Overview

Josh Kappel is a founding partner of Vicente Sederberg with a passion for helping entrepreneurs and visionaries build human-centric and regenerative companies in the cannabis and psychedelic industries. Passionate about policy, Josh also loves helping advocates draft legislation and build sustaining vehicles that will forever influence these emerging industries.

In addition to policy work, Josh focuses his corporate practice on 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 cannabis, 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.

In 2023, Josh was recognized by his peers in the "Best Lawyers" list for his work in cannabis law.

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 International Cannabis Bar Association, Simplifya, and VS Tech Ventures, and a founding member of the Council for Responsible Cannabis Regulation. He is also a member of the Psychedelic Bar Association. Josh is a sought-after thought leader in cannabis and psychedelics policy, contributing writings, presenting at local and international conferences, working on psychedelics reform initiatives, and testifying at public hearings on marijuana-related issues. He was named one of "Denver's Top Lawyers" by 5280 Magazine from 2016–2020.

Experience

Leadership & Community Involvement

• Member, Psychedelic Bar Association
• 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

• Best Lawyers, Cannabis Law, 2023
• 5280 magazine, "Denver's Top Lawyers," 2016-2020
• National Law Journal, "Trailblazers: Cannabis Law," 2018

Publications

VS Insights

• Co-author, "Understanding the Current Legal Status of Psychedelics in the United States," May 27, 2022

• Co-author, "Financing Adaptogenic Mushroom Companies: Seven Basic Regulatory Points to Understand," December 2, 2021

External Publications

• Co-author, "What Cannabis Employers Need to Know About COVID-19" Marijuana Business Magazine, May 5, 2020

• 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, Psychedelic Law Summit, "Legalization or Regulation: Pathways to Psychedelic Access,” Online, September 08, 2022
• Speaker, INCBA Cannabis Regulatory Rounds, "Event and On-site Consumption,” Online, July 24, 2020
• Speaker, CanopyBoulder Investor Hub, "CARES Act and Cannabis,” Online, April 03, 2020
• Speaker, Coronavirus and Cannabis, "COVID-19 Changes and Challenges for Employers with Littler Mendelson,” Webinar, April 01, 2020
• Speaker, Coronavirus and Cannabis with Vicente Sederberg and Burns & Levinson, "Coast-to-Coast Regulatory Update,” Webinar, March 27, 2020
• Speaker, CanopyBoulder Mentor Conversation, "Cannabis Law Peculiarities,” Boulder, June 12, 2019
• Speaker, SXSW, "When Can We All Get High Together? (Legally),” Austin, March 14, 2019
• Speaker, International Cannabis Bar Association, "Securing State and Local Licenses and Permits,” , July 25, 2018
• Speaker, CanopyBoulder , "Cannabis Laws and Peculiarities,” Boulder, February 20, 2018
• Speaker, INCBA Cannabis Law Institute, "Northbound and Southbound: Cross-Border Transactions Between the United States and Canada ,” Denver, July 29, 2017
• Speaker, Cannabis Cultivation Conference, "Emerging Cultivation Landscape: A look at New States' Regulations, Challenges, and Opportunities,” , March 20, 2017
• Speaker, Indo Expo, "The Future of Colorado Cannabis,” , January 28, 2017
• Speaker, Canadian Cannabis Business Week, "Winning Public Confidence: How to Manage Issues, Attract Positive Attention, and Project Social Responsibility,” , September 15, 2016
• Speaker, Alaska Bar Association, "Marijuana Regulation 101,” , May 13, 2016
• Speaker, Alaska Bar Association, "Marijuana: Federalism and Ethics,” , May 13, 2016
• Speaker, Research Nature Demystifying Cannabis Scientific Conference, "Legalized It: The Beginning of the End of Cannabis Prohibition in the USA and Beyond,” Slovenia, May 15, 2014
• Speaker, Fill the Hill Cannabis Rally, "Practical Realities of Promoting Legalization,” Ottawa, Canada, April 20, 2013
• Speaker, Plant Medicine Expo and Healthcare Provider Conference, "Medical Marijuana Debate,” Denver, September 25, 2010