Overview

Josh Kappel is a partner at Vicente Sederberg specializing in risk assessment for multinational corporations and financial transactions in the highly regulated cannabis industry. He also routinely provides advice to patients, caregivers, and businesses about medical marijuana, licensing, regulatory compliance, general business and transactional law, and the intersection of state and federal law. Recently, Josh has focused his time on the two largest cannabis markets in the world: California and Canada.

Josh previously served as associate director of Sensible Colorado, a nonprofit organization that advocated for medical marijuana patient rights and played a key role in opening the door for the state's regulated medical marijuana system. Josh also contributed to the drafting of Amendment 64, which legalized cannabis for adult use in Colorado.

Josh is a founding board member of the National Cannabis Bar Association, Simplifya, and VS Tech Ventures, and a founding member of the Council for Responsible Cannabis Regulation. He is a sought-after thought leader in cannabis policy, contributing writings, presenting at local and international conferences, and testifying at public hearings on marijuana-related issues related. He has been named one of "Denver's Top Lawyers" by 5280 magazine in each of the past four years (2016-2019).

Experience

Leadership & Community Involvement

• Member, International Cannabis Bar Association
• Mentor, Canopy Boulder
• Board Member, Simplifya
• Founding Board Member, VS Tech Ventures
• Founding Board Member, Leafwire
• Founding Member, Council for Responsible Cannabis Regulation
• Advisory Board Member, Cannabis Wheaton Income Corp
• Founding Board Member, National Cannabis Bar Association
• Associate Director, Sensible Colorado

Recognition

• 5280 magazine, "Denver's Top Lawyers," 2016-2019
• National Law Journal, "Cannabis Law Trailblazer," 2018

Publications

• Co-author, "Spark the Discussion: The 'Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force'," Colorado Bar Association CLE Legal Connection, January 22, 2013
• Author, "Spark the Discussion: Amendment 64: The Ripples Here at Home," Colorado Bar Association CLE Legal Connection, November 19, 2012
• Co-author, "Brian Vicente and Josh Kappel: The Future of Medical Marijuana is Legalization," Marijuana Business Daily, December 12, 2012

Events

• Speaker, SXSW, "When Can We All Get High Together? (Legally),” Austin, March 14, 2019