Portland State University

Judge Scott Pearson was first elected to the bench in 2010. He is the presiding judge of the state’s first community court, a DUI Court and the GT program for young adults with substance use disorders.  He currently serves with the Judicial Division of the American Bar Association as the Region 8 Judicial Outreach Liaison, faculty at the National Judicial College, Chairman of the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Committee of the American Judges Association and Vice-President of the American Judges Foundation. The Kids Court Program he brought to the RJC now sees thousands of 5th graders attend the field trip to the court every year.  Judge Pearson graduated from the University of Nevada with an economics degree, with distinction, and the University of Utah College of Law where he was a Learey Scholar.  He has been married to Kristy Pearson since 1998 and has two boys he enjoys skiing and traveling with.

Judge Eric Bergstrom (Oregon): Judge Bergstrom  served as a Circuit Court judge in Multnomah County, Oregon for 15 years. He has presided over the County’s DUI Intensive Supervision Program and its Veteran’s Court program. In addition to his judicial responsibilities, he has extensive experience as an educator providing peer-to-peer judicial education on a variety of issues.

Judge Janet Holmgren is the Presiding Judge of the Problem-solving Courts Division of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court, which includes Winnebago and Boone Counties.  Judge Holmgren’s court assignments include presiding over the Winnebago County Adult Drug Court, the Therapeutic Intervention Program (TIP) Mental Health Court, and Youth Recovery Court, a court program for youth in juvenile delinquency court with mental health or co-occurring disorders, and Boone County juvenile court proceedings. Judge Holmgren was appointed as an Associate Judge in 1995, elected Circuit Judge in 1998 and retained in 2004, 2010, 2016, and 2022.  From 2007-2012, Judge Holmgren served as the Chief Judge of the 17th Circuit.  Judge Holmgren is the Illinois judicial representative for the Judges and Psychiatrist’s Leadership Initiative (JPLI), and she is a member of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Special Advisory Committee on Mental Health and Justice Planning and serves as President of the Illinois Association of Problem-solving Courts (ILAPSC).  Judge Holmgren is also involved in many local community initiatives and currently serves as past chairman of the board of the Rockford Regional Health Council, an organization that is dedicated to advocacy, education and data collection and analysis regarding health issues in the Rockford region. Past memberships include service as a member of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, the Illinois Children’s Justice Task Force, the Illinois Supreme Court Conference Committee on Criminal Law and Probation, and the Board of Directors of the Illinois Judge’s Association

Appointed on Sept. 4, 2020. A COVID-era selection and appointment, she was sworn in by Zoom from her living room. Prior to her appointment, Judge Gunn served as an Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia as the sole the bankruptcy specialist for the Division of Child Support Enforcement. She also practiced law in Richmond, Va., at Sands Anderson PC and McGuireWoods LLP. In 2017, Judge Gunn was honored as a member of ABI’s inaugural class of 40 Under 40. She currently serves as the secretary for the Bankruptcy Section of the FBA. Judge Gunn is a frequent author for the ABI Journal and an ABI Volo circuit court website editor, and she has edited two books for ABI. She received her B.A. cum laude from Willamette University and her J.D. cum laude from Boston College Law School.

Judge Valeri Love was appointed to the Lane County Circuit Court in 2011.  She currently serves as the Chief Juvenile Judge and presides over dependency and delinquency cases.  In addition to her role as an OAPABA board member, Judge Love serve as a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges’ Military Committee and the Department of Justice’s Trafficking Intervention Advisory Committee.  In her spare time Judge Love enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking and staying connected to Hawaii, where she was born and raised, through hula.

Nolan has helped grow Frost Brown Todd’s hemp regulatory group into the preeminent practice in the field in the United States. In this role he has advised clients at all levels of the hemp and derivative products supply chains on myriad issues, including compliance, contract enforcement, import/export, inspections, labeling and packaging, licensing, and litigation.

Prior to joining Frost Brown Todd, Nolan gained extensive work experience in government, which has facilitated his efforts drafting hemp legislating and advising lawmakers and regulatory officials on hemp issues. Specifically, Nolan has completed internships with the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office and Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy. Nolan has also worked for two members of the House of Lords and a member of the U.S. Congress. While in law school, Nolan was a member of the Moot Court Board National Team and Kentucky Law Journal. He also represented the University of Kentucky College of Law as a Student Government senator and University Supreme Court Justice.

Dr. Shawna Vreeke is Head of Research and Toxicology at True Terpenes, where she is instrumental in developing and maintaining the rigorous safety and quality protocols the brand is known for. Dr. Shawna developed a comprehensive toxicology program to assess cannabis vape additives. Her background is in vape safety, having completed a Ph.D. in Chemistry at Portland State University, studying toxin formation in electronic cigarettes. Dr. Shawna actively advocates for science-based safety parameters to protect consumer safety. During the Pennsylvania State Department of Health vape recall, she presented as an expert witness supporting growers, processors, and distributors and the implementation of sensible regulations to protect public health and maintain access to regulated medical cannabis products. She has drafted regulatory language that has been adopted in various U.S. state cannabis legislation.

Judge Mary A. Celeste (ret.) sat on the Denver County Court bench 2000-2015. She was the Presiding Judge 2009-10 and the co-founder of the Denver County Court Sobriety Court. She is currently a law school professor teaching Marijuana and the Law at California Western School of Law and is considered a national content expert on the topic of cannabis. She is a former member of the Judicial Advisory Board for the Foundation for the Advancement of Alcohol Responsibility (FAAR); former Faculty for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and the National Judicial College (NJC). She has also served as the past chair of ABA National Conference of Specialized Court Judges; the President of the American Judge’s Association and the Colorado Women’s Bar Association Foundation, and, as a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Judicial Outreach Liaison. She has written many articles and is a national speaker on the topics of cannabis; cannabis and drug impaired driving, drugged driving, and specialty courts.

