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Valerie Corral is the co-founder and the director of the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana, the longest running medical marijuana collective in the US, founded in 1993 in Santa Cruz, California and now operating as . Valerie is also acting director of WAMM’s sister non-profit hospice team, Raha Kudo, Design for Dying Project.…

Dale Gieringer (President) has been the director of California NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) since 1987. He is also Vice-Chair of the national NORML board of directors, director of the California Drug Policy Forum (DPFCA) and was treasurer of the Oakland Civil Liberties Alliance.

Dr. Gieringer has published research on

Shay Aaron Gilmore is a cannabis business attorney based in San Francisco who works exclusively with operators and investors throughout the legal California cannabis and hemp supply chains. With over 20 years of experience as a California attorney, Shay advises cannabis and hemp businesses through the complexities of California’s legal markets with a commitment to expanding access to legal, reliably tested, environmentally sustainable, and socially equitable cannabis throughout every corner of California.

Shay’s law practice at The Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore includes outside general counsel services for cannabis and hemp operators and investors spanning business formation, financing and governance, commercial transactions, local permitting, state licensing, land use, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance across the cannabis and hemp supply chains.…

David Goldman served as President of the San Francisco chapter of the Brownie Mary Democratic Club from 2014 to 2026. In 2010 – 2011, he served as a patient advocate on the San Francisco Medical Cannabis Task Force, and from 2008–2013, he was the leader of the San Francisco Chapter of Americans for Safe

Ellen Komp has been a hemp/marijuana activist since 1991. She began in Los Angeles where she helped plan quarterly hemp rallies and volunteered for LA NORML after being elected to the California NORML board of directors in 1992. She edited the 9th edition of The Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herer and was

Bruce Margolin is a longtime criminal defense attorney who specializes in marijuana and drug laws. He is the director of the Los Angeles chapter of NORML and author of The Margolin Guide to Marijuana Law.

Among Bruce’s famous clients are Timothy Leary, Tony Serra, and Linda Lovelace, along with members of the band Guns n’

Denise Martellacci (Secretary) became a cannabis activist beginning in 2005 when her local dispensary in Hayward started having compliance issues with the city’s strict regulations. In 2008 she attended Oaksterdam University, and began campaigning for better medical access in her region.

Denise is founder of the Brownie Mary Democratic Club of Alameda County, which

Lauren Mendelsohn is a skilled and award-winning attorney. She advises clients on transactional matters, civil disputes, and complex regulatory frameworks. Known for her passion for social justice and policy reform, Lauren brings a thoughtful and advocacy-driven approach to her work across the cannabis industry and beyond.

Lauren has over a decade of cannabis law

William Panzer is Cal NORML’s Legal Director. Based in Grass Valley, he is a former High Times Freedom Fighter of the Month who has spent almost 40 years traveling throughout the State protecting the rights of cannabis patients, producers, and consumers. His practice focuses on general criminal defense, asset forfeiture, expungement, and of course,

Ian Rassman is Director of Los Angeles NORML, where he spearheads the organization’s Compassionate Medical Cannabis Donation Program, which works with the legal cannabis industry and other non-profit partners to provide charitable services and donated medicine to patients in need. He also publishes a guide to cannabis events, and is