Senior Associate Lauren Mendelsohn is an activist at heart who enjoys helping individuals and businesses navigate regulatory regimes and the justice system. She was named a Northern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers® in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Lauren focuses on cannabis permitting and licensing, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, government affairs (including drafting local ordinances and citizen initiatives, lobbying decision-making bodies, and appearing for clients at administrative hearings), and post-conviction relief. She has spoken at numerous cannabis industry conferences and events, and has also taught several continuing legal education seminars, in both live and virtual formats.
For several years, Lauren has been involved in drug policy reform as well as other social justice efforts. She formerly chaired the Board of Directors of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), an international non-profit aimed at ending the counterproductive “War on Drugs.” Lauren also served a term on the Board of Directors of the International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA). She is currently on the Board of Directors for California NORML and the Sonoma County Cannabis Alliance (formerly the Sonoma County Growers Alliance), and is a leader of the Sonoma County chapter of the ACLU of Northern California.
Lauren earned her JD from the University of California, Irvine School of Law and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Maryland. She is a proud member of the California State Bar, the Sonoma County Bar Association, the International Cannabis Bar Association, SSDP’s Sensible Society, California NORML, the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), Americans for Safe Access, and the ACLU.