Deena Ryerson is a graduate of the University of Oregon, School of Law in 1998.  She was admitted to the bar in 1998 and began working in civil litigation for two years.  From there she went to the Washington County District Attorney’s office where she worked as a prosecutor for six years.  During that time, she prosecuted countless DUII’s, both alcohol and drug related and helped to begin a county newsletter addressing DUII issues.  During Deena’s time with Washington County, she conducted several trainings for law enforcement, junior prosecutors, and law clerks.  She was selected as Oregon’s DUII Multi-Disciplinary Training Task Force Prosecutor of the Year for 2004.  In July 2006, she became Oregon’s Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor with the Department of Justice.  As a Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, she assists prosecutors and law enforcement across the state with questions relating to DUII prosecution.  She provides training for new and seasoned prosecutors, including updates to DUII case law and alerts prosecutors to issues that surface through the defense of DUII cases.  She is a member of Oregon’s DUII Multidisciplinary Task Force, the DRE Technical Advisory Committee, the Oregon Ignition Interlock Committee, and a liaison to the Governor’s Advisory Committee on DUII.  Ms. Ryerson also trains new recruits at Oregon’s Department of Public Safety and Standards Training department and law enforcement across the state about DUII case law. Ms. Ryerson reviews all DUII legislation and is instrumental in drafting and editing proposed DUII legislation.  She is a resource to answer any impaired driving related questions for many disciplines.  In addition to her work in Oregon, has trained law enforcement officers and prosecutors in other states and has given presentations at several national conferences including Lifesavers and the National DRE Conference.  She was named a DRE Ambassador at the National DRE Conference in 2015.

Sgt. Wilson has been with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office since 2002 and currently supervises their Traffic Safety Unit and interagency Crash Analysis Reconstruction Team. He is certified as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Instructor through the Oregon Drug Evaluation Classification Program and International Association of Chiefs of Police. He presents drug and impaired driving courses to a wide range of audiences within and outside of law enforcement. He has been recognized as an expert witness in more than dozen impaired driving cases in the Oregon Circuit Court system and has testified before the Oregon State Legislature on DUII and other traffic safety legislation. Sgt. Wilson is also a member of the Oregon Governor’s Advisory Committee on DUII.

In addition to his work at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Wilson is a Technical Assessment Team member for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s state impaired driving program assessments. He has been recognized as the 2009 Oregon DRE of the Year for a County Law Enforcement Agency and 2013 DUII Trainer of the Year, both by the Oregon DUII Multi-Disciplinary Training Task Force.

Jeffrey Gard is a Colorado attorney with Gard Law Firm, LLC, specializing in marijuana law. He represents numerous patients, doctors and marijuana businesses throughout the state of Colorado and has advised people from all over the country. Mr. Gard advises both state and local governments in their development of medical marijuana business regulations. He is widely considered one of Colorado’s leading marijuana attorneys. Since the passage of Amendment 64, which legalized adult possession and cultivation of marijuana in Colorado, Mr. Gard has been working with state and local officials in developing regulations for the retail marijuana industry and was appointed by the state to participate in the rule-making progress. Over the last year, he has been working with the U.S. Congress to assist with an analysis of the Federal Code to determine the various areas which are impacted by the state marijuana laws in hopes of reconciling state and federal law in the near future. Mr. Gard now shares his knowledge and experience with other attorneys and has given several CLE lectures on various aspects of marijuana law. By way of background, he is a Colorado native and a cum laude philosophy graduate from the University of Colorado, where he also was elected Phi Beta Kappa. While attending the law school, Mr. Gard won the William De Souchet Award for best individual performance in trial advocacy and won a multi-state moot court competition during his first year of law school. After graduation, he accepted a position with a respected litigation firm in Boulder, Colorado, and later formed his own firm in downtown Boulder, Colorado.

Chris Halsor is a criminal defense attorney from Denver, Colorado. A former longtime prosecutor and Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor (TRSP) he is also one of the country’s foremost experts on marijuana impaired driving. A self-described “marijuana agnostic,” who is neither pro nor anti cannabis, he provides objective training and assessment concerning various aspects of marijuana legalization.
Mr. Halsor began his legal career as a line prosecutor working in a large Denver suburban area DA’s Office for eight years having tried all types of misdemeanor, juvenile, and felony offenses.  He then spent six years working for the Colorado District Attorney’s Council where he served as the state’s first Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor providing training to Colorado law enforcement and prosecutors surrounding all facets of impaired driving. 
For nearly a decade Mr. Halsor was on the front lines of Colorado’s trailblazing foray into legal marijuana and has developed an expertise in the many different and complicated of facets of legal marijuana.  He served as a member of one of Colorado Governor’s regulatory committees addressing marijuana infused edibles and was a substitute member of the committee on grow limitations.  Mr. Halsor lectures and provides conference presentations around the U.S. and internationally on the subject of legal marijuana. His approach is to try and provide the most objective information and assessments on the subject without taking an advocacy position in favor of or against legalization.
He is also the creator and lead instructor of Marijuana Impaired Driving, a course designed to teach law enforcement officers  how to more effectively investigate and discern drivers that are impaired by cannabis, and to distinguish those that are not impaired. One of the most unique features of this course is that it includes a GREEN LAB where volunteers are dosed with marijuana and officers are allowed to perform SFSTs, and other maneuvers as well as interview the users.  It was the first recurring class of its kind in the country. 
From 2017 – 2020, Mr. Halsor contracted with the Nevada Attorney General’s Office to provide training and education concerning legal cannabis and marijuana impaired driving to public safety audiences.
In addition to his work on the criminal side of the marijuana question, he also lectures and trains on the regulatory aspects of legalization particularly on the municipal and county level addressing the challenges facing local governments in how the adapt and institute meaningful oversight.  Also, he provides lectures to parents & schools about legal marijuana and the implications for youth.
Lastly, Mr. Halsor is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where he teaches upper level law students the practical aspects of criminal law in an experiential course called the Day 1: Criminal Practice Lab. He is also a faculty member for the National Judicial College where he trains judges around the country on legal marijuana issues.

