Upcoming UC law lecture to explore cannabis regulation in the U.S.

The Corporate Law Center at the University of Cincinnati College of Law will host the daylong symposium “A Fresh Take on Cannabis Regulation” at 8:45 a.m., Friday, March 6, at Mainstreet Cinema, Tangeman University Center on UC's campus. 

CLE: 5.25 hours of general CLE credit has been approved for Ohio and Kentucky. .

Keynote speaker for the symposium will be Robert Mikos, professor of Law at Vanderbilt Law School. One of the country’s leading experts on federalism and drug law, Professor Mikos’s most recent scholarship analyzes the struggle among federal, state, and local governments for control of marijuana law and policy.

Cannabis regulation is now a hot topic. As legalized medical and recreational marijuana gains traction, cannabis-related businesses have exploded. This symposium brings cannabis law and policy into sharper focus by approaching the myriad of issues from comparative perspectives. Particular attention will be given to Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Program and its parallels to other state and federal approaches.

8:45-9 am:     Welcome & Introduction

9:00 a.m.:     Panel 1: Introduction to Cannabis and Cannabis Policy, including Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Program

•  Dr. Theresa Culley, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati
• Brian Higgins, Senior Associate, Frost Brown Todd LLC
• Sam Kamin, Vicente Sederberg Professor of Marijuana Law and Policy, University of Denver Sturm College of Law
• Brian Peters, General Counsel, Ohio Department of Commerce
• Marc Scheineson, Partner, Alston & Bird, Washington, DC
  

10:45 a.m.    Break

11:00 a.m.: Panel 2: The Business of Medical and Recreational Marijuana

• Dr. Malik Burnett, Chief Operating Officer, The Tribe Companies
• Julie Hill, Alton C. and Cecile Cunningham Craig Professor of Law, University of Alabama School of Law
• Lauren Newell, Professor of Law, Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law

12:15 p.m.    Lunch

12:30 pm: Dean's Welcome

• Verna L. Williams, Dean and Nippert Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law
  

            Keynote Address and Q&A

Robert Mikos, Professor of Law, Vanderbilt Law School

“Why POTUS Cannot and Should Not Legalize Pot”

As marijuana reform proposals languish in Congress, some notable presidential candidates have promised to bypass Congress and legalize marijuana through executive action instead. In this talk, however, Professor Mikos explains why the President cannot unilaterally legalize marijuana under existing federal drug laws. To pursue substantial - and constitutional - federal marijuana reforms, proponents will have to convince Congress to pass new legislation.

1:15 p.m.    Break

1:30 p.m.  Panel 3: Equity Concerns

• Douglas Berman, Newton D. Baker-Bajer & Hostetler Chair in Law, Moritz College of Law, Ohio State University
• Dr. LaTrice Montgomery, Assistant Professor, Addiction Sciences Division, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Chris Sagers, James A. Thomas Distinguished Professor of Law and Faculty Director, Cleveland-Marshall Solo Practice Incubator, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
• Shaleen Title, Commissioner,  State of Massachusetts

3:00 pm: Closing Remarks   

• Sean Mangan, Professor,  University of Cincinnati College of Law