far beyond licensing. She is a sought-after expert in guiding businesses through the entire cannabis lifecycle, from meticulous seed-to-sale tracking to sales optimization and inventory management. Her ability to effectively navigate compliance protocols across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring both regulatory adherence and operational success, makes her indispensable to clients.
Her detailed, tailored methodologies are the foundation of her successful track record in cultivating start-ups and propelling established enterprises to new levels of profitability and sustainable growth. Investors and publicly traded entities within the cannabis sector actively seek Whyman’s expertise for her strategic insights, due diligence capabilities, and proven ability to build high-performing teams.
At RLG, Kelly Whyman is an agent of transformation. Her commitment to fostering innovation, coupled with her deep regulatory knowledge, allows clients to transcend mere compliance and achieve long-term success in the cannabis market. Whyman’s expertise exemplifies RLG’s mission to cultivate progress and optimize profitability within the cannabis industry.