Tara Lovestead received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is currently at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, CO, leading the Fluid Characterization Group in the Applied Chemicals and Materials Division. The group specializes in the development of novel methods for analyzing vapors and fluid mixtures to serve public health and safety, criminal justice, and industry. Additionally, she co-leads the Chemical Foundations for a Reliable Cannabis Breathalyzer Program with her colleague, Kavita Jeerage, PhD. Their program, supported by funding from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), combines human subject studies (in collaboration with the University of Colorado’s Boulder and Anschutz Medical Campuses), controlled laboratory experiments, and numerical simulations designed to develop the infrastructure for standardizing meaningful cannabis breathalyzer measurements of recent cannabis use.

Amy Miles is the Director of the Forensic Toxicology Program at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH). In addition to managing the Forensic Toxicology Program, Amy provides expert court testimony and interpretation of laboratory reports for coroners, medical examiners, attorneys and law enforcement officers. Amy also provides expert consultation for drug impaired driving cases both locally and nationally. Amy attended the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) school held in Wisconsin in 2004 and provides training and support for the DRE program. In 2005 Amy received an award from Citizens Against Drug Impaired Drivers (CANDID) for her outstanding dedication to the DRE program. Amy is the toxicology representative on the IACP DRE Technical Advisory Panel.

Amy has given numerous presentations on the topic of oral fluid roadside testing, drugs, alcohol and human performance at state and national conferences and in-service trainings and has contributed several newsletter articles to national publications. Amy is a faculty member of the Robert F. Borkenstein Course: The Effects of Drugs on Human Performance. Amy has been appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as a Guest Faculty member of the Illinois Judicial Conference Committee on Education. Amy is a member of several professional organizations and committees that pertain to alcohol, drugs and human performance and is the Chair of the SOFT/AAFS Drugs and Driving Committee and sits on the Board of Directors for the Society of Forensic Toxicologists and is SOFT’s President for 2021. In 2010 and 2011 Amy was given the “Speaker of the Year” Award by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

The company provides education, services and technology for the responsible use of cannabis. The current emphasis is on the technology IMMAD. IMMAD is a two minute objective test for law enforcement use to determine fitness to drive with marijuana consumption. The science behind IMMAD is complex, but the test is simple.

Dr. Denise A. Valenti is a residency-trained, low-vision/blind-rehabilitation optometrist with additional education and expertise in the field of age-related neurodegenerative diseases with the emphasis on Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Valenti has had additional training as an MGH/MIT/HMS Functional MRI Fellow at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging in Boston, Massachusetts and participated in the yearlong seminar series offered through the Boston University Sleep Disorders Center Fellowship program. Her research has included the study of imaging of retinal neural tissue using Optical Coherence Tomography and functional assessment of neural processing in the visual system using Frequency Doubling Technology. Dr. Valenti has provided direct clinical care for more than 25 years and currently is active in research and consultation related to vision, aging, neuroprocessing and cognitive functions. Dr. Valenti has taught Low Vision and Geriatrics at the MCPHS University School of Optometry and Gerontology at Quincy College and provides medical content to numerous professional newsletters throughout the United States.

Linda Hurley, CEO of CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, which is Rhode Island’s oldest and largest outpatient opioid treatment program (OTP) and provider of general outpatient addiction services, behavioral health care, and recovery resources, has been working in substance abuse treatment and behavioral healthcare for more than 35 years and has a broad background in substance use disorder and mental health.

In her tenure at CODAC, she was a catalyst for numerous innovative programs, including the development of a specialized treatment track for pregnant, post-partum, and parenting women. Health-related challenges faced by women in long-term medication assisted treatment (MAT) has long been an area of concern and I have been an advocate of the idea that OTP care for all patients—but especially for women—must be re-evaluated as patients move across the life span. Additional programs I have introduced include problem gambling services, tobacco treatment, trauma-informed care, and holistic wellness services. Under my leadership, CODAC became the first behavioral health provider in RI (and among the first nationally) to adopt Motivational Interviewing as an agency-wide practice; the first in the nation to receive Behavioral Health Home Certification; and the first OTP in RI to become a tobacco free agency. Under the revised DEA regulations, CODAC became the first mobile medical unit inclusive of a dispensary to provide medication assisted treatment to our most vulnerable population in Rhode Island.

Ms. Hurley has worked for decades in both community corrections and detention facilities to enhance continuity of care and decrease mortality and recidivism. She’s worked for 3 decades with both adult and adolescent community corrections programming.  The definition of Cannabis use has been a long-term dilemma for both the justice system and treatment providers. Ms. Hurley has become a content expert in both the science of cannabinoids and in the evolution of judicial practice.

29 years experience as a physician specializing in medical toxicology and occupational and environmental medicine.
Consultant to numerous clients in the public and private sector, including World Health Organization International Program on Chemical Safety, US Department of Defense, Department of State, Environmental Protection Agency, CDC, ATSDR, Department of Labor, National Research Council, industrial corporations, environmental engineering and consulting firms, community groups, nongovernmental agencies (e.g. Medicins Sans Frontiers), individual patients
Specialized evaluation of complex medical cases, environmental risk assessment and management, occupational health hazards, drug toxicology, risk communication, litigation support
Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health
Co-Principal Investigator, Comparative Assessment of Driving Impairment in Occasional Versus Heavy Marijuana Users, funded by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in grant to University of Colorado, 2017 to 2020
2016 Recipient of the American College of Medical Toxicology Matthew J. Ellenhorn Award [career achievement award in recognition of “extraordinary contributions to the field of medical
toxicology”]

As NHTSA’s Probation Fellow, Mark Stodola brings over 30 years of experience working in the field of court management and adult probation in Arizona. Mark worked at the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department for 18 years serving in a number of capacities including field supervisor and division director overseeing drug and alcohol treatment programs, problem solving courts and services for the mentally ill. Mark later became the Court Administrator of the Tempe Municipal Court where he served for eight years managing day-to-day activities including budget, case processing, program development (including the establishment of Arizona’s first municipal mental health court) and managing personnel. Most recently Mark served as Program Services Manager in the Adult Probation Services Division of the Arizona Supreme Court where he had oversight of treatment programs for Arizona’s Adult Probation Departments. Mark has presented training on topics surrounding high-risk drunk drivers at national, regional and state conferences throughout the country.

