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Business Law Society Hosts Medicinal Marijuana Panel

November 18, 2013

By Alexander Green (3L)

On Wednesday, November 13, the Business Law Society hosted an academic panel entitled “Medicinal Marijuana: Is It Really Legal?” The panel brought together several of San Diego’s top medicinal marijuana law academics and practitioners in a lively discussion. The panelists included Director of the Center for Law & Social Justice Professor Alex Kreit, Professor of Political Science at Cuyamaca College Collective Director Stephen McCamman, General Counsel for the California Cannabis Industry Association Criminal Defense Attorney Lance Rogers and Civil Attorney specializing in medical marijuana law TJSL Alum Kimberly Simms ‘08.

Amongst the topics discussed were the overall legal and regulations of the medicinal marijuana industry within San Diego County today, the nature of business planning in an industry so wrought with uncertainty and commercial instability, and the implications of being involved with a medicinal marijuana collective.

The event received a positive response from students and faculty alike as it created a forum to discuss a topic that is rapidly emerging in mainstream politics. “San Diego County is unique in that it does not have an outright ban on medicinal marijuana businesses nor does it have in place a concrete set of regulatory guidelines by which businesses can comply with the law,” explained Professor Kreit. While there are no firm plans for this to change in the immediate future, there is certainly a general sentiment that in the coming years, Medicinal Marijuana will become a hot topic throughout elections across the nation, perhaps even stretching to the Presidential Election in 2016.

On a more intimate level, McCamman had an opportunity to express what drives him as a business manager in the industry. He emphasized that for all the risk involved, there is a human element that propels his own sense of justice and reward.  McCamman feels compelled to hit the ground running each and every morning with the notion that if what he helps to accomplish enables a cancer patient to hold down enough food to keep them alive for another week, he has achieved something both noble and entirely worthwhile.

Any time students and professionals can come together around a progressive, controversial topic that has tangible implications within the city around us, the whole community benefits. This panel was an outstanding success by that measure. The Business Law Society would like to thank those students who participated as well as the panelists whom made the event possible.