ATTORNEYS

Defenders and witnesses

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Berg, Eric

Chico, Shasta and Tehama Counties, Central Valley, etc.

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Environmentalist who worked with Civil Liberties Monitoring Project, passed the bar in his 60s and championed medical marijuana in the North Coast

Denson, Ed

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Figueroa, Omar

Northern CA attorney, worked with Pier 5 Law and defended Ed Rosenthal in federal court.

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Statewide trifecta defense team originally from Pier 5, later Jackson Square Law who took on cannabis and forfeiture cases statewide.

Gilg, Zenia; Schulz, Danny; Meier, Lisa

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Worked on medical marijuana and hemp cases, most famously the successful HIA v DEA case that solidified legality of hempseed in foods

Goggin, Patrick

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Gray, James

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LEAP, former Sup Court judge Orange County

Four cannabis defense attorneys of merit. Gilg, Schultz and Meier traveled the state defending high-profile medical marijuana patients and collectives.

Jackson Square Law / Zenia Gilg, Danny Schultz, Lisa Meier, and Jim Bustamante

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Statewide practice, criminal and civil courts, often worked in tandem with other attorneys on this list.

Levinsohn, Michael

Professional middle-aged man with gray hair and beard smiling in a dark suit and tie against a dark background.

Three Rivers, Central Valley, Eastern California, mountains. Also served as a cannabis expert witness

Logan, Bill

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running attorney ad series in High Times magazine, legal counsel for the California Hemp Initiative that was filed continuously for well-over a decade. His autobiography, Down for the Cause is entertaining and informative.

Margolin, Bruce

A man with gray hair and a beard, wearing a suit and a tie with marijuana leaf patterns, sitting outdoors near greenery.

McPike, Bill

Eastern, mountains. Published one of the earliest books on medical marijuana law.

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Michael, David

Federal civil and criminal courts, including property forfeiture cases.

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Nick, David

Statewide high profile medical marijuana and collective cases, including People v Kubby.

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of Prop 215, CLE instructor, served on CA and national NORML boards. Defended Three Hawks hemp case in 1994, launching Chris Conrad’s career as a cannabis expert witness.

Panzer, Bill

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from which Jackson Square and other notable cannabis counsels spun off. The law offices hosted prisoner art shows and other public education events. Serra was trial attorney for Michael Baldwin and Steve Kubby, among many others. .

Pier 5 Law, Serra, Tony

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Public Defenders of CA

the People v Mower case setting the standard of patients being allowed to possess and cultivate any amount reasonably related to their medical need, and People v Urziceanu that first recognized that patient collectives were a legal defense and was entitled to possess an amount consistent with the needs of all its members at the same time were both public defender cases.

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Santa Cruz attorney noted for medical marijuana and intent to sell cases. Later involved with third party cannabis testing SC Labe.

Rice, Ben

A middle-aged man in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and purple tie sitting by a window with a cityscape and green hills in the background, smiling at the camera.

LA, Southern California dispensaries, including cases with very complicated structures trying to meet the ever changing court standards as they evolved in the 2000s.

Shevin, Eric

A man with curly hair, a beard, and blue eyes in a black suit, white shirt, and red tie sitting in an office with books and papers.

Marin and North Bay attorney who defended many hardship cases for patients that other attorneys would not take on.

Spiegelman, Steve

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Stepenian, Michael

Sonoma

(1950-2009) / Lake County’s legendary cannabis defense attorney from the pre Prop 215 days to the beginning of the collective era.

Tulanian, Steve

COURT-QUALIFIED

CANNABIS EXPERT

WITNESSES

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Britt, Bill

Southern California, testified hundreds of times, cited in several appeals and state Supreme Court cases.

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Conrad, Chris

Not an attorney but a cannabis expert witness cited in numerous appeals and state Supreme Court cases, including Mower, Urziceanu, and Kelly. Worked on more than 3000 cases in state and federal courts, testified more than 380 times.