The full-service business law firm Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP just added a new practice group – the Marijuana Law and Policy Group – to its roster.
Recent developments in Florida, Ohio and across the country have spawned an emerging area of law and policy surrounding legalized marijuana, bringing unprecedented legal issues to the fore. Federal and state laws and policies concerning the medical and recreational use of marijuana are changing rapidly, and efforts to legalize its recreational use in additional states are gaining ground.
Shumaker’s team of attorneys and consultants will advise clients based on the totality of their perspective and needs. This collaborative strategy and comprehensive approach offers clients insightful and effective guidance through the myriad of issues in this emerging area of law.
“More than 30 states now have some form of state-sanctioned marijuana, with a dizzying mélange of rules and regulations,” said David Axelrod, a partner in Shumaker’s litigation group. “Clients inside and outside the industry must be concerned about state and federal laws and policies, as well as operational issues, such as how to deal with employees’ use of medical marijuana in the workplace. Shumaker is committed to providing thoughtful advice about these and other marijuana-related challenges facing our clients.”
The practice group includes attorneys David Axelrod, Douglas Berman, Rachel Goodman, W. Jan Pietruszka, Erin Smith Aebel and Mechelle Zarou and Shumaker Advisors consultant Andrew W. Herf. This group will counsel clients in business, healthcare, agriculture and other industries on the developing marijuana laws from a variety of legal perspectives. The team will also work with legislators, regulators and government entities that have a stake in regulating the use of marijuana.
“Businesses, employers and entrepreneurs need skilled counsel who are able to help them navigate the matrix of state laws layered with federal laws and regulations in this developing area,” said Aebel, a board certified health law specialist. “The long-term market, legal and social trends suggest that legal use of medical marijuana is here to stay, and it’s important to understand the evolving landscape of these laws.”
About Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
Founded in 1925, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 250 lawyers and five offices in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio; Tampa and Sarasota, Fla.; and Charlotte, N.C. Shumaker is a premier provider of quality legal services. Whether it's commitment to clients or work in the community, involvement lies at the core of all of Shumaker’s initiatives.