Mark received his undergraduate degree in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his master’s degree in Education from Northern Arizona University. Afterwards, Mark became a Graduate Fellow through the National Council of State Courts Institute of Court Management.

Tanya Gouveia, MS, MPA, LADC-I, LCDP-II has been practicing in addiction treatment since 2008 in a wide range of treatment environments including correctional settings, residential treatment and outpatient. In 2016, Massachusetts legalized Marijuana sales and recreational use. This resulted in an increased presence of persons developing cannabis use disorders diagnosis, having work related problems, involvement with Department of Children and Families and cannabis induced mental health and medical disorders. Due to a lack of training availability on this subject matter, Ms. Gouveia began extensive research learning about the cannabis industry, examining international and peer reviewed research and utilizing best practice methods to establish a 4 week curriculum on education for patients with cannabis use disorders and how to best serve them. Her clinical trainings have been sought out in various clinical settings, state agencies and universities. Ms. Gouveia currently runs a full time private practice, Addiction Recovery Counseling, LLC, in Dartmouth, MA. She also serves as adjunct professor at Bristol Community teaching in the Substance Abuse Counseling Certificate program.

R. Lynn Howard is the Chief Deputy District Attorney for Lincoln County, and has been in that role since 2021.  She started her career as a civil attorney in California, practicing civil litigation.  In 2000, she left her law practice and started working as a forensic scientist for the Orange County Crime Lab in California, where she worked for 4 years as a blood alcohol analyst.  In 2005, she moved to Oregon and started working at the OSP crime lab in Springfield.  She was there for 11 years, working in toxicology and drug chemistry, and served for a time as the toxicology technical leader.  She has testified as an expert witness more than 200 times in both states.  In 2013, she took the Oregon Bar, and then started working as a deputy district attorney in Lincoln County in 2016.  She is a member of the Governor’s Advisory Committee on DUII.  Lynn was named 2018 DUII Prosecutor of the Year by the Oregon DUII Multidisciplinary Training Task Force, and 2022 National Traffic Safety Prosecutor of the year by the National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators.

Elizabeth ‘Libby’ Stuyt, MD is a board-certified Addiction Psychiatrist and has worked in the addiction/behavioral health field since 1990. She was the Medical Director for the Circle Program, a 90-day inpatient treatment program, funded by the state of Colorado, for persons with co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse who have failed other levels of treatment from 1999 – 2020. She was instrumental in helping the Circle Program to become tobacco free in January 2000 and has been a strong advocate of the need to address all addictions at the same time, including tobacco, to improve outcomes. She has been actively incorporating complementary treatments into treatment programs, including the 5-point ear acupuncture NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) protocol and BST (Brain Synchronization Therapy), to help patients recover from addiction as well as trauma which often underlies addiction and chronic pain issues. She retired from clinical practice in 2021 and continues to do consultant work for treatment programs, trainings on ear acupuncture and BST and presentations to educate as many people as possible on the un-intended consequences of the commercialization of marijuana in Colorado, focusing primarily on the deleterious effects of high potency THC on the developing brain. She is on the board of the International Academy on the Science and Impacts of Cannabis (IASIC) and believes that people should be following the science regarding policies related to cannabis.

Robert Hayes serves as the West Region Project Manager for the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).  Prior to taking this position he was in law enforcement for 32 years and recently retired as a Patrol Lieutenant from the Albany Police Department in Oregon.  Robert was hired by the Albany Police Department in 1999.  His emphasis in traffic enforcement is the detection of impaired drivers.  Prior to working for the Albany Police Department, Robert served for four years as a sworn Police Officer for the Florence, Oregon Police Department.  He was a sworn Reserve Deputy for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Salem, Oregon for four years prior to going to the Florence Police Department.  Robert is currently a Drug Recognition Expert, Drug Recognition Expert Instructor and a Standard Field Sobriety Test Instructor.  He also teaches at the Police Academy and throughout the United States.  Robert has also served as the Chair for the Linn County DUII Victim Impact Panel for the DUII Multi-Disciplinary Training Task Force.

Jeffrey Gard is a Colorado attorney with Gard Law Firm, LLC, specializing in marijuana law. He represents numerous patients, doctors and marijuana businesses throughout the state of Colorado and has advised people from all over the country. Mr. Gard advises both state and local governments in their development of medical marijuana business regulations. He is widely considered one of Colorado’s leading marijuana attorneys. Since the passage of Amendment 64, which legalized adult possession and cultivation of marijuana in Colorado, Mr. Gard has been working with state and local officials in developing regulations for the retail marijuana industry and was appointed by the state to participate in the rule-making progress. Over the last year, he has been working with the U.S. Congress to assist with an analysis of the Federal Code to determine the various areas which are impacted by the state marijuana laws in hopes of reconciling state and federal law in the near future. Mr. Gard now shares his knowledge and experience with other attorneys and has given several CLE lectures on various aspects of marijuana law. By way of background, he is a Colorado native and a cum laude philosophy graduate from the University of Colorado, where he also was elected Phi Beta Kappa. While attending the law school, Mr. Gard won the William De Souchet Award for best individual performance in trial advocacy and won a multi-state moot court competition during his first year of law school. After graduation, he accepted a position with a respected litigation firm in Boulder, Colorado, and later formed his own firm in downtown Boulder, Colorado.

