Lawyer to discuss cannabis challenges

(SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Jan. 13, 2020) An attorney who has worked on cannabis-related issues since Californians voted to legalize recreational marijuana in 2016 will discuss the industry’s local impact at the California Lutheran University Corporate Leaders Breakfast in Santa Barbara.

Amy M. Steinfeld, co-chair of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Cannabis & Industrial Hemp industry group, will present “Cannabis: A Growth Industry” on Thursday, Jan. 30, at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Breakfast and networking will begin at 7:30 a.m., and Steinfeld’s talk will follow from 8 to 9 a.m.

Steinfeld will discuss the differences between the cannabis industries in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, financial and legal impacts on businesses in the two counties, the effects on home values and neighborhoods, and related water and land issues. 

An ever-changing patchwork of laws, permits and compliance standards for California’s cannabis industry has created a demand for skilled attorneys in the field like Steinfeld. Pushback from neighborhood groups and fluctuating political winds pose additional challenges.

Steinfeld, managing partner of Brownstein’s Santa Barbara office, has more than a decade of experience in the permitting and development of controversial projects throughout the state. She supports cannabis cultivators through the permitting and licensing process, ensuring compliance with the state’s land use, zoning, environmental and water laws. 

Co-founder of the California H20 Women Conference, Steinfeld also advises nut growers, water districts, utilities, cities and developers in all aspects of water law. She has extensive experience in all facets of land development, including the preparation of environmental documents and the defense and settlement of multiparty California Environmental Quality Act lawsuits. She writes and speaks regularly on cannabis, water and land use issues. 

Before going into law, Steinfeld served as the environmental director for the California Safety Compliance Corp. 

The breakfast series brings members of the business and civic communities together to hear from prominent leaders. The 2019-2020 schedule will continue with presentations by Limoneira President and CEO Harold Edwards on cultivating communities on March 6 in Ventura and Drew West of The Trade Desk on managing the digital advertising technology firm’s hypergrowth on May 5 in Thousand Oaks.

Reservations are requested by Jan. 24. To RSVP, contact Sharon Nelson at smnelso@callutheran.edu. For more information, go to callutheran.edu/clb.