Join us as we discuss the constantly evolving laws, regulations, business challenges and opportunities regarding medical marijuana in Ohio.
Early Registration Discounts Available Until October 6th!
Seminar Venue is the Benjamin Rose Institute located at:
11980 Fairhill Road, Cleveland, Ohio
If you are unable to attend all presentations, video re-broadcasts will be available to all attendees.
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FRIDAY |
SATURDAY |
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8:30 AM - Conference Registration 9:00 AM - Cannabis and Ohio 10:30 AM - Preparing for the Hurdles of Starting a Cannabis Business 1;00 PM - The History of Cannabis and the Origins of Marijuana 2:00 PM - The Impact and Considerations of Marijuana on the Community |
8:30 AM - Conference Registration 9:00 AM - So You Want to Get Into the Canna Biz? 10:00 AM - How Do You Legally Protect Yourself in the Cannabis Industry? 11:00 AM - How to Get Financing in the Cannabis Industry and the Blueprint on Starting Your Business in Ohio 12:00 PM - The Day to Day Experience of Working in the Cannabis Industry |
PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES
Tom Haren, Esq. - As a member of Frantz Ward’s Litigation Practice Group, Tom represents clients during government investigations, prosecutions, and high-stakes civil litigation matters. He works directly with clients to develop litigation strategies that often involve a defense-led investigation and discovery effort to uncover new favorable facts and witnesses. At times, these strategies also involve utilizing media platforms to protect clients' reputations when facing damaging allegations. Tom has successfully represented clients both at the trial court level and on appeal throughout the State of Ohio.
Tom's practice is also focused on marijuana law and policy. He has become one of the go-to attorneys for Ohio's burgeoning medical marijuana industry, working with medical marijuana cultivator, processor, and dispensary applicants. He assists clients with license acquisition, zoning and municipal law, product labeling and packaging, and regulatory compliance. He also advises ancillary industry stakeholders seeking to service Ohio's medical marijuana market. As a former nominee for the State Senate, Tom knows how important it is to build consensus at the local and State level to further clients' interests in this evolving industry. He is an avid contributor to various local and national media outlets and often shares his expertise by speaking at industry conferences and events.
Tom regularly provides pro bono litigation services to indigent clients, as well as clients facing defamation claims based on constitutionally-protected online speech.
David Patton, Esq. – Mr. Patton has experience as an appellate litigator with both the Ohio Attorney General’s Major Appeals Group and an AmLaw 100 firm. He has had the privilege of representing a number of Ohio’s regulatory agencies, particularly licensure boards governing health care professionals such as audiologists, chiropractors, counselors, physicians, social works and speech pathologists. He also represents clients in professional responsibility and ethics matters which demand unique approaches to litigation and dispute resolution.
Mr. Patton is an accomplished author. He was the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Ohio Administrative Law Handbook & Agency Directory (Thomson Reuters) and the author of The Adjudication Function of the Ohio Administrative Handbook & Agency Directory (Thomson Reuters).
Jazmyn Stover, Esq. - Jazmyn is a member of several practice groups including Commercial and General Litigation; Business, Transactional, Securities, and Corporate; Human Resources, Labor and Employment; and Regulated Products. Her practice focuses in the areas of labor and employment law, general civil litigation and business matters.
Jazmyn helps businesses and corporate clients reduce employment-related risks by emphasizing proactive workforce management. She takes a proactive approach with clients by reviewing and analyzing company policies and human resource practices to ensure legal compliance and minimize the possibility of disputes. As such, Jazmyn’s practice focuses on counseling employers of all sizes concerning compliance with employment laws and regulations and assists employers in resolving day-to-day employment-related issues. She has experience representing both public and private clients before administrative agencies, including the State Employment Relations Board, the Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Ohio Civil Rights Commission, as well as in state and federal courts.