Rob Mejia, Teaching Specialist, Stockton University, Cannabis Studies.
Rob Mejia is a full time Cannabis Teaching Specialist at Stockton University where he teaches the Introduction to Medical Cannabis, Preparation for Cannabis Internship and Social Justice and Cannabis classes. As one of the leads for the hemp/cannabis internship program he has helped place dozens of students in valuable internships and jobs.
He recently helped establish CHRIS -the Cannabis & Hemp Research Initiative at Stockton as a hemp and non-medical research hub and cannabis education center. One of the first events that CHRIS hosted was a Cannabis Curriculum Convening which attracted over 30 cannabis professors from across the country. CHRIS continues to offer free ongoing quarterly educational hemp/cannabis panels and sponsors Stockton’s Cannabis Career Fair & Business Expos.
In addition to his teaching duties, Rob is President of Our Community Harvest: A Minority-Owned Cannabis Education company and is an established author. His company provides cannabis education to the public, business owners, and governmental officials. His authorship includes The Essential Cannabis Book: A Field Guide for the Curious, The Essential Cannabis Journal: Personal Notes from the Field and numerous magazine articles including a bi-monthly article for NJ Cannabis Insider called “Prof Mejia’s Weed Corner.”
Mejia was recently named by NJ Advance Media/NJ.com as one of “23 to Watch in 2023” in the New Jersey cannabis industry. He also made his television debut on RVN TV on January 11th, 2022, on the “New Perspectives” show. And in recognition of his cannabis advocacy and education efforts, he is the recipient of the Inaugural Excellence in Cannabis Education Award for the state of New Jersey.

Portia Mittons was awarded a recreational cannabis retail license in Oregon January 20, 2017 and opened on January 31, 2017. The award of this license made Portia the 1st African American to be granted a recreational cannabis retail license in the state of Oregon. Upon opening, Portia moved to Oregon from Illinois to be hands on with her new investment, The Coughie Pot dispensary.  She handled day to day operations, including but not limited to; paying/filing taxes, inventory management, bill payment, employee scheduling, bookkeeping, product purchases and negotiations.
In 2019 Portia joined the Illinois arm of Bridge City Collective, a multistate operator. They were awarded an adult use dispensary license, craft grow, and transportation licenses making her quite possibly the 1st black woman to hold cannabis licenses in multiple states.
Marijuana Venture has published a four-page feature in April 2018 on Portia, and she has been featured by Oregon Public Broadcasting and Rolling Out Magazine. In 2022 she was named 1 of 11 women to watch by Marijuana Venture. She has also spoken on countless panels, podcasts, and radio shows.
Portia hosted her first Legit Trappin Cannabis Symposium in Chicago, IL on July 14, 2019 to educate people on opportunities in the cannabis space. She brought in people from Arizona, Oregon and Michigan who were currently working in the cannabis industries of cultivation, extraction/infusion, CBD production to give first hand knowledge of their experiences. With regard to social equity; during the event (Ret) Senator Rickey Hendon (Ret) Shelli Hayes held a course on Illinois’ social equity program and legislation. Legit Trappin Pt.2 was held September 8, 2019 to continue educating the public on the cannabis industry and the opportunities that are present for minorities through social equity status.
“Legit Trappin” is a celebratory idiom that highlights the hustle required to see a dream, idea, or concept to fruition. Its name unapologetically pays homage to those that have paved the way.  Legit Trappin is a backdrop to inform, educate, mentor, and connect people from all walks of life. . With nearly a lifetime in the boardroom, a wealth of entrepreneurial experiences, and the ear of many influential people Portia has made it her mission to make a difference. She champions inclusiveness in the cannabis industry & works to influence legislative efforts.
Commissions & Boards
   – Co-Owner, The Coughie Pot Dispensary, 2017-present
   – Partner and VP Retail, Bridge City Collective IL
   – Cook County Cannabis Commission
   – Cannabis Business Association Illinois: Board Member, Treasurer, and Co-Chair of the Minority Access Committee
   – Advisor, Illinois Cannabis Training Center
   – CIA (Cannabis Industry Alliance) formerly known as ORCA (Oregon Retailer’s Cannabis Association), Board Member
   – Oregon Business Development Dept: Cannabis Steering Committee  & Cannabis Market Analysis Steering Committee

 

Dale Gieringer, Ph.D.  is the director of California NORML (National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws).  He has published research on marijuana and driving safety, medical use of marijuana, drug urinalysis, marijuana vaporizers, and the history and economics of legal marijuana.  He was a co-author of California’s medical marijuana law, Prop. 215 and Oakland’s 2004 Adult Use Cannabis Ordinance.  He served on the California Highway Patrol task force on drug-impaired driving.

Alejandro currently serves the cannabis community as a founder and instructor at the Cannabis Law Clinic within GGU School of Law. The clinic extends pro bono legal aid to verified equity applicants in California and New York and has been a collaborative effort of instructors and law students. Since its launch in January 2021, the clinic has been fortunate to contribute over 2600 hours of pro bono work.

With a practical approach, Alejandro has had the privilege of assisting law students and clients in navigating intricate areas such as business transactions, regulatory compliance, and licensing. Currently, he is also involved in a shared endeavor to establish legal service providers in California and New York.

Sean Hocking is the founder and editor of Cannabis Law Report, Cannabis Law Journal, Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers (Directory) & The Global Top 200 Psychedelic Lawyers & Policy Makers (Directory). Sean has worked for over 30 years in legal bookselling & publishing including stints at Lexis Nexis & The Legal 500. Sean has also published for the last 20 years PracticeSource.com a website about legal information and legal sector issues.

Trisha Zulic is a resourceful and goal-oriented senior business leader with extensive human resource and operations experience.  Her experience includes serving as an HR Director, COO, Director of Operations and as a HR Department of One. Trisha is a subject matter expert in centralized HR, multi-location HR functions, business metrics and strategy.  She has authored and taught such courses as Keys to Success, a leadership training-moving from a manager to a leader, and Think like a COO, walking participants through leaderships thought process of decision making, short and long-term expectations and deliverables for most businesses. Trisha is SHRM-SCP certified and holds her SHRM Talent Acquisition Specialty Credential. Through her company, Trisha provides human resource, business and training services to multiple companies with emphasis and expertise in leadership development, harassment avoidance, HR in California, anti-bullying and diversity.

