Legal pot law firm now in Portland

Amy Margolis, a Portland attorney and executive director of the Oregon Cannabis Association, is joining a Florida law firm that specializes in the business of legal marijuana, she said Tuesday.

Margolis as a shareholder will open an office for Greenspoon Marder in Portland in January 2017, the firm announced in a news release. Two other lawyers will join her, Sara Bateman and Kristin Stanckiewicz, according to the firm. Greenspoon Marder has offices around the country. It’s the first firm with a national reach willing to embrace clients in legalized marijuana, Margolis said.

“Every single day I have clients telling me that they’re interested in other states, in doing business in other states or finding other clients to work with,” she said Tuesday.

Four states, including California, voted for legal recreational marijuana on Nov. 8. In all, 26 states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing marijuana in some form.

Margolis also represents clients in criminal cases. She said she’ll continue to work with the cannabis association, which will search for a new executive director, she said. Margolis is also founder of the Oregon Cannabis PAC and formerly a partner with Emerge Law Group, Portland.

She said her goals for the 2017 Oregon legislative session include stability in an industry hit with a “huge upheaval” this year by constantly changing rules and regulations. She also expects to see some accommodation for social consumption of marijuana.

Margolis also said she expects the Trump administration to more forcefully prosecute drug crimes, but not roll back marijuana legalization in states where it’s occurred. Her new position presents an opportunity to address what a nationalized cannabis market looks like, she said.

— Bulletin staff report