Tri-State Licensing and the Next Biggest Market

Lauren Rudick Related Seminars and Products

Managing Principal

Rudick Law Group, PLLC

Lauren previously co-founded of Hiller, PC's cannabis law practice. What started as a
passion project in patient rights during a brief residency in California, Lauren has become
one of the Nation’s preeminent cannabis attorneys. Her practice is centered upon the
representation of start-up organizations and investors. With her diverse background in
corporate law, litigation, and land-use and zoning, she provides clients with the most up-
to-date information necessary to operate and invest in successful cannabis and ancillary
businesses. Lauren has run successful applications in competitive medical cannabis states
and adult-use markets alike, and represents a broad spectrum of cannabis and hemp
clients, including plant-touching breeders, cultivators, processors, and product
manufacturers; investors, including family offices and angels; and multiple ancillary
businesses, including networking associations, packaging businesses, ingredient
manufacturers, medical professionals, and industry consultants. Lauren is also a member
of the legal team that brought an action against former Attorney General Sessions and the
federal government seeking, among other things, a declaration that the mis-classification
of cannabis as a Schedule I drug is unconstitutional, on, among other things, due process,
equal protection, free speech, and commerce clause grounds.

Lauren is an Expert Contributor to Marijuana Venture Magazine, a frequent
speaker at national and local cannabis events, including, among others, MJ Biz Con, the
Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition, NCIA, Emerald Cup, and the Women
Grow Leadership Summit and provides pro bono legal and advocacy services to the
Cannabis Cultural Association, among others. Lauren also serves on the Executive
Committee of the Board of Directors for the International Cannabis Bar Association, as
the organization’s Treasurer. Lauren enjoys an extensive network of cannabis
professionals nationwide, enabling her to provide full legal and business services to her
clients.

Cecilia Oyediran Related Seminars and Products

Cannabis Attorney

Foley Hoag LLP

As an associate in the Cannabis group of Foley Hoag, Cecilia Oyediran advises clients on licensing, regulatory, and compliance matters in the legal cannabis industry. Prior to joining Foley Hoag, Cecilia was Corporate Counsel at Acreage Holdings, a publicly traded company holding a large and diverse portfolio of cannabis cultivation, processing and dispensing operations in the tristate area and across the United States. In her role as Corporate Counsel at Acreage, she advised the company on all aspects of the business including transactional, regulatory, compliance, real estate, and labor/employment matters. 

Cecilia serves as Chair-elect of the Cannabis Section of the New York State Bar Association, Co-Director of the Student Committee of the International Cannabis Bar Association and currently sits on the board of NJ NORML. A passionate advocate for cannabis education, Cecilia is a frequent speaker and panelist on a range of issues related to state cannabis licensing, social equity, and corporate law, and volunteers her time to mentor students and young professionals interested in entering the cannabis industry. Cecilia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University, a Master’s in Education from Harvard University, and a law degree from Stanford Law School.

Meital Manzuri Related Seminars and Products

Managing Partner

Manzuri Law

A leading cannabis attorney and advocate for nearly 15 years, Meital is the Managing Partner for Manzuri Law, leading a diverse team of attorneys and licensing specialists in cannabis and hemp law.  Meital serves as the secretary of the executive committee of INCBA and also the chair of the leading issues committee where they identify cutting edge legal issues for the hemp and cannabis industry and for INCBA members and lawyers serving those industries.

Meital has served as General Counsel for various trade associations responsible for influencing cannabis laws and policies in Los Angeles.  Her other duties include: Vice-Chair of communications for the LA County Bar Association, Cannabis Section, member of the social equity committee to interpret and provide clarity to the industry on LA’s ever evolving cannabis laws and active participation on the pro bono panel for Los Angeles for SEIA.

Meital serves as general counsel for hundreds of cannabis & hemp businesses throughout the country advising on regulatory, corporate and transactional matters and general business law. She has authored hundreds of partnership deals, procured licenses for 200+ different businesses, defended thousands of people accused with cannabis crimes, and her tenure includes some of the most seminal cases in federal and state court.

Meital is the mother of three young children, serves on the board of AYSO and coaches soccer for fun.

Kelly Whyman Related Seminars and Products

Founder

Cann Do LLC

Kelly Whyman has 10+ years of experience in cannabis compliance, with clients across 20 states. Her earlier career was in training athletes, developing young horses and competing as a nationally-ranked equestrian. During her 15 years in the horse industry, she provided domestic/international logistics for agricultural products, performance horses and all of the management services for international show stables including documentation for competition, passports, visas as well as procurement and supply chain management of all medication, feed and supplies needed to maintain performance horses and state of the art training facilities.
 
Beginning in 2010 she began consulting with highly regulated industries and later founded Cann Do LLC in 2013. Through her work with Cann Do, she has been able to provide a professional resource and referral network of consultants that provide an array of services, assisting companies with applications, licensing and “Seed to CPA” tracking in both operating and emerging medical and adult-use cannabis markets. Ms. Whyman has worked with clients to gain approval to operate, open facilities and provide training and oversight to operations to maintain asset control with exactitude to the gram and to the penny. Ms. Whyman has also assisted operators in performing due diligence for buyers and sellers of cannabis licenses, built and transitioned teams and operations, as well as provided business analytics for operators, investors and publicly traded organizations. For the last decade, Kelly Whyman has provided assistance for 200+ licenses in 20 states with their operations, licensing, sales, inventory control, local, state and federal audits, as well as creating assessment modeling for vertically integrated and standalone businesses.

Jason Ortiz Related Seminars and Products

Director of Strategic Initiatives

Last Prisoner Project

Jason Ortiz is the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Last Prisoner Project  Jason was arrested for simple cannabis possession at the age of 16 in Norwich CT, and that experience inspired him to become a cannabis justice advocate.  After graduating from the University of connecticut in Storrs with a degree in Public and Community Engagement, He was one of the founding board Members of the Minority Cannabis Business Association where he empowered legacy entrepreneurs of color to become policy advocates through the organizing of 5 cannabis policy summits that brought together dozens of stakeholders of color to draft model Social Equity legislation. 

In his home state of Connecticut, Jason was a founding member of Connecticut United For Reform and Equity and the lead drafter of 2021's HB6377, “An act creating an equitable and modern cannabis workforce”, which was ultimately incorporated into Connecticut's cannabis legalization framework.  After ending prohibition in his home state, Jason took his skills to the national level as and is the immediate past Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, where he trained hundreds of students how to end the war on drugs through community organizing, policy development and lobbying, and direct action.

In addition to his drug policy activism Jason sits on the board of the CT Working Families Party and has served as President of the Connecticut Puerto Rican Agenda where he organized for economic justice for his home island of Puerto Rico.