Webinar: Is the Deep South Next for Cannabis Legalization?

ON-DEMAND WEBINAR

Is the Deep South Next for Cannabis Legalization?

Originally aired November 22nd, 2022

Amid the widespread news coverage about new, game-changing legal cannabis markets in states like New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Connecticut, and Virginia, further South, the ground seems to be shifting.

In some of the more conservative states in the country, legalization initiatives have picked up steam in recent years, and medical marijuana programs have begun serving an ever-growing sector of the population.

In this on-demand Rootwurks webinar, Sally Kent Peebles, a Florida-based partner in the cannabis law firm Vicente Sederberg LLP, and the firm’s Director of Economics and Research, Andrew Livingston, give an in-depth look at what is happening in cannabis in the Deep South and the potential these emerging markets hold for the cannabis industry.

About this Webinar

With cannabis, something is happening on the southern front.

In 2020, a law went into effect that expanded Louisiana’s medical marijuana program, and in August 2021, the state decriminalized possession of up to 14 grams of cannabis. Florida is home to the country’s most extensive medical-only cannabis program, Alabama has a legal, medical marijuana program, Arkansas has put a constitutional amendment to legalize cannabis on the ballot for November, and in deep-red Mississippi, voters in 2020 approved a law to legalize medical cannabis.

But while the Gulf Coast is far from morphing into the West Coast, it appears that the Bible Belt may be fertile ground for cannabis legalization in the coming years.

In this on-demand Rootwurks webinar, Vicente Sederberg LLP’s Florida-based partner Sally Kent Peebles and the firm’s Director of Economics and Research, Andrew Livingston, discuss what’s happening with cannabis legalization in the Deep South and if in the coming years, the region could be the next frontier for legal retail and medical marijuana.

Who Can Benefit?

The prospect of legalization in the Deep South would have a significant impact on the cannabis industry as a whole. This webinar can benefit anyone interested in what is happening with legalization in the region, what it would mean for the local economy, how it would affect the wider legal cannabis industry, and how legalization can take hold in some of the more conservative parts of the country.

Viewers will gain expert insight on:

Where our experts see cannabis legalization in the South in the years to come
The political and economic factors affecting the legality of cannabis in the region
The widespread impacts legalization could have on the region
Why Mississippi probably won’t become “The Colorado of the South”
Which southern states may be the next to legalize
What role legalization in the south could have for the industry as a whole
How difficult it is to secure cannabis licenses in the region
What cannabis legalization would mean for the economy of the Deep South
What federal legalization would mean for the region
How widespread is support for cannabis legalization with the population of the Deep South

Meet Your Speakers

Sally Kent Peebles - Florida-based Partner | Vicente Sederberg LLP

Sally Kent Peebles is a partner in Vicente Sederberg's Florida office. Her areas of focus are corporate law, commercial real estate, and regulatory matters. She is also a leading voice on cannabis law and policy in Florida. In 2021, she co-founded the nonprofit organization WISE Florida, which advocates for legal and regulated adult-use cannabis in the state. In 2022 and 2023, Sally was placed on The Best Lawyers in America® list for her work in real estate law.

Andrew Livingston - Director of Economics & Research | Vicente Sederberg, LLP

Andrew Livingston is based in Vicente Sederberg's Denver office, where he serves as the firm's director of economics and research. Andrew has spent his entire career studying cannabis markets, first working alongside the VS team in 2012 on the historic campaign to pass Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana for adults in Colorado. Andrew is also a co-host of the popular cannabis policy podcast Weed Wonks and a regular guest on Marijuana Today, the cannabis industry’s top business and politics podcast.