State and Regional Responses to Uncertainty in U.S. Federal Cannabis Law

David P. Grosso | ArentFox Schiff LLP

David provides practical guidance to clients in businesses where the federal and District of Columbia governments intersect. He brings valuable experience to clients from his work in the public and private sectors, including serving on the D.C. Council for eight years. He also has an extensive background in federal policy matters, particularly those related to health care and transportation, having previously served as chief counsel to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton for two years and as CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield’s Vice President of Public Policy for four years. This experience gives David the insights necessary to represent clients both before Congress and the local D.C. government.

David was first elected to the D.C. Council as an at-large member in November 2012 to represent residents in all eight wards. During his eight years in office, David pursued many issues with one main goal always at the forefront of his mind: making D.C. a better city through smart public policy, strong community engagement, and a focus on racial equity and human rights. His efforts resulted in historic progress and fundamentally changed how our schools prepare students to succeed, how our families balance their work and home lives, and how our government and elections operate more ethically.

While on the D.C. Council, education was a central focus of David’s work, including establishing and maintaining a high-quality public education system and an innovative public library system to help residents gain fruitful employment, attract newcomers, and make the city appealing to businesses. David formerly served as chairperson of the Committee on Education of the Council of the District of Columbia. Under David’s leadership, the Committee on Education enacted policies and investments that recognize that every student can succeed academically, disrupted the school-to-prison pipeline by ending exclusionary discipline practices, provided year-over-year increases in school funding, and developed a school modernization plan using an objective ranking tool.

David currently serves on the boards of DC SCORES, Mosaic Theater, and Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, and on the Advisory Committee for the Georgetown Project on State and Local Government Policy and Law (SALPAL). He previously served on the board of directors of Planned Parenthood Metropolitan Washington.

Shahiedah Shabazz | International Cannabis Bar Association

Shahiedah Shabazz is the Executive Director of the International Cannabis Bar Association (“INCBA”). Prior to joining INCBA in July 2023, Shahiedah was an associate at ArentFox Schiff LLP, where she concentrated on cannabis and land use law and served as a co-chair of the firm’s Cannabis Industry Group. As trusted outside counsel, Shahiedah advised cannabis companies on compliance with state and local laws, assisted companies with obtaining and maintaining state and local licenses, and advised on the regulatory implications of mergers, acquisitions, corporate restructuring, and other corporate activities.

Prior to joining ArentFox Schiff, Shahiedah spent six years working as a municipal attorney in Southern California, including advising the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller’s office in its administration of the dissolution of California’s community redevelopment agencies, serving on a task force that established the County’s immigration policies, and helping to establish the County’s policies on commercial cannabis regulation. Shahiedah also assisted with the prosecution of unlicensed dispensaries throughout the unincorporated Los Angeles County territory. Her municipal law experience also includes significant expertise in planning and zoning law, the California Environmental Quality Act, special district administration, elections issues, and the Brown Act and Public Records Act. She has also successfully defended cities against litigation involving land use and constitutional issues.

Shahiedah earned a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School, a Masters in Business Administration from Woodbury University, and a certificate in nonprofit grant writing from California State University Dominguez Hills. She serves on the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity Chicago and enjoys mentoring law students and young lawyers.

I. Recent development in federal cannabis policy and near-term outlook. What is the current risk of federal prosecution of state-compliant cannabis activity? | 12:00pm – 12:15pm

II. Impacts of the vacuum resulting from lack of Congressional action on cannabis policy, including in areas of: supply chain management, banking, insolvency, interstate commerce, and intellectual property law | 12:15pm – 12:30pm

III. Self-help trends in state regulation and enforcement | 12:30pm – 12:45pm

IV. What’s on the horizon for U.S. cannabis law | 12:45pm – 1:00pm