Vanessa Christman is the Principal Law Librarian at the California State Library, where she manages the Witkin State Law Library and the Government Publications Section. With experience as a law librarian and public library administrator, she has many years of experience working to address the exponential rise in demand for legal resources related to Cannabis law.

Ms. Dickinson has practiced law for over 22 years in the Spokane, Washington and North Idaho areas. She is well-known as a tough litigator as well as a skilled negotiator. She is also a certified mediator through the National Judicial College. Ms. Dickinson is a Thomson Reuters “Super Lawyer” in the category of Business Law. Lisa J. Dickinson is also “AV” Rated by Martindale Hubbell, the highest rating for legal ability and ethics. Ms. Dickinson believes in serving her community both through leadership in the profession and in service on other community boards.
“My goal is to serve my clients in an efficient and honest manner with the best representation possible.”
In her private practice, she has negotiated over sixty cannabis transactions and litigated various partnership disputes and other issues for cannabis businesses since 2014.  She serves as outside general counsel to numerous retail stores and producer/processors in Washington State.

 

David C. Holland is a partner and a member of Prince Lobel’s Business Litigation and Cannabis practice groups.
David is a highly sought-after civil and criminal litigation attorney who has an extensive background in representing a broad range of stakeholders in the cannabis industry.  He is the Executive and Legal Director of Empire State NORML, the New York State affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). He is also a co-founder and President of the New York City Cannabis Industry Association (NYCCIA) and Vice President of the Hudson Valley Cannabis Industry Association (HVCIA). David is also a pro bono Legal Advisor to Last Prisoner Project (LPP) seeking clemency and habeas corpus relief for prisoners of the Drug War.
Previously, David spent a dozen years serving Of Counsel to the late Michael Kennedy, Esq., an outspoken criminal defense and civil rights and cannabis advocate. Together, they successfully pursued President Obama with a group clemency petition on behalf of five elderly first time offenders serving at least one sentence of life without the possibility of parole for non-violent marijuana related offenses. During that time, David also provided Counsel to High Times Magazine handling all legal matters. He is a frequent information source for news media outlets and regular lecturer at many multi-disciplinary legal and media events regarding cannabis related issues.
David has challenged the constitutionality of federal cannabis laws in several legal actions, submitted amicus curiae briefs to the United States Supreme Court in the case of Washington v. Barr and Musta v. Mendota Heights Dental Ctr., arguing that the Schedule I status of cannabis under federal law is unconstitutional. He has also brought a Declaratory Judgment action against the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Services on behalf of probationers who are being denied access to medical marijuana under the state’s Compassionate Care Act as well as representing a firefighter who was terminated from the Buffalo Fire Department for his lawful use of medical cannabis. David has been a leading voice in New York’s legalized cannabis laws and emerging industry rules and regulations.
David was named a Top 100 Attorney of the Year in 2021 and a 2022 Metro New York Super Lawyer.
David was admitted to the federal and state courts in New Jersey (1994), New York (1996), and Maryland (2004), as well as the U.S. Supreme Court and the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kayla received her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Southern University Law Center in May 2021 where she served as a member of the Southern University Law Review and SBA Diversity Committee. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, cum laude with distinction, from Louisiana Scholars’ College at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana in 2014. She then earned her Master of Science in Human Resources Education with a Concentration in Human Resources and Leadership Development, summa cum laude, from Louisiana State University in 2016.

Prior to joining BSW, Kayla worked as a Human Resource Consultant and Human Resource Consultant Supervisor at Louisiana State Civil Service. During her tenure at State Civil Service, she advised state agencies on State Civil Service rules, aided in the development of policies as well as the implementation of pay mechanisms, and participated in market analysis and market research. She also served as a certified statewide classification and compensation trainer for the state’s Comprehensive Public Training Program.

Daniel is a Seattle-based corporate and regulatory attorney who works extensively with entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry. He advises clients on matters related to both hemp and marijuana and frequently speaks on legal issues relating to cannabis across the country and abroad. Daniel is quoted as an authority on cannabis law in dozens of publications, including Marijuana Moment, Hemp Industry Daily, the Washington Post, and Bloomberg, to name a few.

During law school, Daniel worked extensively with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board to fund and establish the Cannabis Law and Policy Project (CLPP). He then served as the editor of the CLPP blog and as a Hazelton Fellow researching cannabis law. Daniel also interned for Justice Richard Baldwin of the Oregon Supreme Court and for the Seattle City Attorney.

GLRA  aggregate and AI-enrich public data includinjg Cannabis from over 12,000 US states, counties, cities, towns, villages, and other jurisdictions. From start-ups to large companies, we help drive efficiency through organizations and empower strategic decisions.  My prior roles include Managing Director at Deloitte & Touche LLP,  Chief Regulatory Officer National Stock Exchange & Counsel at Seward & Kissel LLP.

Shannon O’Fallon is a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Oregon Department of Justice, General Counsel Division.  She joined Oregon DOJ in 2002, first working in the Natural Resources Section of the General Counsel Division advising natural resources agencies, before transitioning to the Health and Human Services Section.  Shannon is lead counsel for the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and is primary contact counsel for the Oregon Psilocybin Services program, within OHA.  For years Shannon also advised the state’s medical marijuana program. 
In addition to advising OHA, Shannon is contact counsel, along with another attorney in her section, for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission’s cannabis regulatory program, and she was instrumental in implementing Oregon’s cannabis laws.  Through the Attorney General Alliance (AGA), Shannon is a contributing author to the Cannabis Law Deskbook, published by the AGA and Thomson Reuters, and this fall will be teaching a virtual course offered through the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, on the Public Health Implications of Cannabis Legalization and Use.
Prior to joining the Oregon DOJ, from 1994 to 2000 Shannon worked in the Alaska Attorney General’s office in Juneau, advising both natural resources agencies and the Department of Health and Social Services, serving in a general counsel role as well as representing her departments in civil and administrative proceedings and appeals.
Shannon graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1993 and got her B.A. from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1990.  She currently lives in Portland, Oregon and enjoys spending time outdoors in the amazing Pacific Northwest.