Ms. Stover also assists employers with workplace-related matters such as employment discrimination, wage and hour issues, unfair competition and contract disputes. In addition to litigating matters for public and private entities, Jazmyn is a trusted advisor to many businesses and their owners seeking legal advice. She assists business clients in everything from business entity formation to dissolutions, including sales & marketing, mergers & acquisitions, real estate transactions and business succession planning. Jazmyn helps clients with meeting their goals, preventing and minimizing problems and increasing profits. Jazmyn is recognized by Ohio Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in the area of labor and employment law.
Nicholas Weiss, Esq.. - Mr. Weiss, an instructor of medical marijuana law and policy at the Cleveland School of cannabis, practices with the Gertsburg Law Firm after several years of practice focusing on civil litigation, and as in-house counsel to an international retail corporation. Mr. Weiss uses his years of experience in civil litigation, and his in-house advisory experience, to assist both businesses and individuals in pursuing and defending their interests, and obtaining the best possible outcomes for his clients.
Mr. Weiss has represented numerous businesses and individuals through the course of his practice at both the trial and appellate level. As trial counsel, he routinely obtained substantial monetary judgments and settlements against defendants in civil actions. As in-house counsel, he regularly reduced the liability of the corporation in contentious litigation, once settling a case claiming over ten million dollars in damages for fifteen-thousand dollars through effective research and advocacy.
Mr. Weiss lives in Richfield with his wife and two incredibly spoiled dogs. Though a transplant from Maine, he has converted to rooting for Cleveland sports teams after “gentle nudging” from his wife’s family.
Aaron O.Brien, Esq. - Assists clients engaging in mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, capital financing, and other key strategic corporate transactional plays. A substantial part of Aaron's practice focuses on the representation of early stage, middle-market, and publicly-traded companies in the financial services industry, including broker-dealers and investment advisers, alternative trading systems (ATSs), and exchanges. Clients turn to him for advice in the capital formation process, specifically for assistance with and thoughtful guidance in conducting private placements of securities in compliance with federal and state securities laws. Aaron is well informed with respect to developments in SEC rules and regulations affecting clients, such as Rule 506 and The JOBS Act.
He has counseled a full-service international investment bank after it failed to report several thousand bond transactions over a three-year period to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Successfully negotiated settlement with FINRA and avoided substantial monetary sanctions and negative publicity to the banking client. Advised client to take proactive steps to address and remediate potential violations. He has assisted in development of complex and unique structure to facilitate financing of mineral/commodity trade transactions so U.K.-based hedge fund client could provide financing in a multi-border crossing venture. Transaction structure was designed to facilitate seamless financing in future transactions involving sugar and iron ore producers in Mexico and Brazil.
He has represented investment banking subsidiary during investigation of and defense against securities trading violations alleged by the Ohio Division of Securities in connection with the sale of securities without registration as broker-dealer. Developed innovative settlement, allowing client to avoid undoing over $100 million in sales transactions. As part of settlement, client was permitted to register with the Division and was not forced to pay additional penalties.
Councilwoman Sharri Thomas - Ms. Thomas is the Ward 6 Councilwoman for Maple Heights. She was elected in November 2017. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University with a focus on Urban Studies. While there has been a decline in innovation in her district, she is always looking for new ways to entice new businesses and provide opportunities to entrepreneurs to spark growth and opportunity.
Police Chief Kevin Nietert - Chief Nietert began his career in law enforcement as a patrolman, later serving as detective, officer in charge of the detective bureau and assistant chief. He is also an adjunct professor of criminal law at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. Kevin holds an A.S. in Law Enforcement from Cuyahoga Community College and a B.S. in Public Administration from Dyke College, with further graduate studies in criminal justice at the University of Virginia in 2005. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police (Advisory Board member), the Cuyahoga County Police Chiefs Association (President), and the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy Associates, among other affiliations.
He was the 2013 Knights of Columbus Sacred Heart of Jesus Council Blue Coat of the Year, the 1994 Veterans of Foreign Wars Outstanding Police Officer of the Year, and is a member of the Bedford High School Alumni Hall of Fame.
This Seminar has been approved by the Ohio Supreme Court for 6.5 General Hours and 0.5 Hours of Professional Conduct. Schedule subject to change.