Kelly Hayes focuses her legal practice on Cannabis and Hemp Law. Since 2014, Kelly's been working with a wide range of cannabis and hemp clients from small farmers to large corporations. She handles a wide array of cannabis and hemp matters including, state and local licensing applications, regulatory compliance, zoning and land/use issues, corporate and business transactions, as well as business litigation. Kelly has successfully obtained commercial cannabis licenses for numerous clients throughout the state of California.

Kelly first became involved in drug policy reform as a student member of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) during her undergraduate studies at the University of Rhode Island and while interning with SSDP’s national office located in Washington, D.C. She received her BA in Journalism from the University of Rhode Island before continuing onto Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego. 

During law school, she was the President of the Public Interest Law Foundation and received a Certificate of Law and Social Justice. She worked with the City of San Diego's Primary Office of the Public Defender and Federal Defenders of San Diego.  She also researched and edited the caselaw book “Controlled Substances: Crime, Regulation and Policy” by Law Professor, Alex Kreit, a leading expert on illegal drugs and cannabis laws. Kelly is a frequent speaker at conferences and industry events.