Heidi Urness has a national reputation in the cannabis sector. She is a skillful, tenacious, and results-focused attorney who advises individuals, entrepreneurs, financiers, producers, processors, retailers, and other categories of licensees, and cannabis-ancillary business and service providers as they navigate and prosper in this highly regulated industry. She guides startups that need to establish operations, attract investment, and obtain the necessary licenses. Heidi counsels retailers on real estate, banking, and employment matters, and works with investors interested in professionally-run and compliant cannabis ventures. She also advises companies that support the marijuana industry, like trucking and transportation providers and packaging designers and suppliers. Heidi also supports clients in a wide variety of disputes and litigation, priding herself on the motto “don’t mess with my cannabis clients.”

A relentless litigator and savvy business advisor, Andrew DeWeese handles complex business litigation in state and federal court, and advises some of the most prominent and successful cannabis thought leaders and companies in the world. He has litigated in complex arbitration proceedings as well as other forms of alternative dispute resolution, and represented clients before administrative bodies and other state and federal governmental entities. Mr. DeWeese has been on the forefront of the novel legal issues concerning the emerging cannabis industry for many years.

Mr. DeWeese is a member in good standing of the Oregon and Florida bar associations, as well as the bars of the United States Supreme Court, the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Courts of and for Oregon and the Southern District of Florida. Mr. DeWeese is a founding officer of the Oregon State Bar Cannabis Law Section.

Kathryn Tucker is Special Advocacy Advisor for the National Psychedelics Association. She previously served as Special Counsel at Emerge Law Group, where she Co-Chaired the Psychedelic Practice Group. Tucker was a founding member of the Psychedelic Bar Association.  Across her 30 year career Tucker’s work has focused on advocacy to protect and expand the rights of the terminally ill. She served as Executive Director of the End of Life Liberty Project (ELLP),   Executive Director of the Disability Rights Legal Center, and Director of Advocacy and Legal Affairs for Compassion & Choices. Prior to that, she practiced law with Perkins Coie. Professor Tucker has held faculty appointments at Loyola/ Los Angeles, the University of Washington, Seattle University and Lewis & Clark, Schools of Law, teaching in the area of law, medicine and ethics at the end of life.
Tucker served as lead counsel representing patients and physicians in two landmark federal cases decided by the United States Supreme Court, Washington v. Glucksberg and Vacco v. Quill, asserting that mentally competent terminally ill patients have a constitutional right to choose aid in dying. These cases are widely acknowledged to have prompted nationwide attention to improving care of the dying, and to have established a federal constitutional right to aggressive pain management.   Tucker played a key role in successfully defending the Oregon Death with Dignity Act from attack by the United States Department of Justice, resulting  in the landmark decision 0f the United States Supreme Court, Oregon v. Gonzales, representing the patient plaintiffs.
Tucker was part of the team that succeeded in enacting the nation’s first state law permitting psilocybin therapy (Oregon Measure 109, 2020). She serves as co-counsel representing a palliative care physician and an oncology clinic in the first effort to apply Right to Try laws to psilocybin therapy, AIMS et al v DEA. She is also co-counsel on the related petition to reschedule psilocybin and litigation related to that petition.
Presentations
Bar Association of San Francisco, “What a Long Strange (Legal) Trip It’s Been, Developing A Practice for Clients In, Or Serviced By, The Psychedelic Industry” (August 17, 2021)
American Bar Association, “Exploring Therapeutic Uses of Psychedelic Substances: Legal Challenges and Opportunities” (July 27, 2021)
Cannalaw Summit, “Psychedelics: Removing Barriers to Access through Legalization and Litigation” (May 2021)

Since 1980, Pat Pizzo has been in the field of Forensic Toxicology for 53 years. She served as served as the Director of Toxicology at Alere Toxicology Laboratory a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories. Before coming to Alere, she worked as a chemist at Bio-Science Laboratories, Pathology Associates of New Orleans Laboratory and for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, DC. Ms. Pizzo is an active member of, advisor to, and participant in many technical and professional organizations of forensic toxicology. Ms. Pizzo is a member of the DATIA Oil and Gas Industry Guidelines Development Committee. These guidelines will be jointly published by DATIA and OGP/IPIECA. Ms. Pizzo is a former member of the Federal Drug Testing Advisory Board. She also serves as a consultant for many national companies. Ms. Pizzo is a Board-Certified Forensic Examiner, has been certified as an expert witness in Federal (22 states) and State (17) courts/proceedings and has testified throughout the country. She is frequently called upon to serve as an inspector for the National Laboratory Certification Program and the College of American Pathologists Forensic Urine Drug Testing Program. She has been a guest speaker on many radio talk shows and featured in newspapers and magazines and is a member of many Forensic Toxicology organizations. She has authored and co-authored several articles that have appeared in the United States and abroad.

David advises clients on the issues that arise in buying and selling businesses and – because he recognizes the fast-paced and high-stakes nature of the market – he places a high priority on putting deals together on time and on budget. He likes the challenge of structuring transactions in a way that allows them to go as smoothly as possible so clients reach their goals as efficiently as possible. He always thoroughly discusses the clients’ plans and objectives to understand in great detail the overall view of their business and how he can best help them accomplish their goals.

In recent years, David has begun applying his real estate, commercial finance, and corporate transactions knowledge base to cannabis industry clients. Advising on matters related to corporate finance, real estate and zoning, contractual issues, transportation, as well as environmental and regulatory matters, David helps marijuana businesses and related entities navigate this dynamic and evolving field.

Aaron Pelley has played an active role in cannabis law for over a decade. He helped build the foundation for legal protections in medical cannabis law and is a leading advocate for the cannabis business. His passion for this new realm of practice led to the launch of Cultiva and the formation of a boutique law firm unsurpassed in cannabis law.
In addition to representing cannabis clients and their business interests, Aaron has earned a reputation for effective high profile litigation. His representative cases convey his ability to handle a diversity of complex legal matters. He has also been invited to speak at Legal Education Seminars and Cannabis Conferences throughout the U.S. and has been repeatedly named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers. Aaron is personally and professionally passionate about advancing the interests of a legitimate and integrous cannabis industry, establishing and enforcing equitable relationships among business partners, and supporting and promoting the end of the war on cannabis

Dr. Bleyer chaired the Children’s Cancer Group for 10 years, then the world’s largest pediatric cancer research organization, the Department and Division of Pediatrics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Community Oncology in the Department and Division of Medicine at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He was the American Cancer Society Professor of Clinical Oncology and in charge of the cancer curriculum in the University of Washington School of Medicine.During the past four decades, Dr. Bleyer was awarded research grants totaling more than $ 87 million as a principal investigator from the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, University of Texas and the Leukemia Society of America. He is an author on more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, 77 book chapters, and 10 books, and the senior editor of the Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults book. His current personal clinical research is dedicated to adolescents and young adult (AYA) oncology and to social science issues (suicide, firearm deaths, substance abuse) in young Americans.

Joseph Rosado MD is a leading Physician as well as a well-respected Medical Director, educator, published author, and prominent public speaker. His extensive experience in the broad field of Integrative Medicine combined with his unique specializations ensure he can provide a comprehensive level of high-quality care for all members of your family.Dr. Joseph Rosado is one of the United States’ most well-respected scientists working with Medical Cannabis. He has been regularly featured on major US TV networks as a guest speaker. Dr. Rosado is fluent in English and Spanish. Further, he has been invited to speak all over the world educating doctors including but not limited to these countries: Fiji, Malaysia, Italy, and Costa Rica.

Matthew has spent over 20 years working in fields that promote growth and healing. This includes over a decade working on endangered species recovery projects before transitioning into teaching, leading work-readiness programs for at-risk young adults, and youth crisis intervention. Through this work he has accumulated a wealth of experience in trauma informed care, crisis intervention. harm reduction, relating to various forms and states of consciousness, and preparing people for the journey ahead. In addition, he has an extensive personal background working with psilocybin, and other entheogens, that includes his own personal healing journey through loss and grief.  Matthew trained as a facilitator with the Changa Institute and has led practicums for students completing their facilitator certification requirements.  He is excited to share his knowledge and experience relating to psilocybin services, policies, regulations, and practices.

Dr. Voth is a specialist in Internal Medicine, Pain Management, and Addiction Medicine as well as Former Vice-President of Primary Care at Stormont-Vail HealthCare in Topeka, Kansas. He is a pioneer in the appropriate prescribing of controlled medications and is recognized as an international authority on drug use, drug policy-related issues, pain management, and appropriate prescribing practices.

Dr. Voth also serves as an advisor on alcohol and drug abuse issues to the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts, is a former member of the National Advisory Committee for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment of HHS and is a Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

Dr. Voth has advised Reagan, Clinton, both Bush, and Obama administrations, and has advised or testified for numerous Congressional offices on drug related issues. He has appeared on or consulted to, numerous other radio media, and has been quoted by numerous international print media.

Having consulted in legal cases for over thirty years, Dr. Voth has provided expert testimony on general medical issues, pain management, and addiction issues for both defense and plaintiff cases.

Anthony serves as Statewide Outreach Coordinator for the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative (MMERI). In this leadership role, Anthony collaborates with the incredibly talented MMERI Team and a broad spectrum of internal and external stakeholders and partners to successfully execute MMERI’s statewide legislative mandate. Anthony is responsible for overseeing MMERI’s mission to educate Florida’s rural, urban, multicultural population, components of the Court and law enforcement entities about the medical and unlawful use of marijuana.

Anthony has over 25 years of experience in law enforcement, drug testing, education campaigns, strategic planning and local government administration. Anthony is the Past President of the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA) and is currently on the Board of Directors for the National Drug & Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA). He recently served as the Supervisor of the Leon County Florida Probation and Pretrial Office. He is a former Deputy Sheriff, Navy veteran and one of the founding organizers of the National Interdisciplinary Cannabis Symposium.

Anthony is proud of the unique and expanding role Florida A&M University holds in the cannabis space, especially the privilege of educating Floridians on this crucial public health matter with a profound socioeconomic impact on our communities. Among other things, Anthony believes in FAMU’s unique place and expertise in overseeing, implementing, and managing politically and culturally sensitive programs.

Jenny is a spark of enthusiasm for vibrant group process!
Jenny has 25-years experience developing organizational systems for grassroots nonprofits, facilitating collaborative meetings and plans, managing volunteers, organizing campaigns, raising funds and hosting events. Building on decades of practical experience in learning what makes groups and individuals thrive, she is focusing skills, energy and experience on facilitating, teaching and supporting changemakers.
Through her business, Your Enthusiasm Is Contagious (certified Women Business Enterprise in Oregon), she designs and facilitates meetings, retreats, strategic planning, peer learning cohorts, and organizational redesigns, and leads participation-based trainings on communication, conflict engagement, shared leadership, decision-making, social ecology and more. She specializes in consensus decision-making, visual thinking (translating ideas into folk graphics), facilitated reflection, and helping people thrive (even have fun!) as they navigate complex social and interpersonal issues.
Her teaching style is based in compassion for the hard work of social change, lighthearted silliness, Jinteractive activities and commitment to healthy communication.