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# Causes
## Because Great Lawyers Should Do Good
## Our team at Rogoway Law Group supplements our normal practice with a diverse and significant pro bono practice helping businesses and individuals on meaningful policy issues.
We are committed to serving the common good through working with trade associations and local governments to implement sensible cannabis policies, providing meaningful educational opportunities, improving flawed social equity programs, advocacy for drug policy reform, and ensuring safe access to medicine. These efforts go back to the firm’s founding and are integral to our fabric.
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 ***Cannabis Business Association of Sonoma County (CBASC)**, Board of Directors and Pro Bono Legal Counsel. From Left, Alexa Wall, **Luma** California; Ron Ferraro, **Elyon Cannabis**; Dennis Hunter, **CannaCraft**; Erich Pearson, **SPARC**; Erin Gore, **Garden Society**; Hilary St. Jean and Joe Rogoway, **Rogoway Law***.
#### Developing Industry Associations and Improving Local Regulations
We are big proponents of business communities and industry associations that advocate for sensible reform in cannabis regulations. To this effect we provided pro bono legal assistance to help form the  and the . As members and pro bono legal counsel for the , we have been involved in various initiatives championed by them, including the successful push for Tax Modernization in Long Beach.
Our attorneys devote their time and expertise to these cannabis industry associations on a continuing basis.
### Enhancing Vocational Training for the Cannabis Industry
A qualified and well-trained workforce is a prerequisite for a successful and thriving industry. Unfortunately, there were no dedicated vocational training programs for the cannabis industry in the United States.
Working with  and the  we created a unique and first of a kind 8-week vocational training program focused solely on the cannabis industry. The course, taught by industry experts in collaboration with our managing attorney, gave students an insight into the full spectrum of career possibilities in the legal cannabis industry. Students in this pioneering course, many of whom are also qualified social equity applicants, learned about everything from manufacturing cannabis to California Cannabis Track-and-Trace (CCTT).
Most social equity programs do not currently engage in meaningful vocational training with social equity applicants. We look forward to helping more students gain their footing in the industry with future iterations of this course at LBCC.
#### Helping Social Equity Candidates Get A Fair Shot in A Flawed Equity Program
The war on drugs has been an abysmal failure which has disproportionately impacted communities of color. This disproportionate impact is realized through increased incidences of law enforcement contacts and higher rates of incarceration for black and brown communities. To rectify this decades of injustice, many cities across California have adopted social equity programs to ensure that the benefits realized through cannabis legalization reach disadvantaged individuals. Though well-intentioned, many social equity programs unknowingly set up applicants for failure or predation.
Working with the  and the , our team of attorneys has provided pro bono legal assistance to equity candidates in the City of San Francisco, to rectify problems with non-equity business partners, and ensure that they aren’t taken advantage of in business relationships.
#### Designing Social Equity Programs That Actually Deliver
Municipal social equity programs generally focus on providing the benefits of the program to the individual applicants.
While ensuring benefits to the individual applicant is important, we believe that equity programs should focus on benefits delivered to disadvantaged communities, and directed towards addressing the root causes of poverty through education, nutrition, infrastructure, and wellness.
As members of the Long Beach Collective Association, we have worked with fellow members, and submitted a policy paper to the City of Long Beach as they work to build and implement a successful social equity program. You can review the policy paper submitted by the Long Beach Collective Association .
#### Simplifying Industry Compliance
California’s legal cannabis industry is a quagmire of regulations and deadlines that can even  encumber the most well-intentioned operators who want to maintain full compliance.
In our effort to aid cannabis businesses in maintaining compliance and avoiding enforcement actions, we have created . These posters bear a full-list of compliance deadlines and triggers, and an be requested by anyone free of charge. We also have made available , also available without charge.
#### Fighting for safe and legal access to medicine
In a landmark ruling in 2018, we were able to help Brooke Adams–a kindergartner diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy–secure access to life-saving rescue medication while on school grounds. Alleging that a school nurse administering the medication to Brooke in the event of a seizure was a violation of both state and federal law, the School District had offered Brooke an individualized educational program that included only one hour of home-based schooling each day.
There are still many others like Brooke who are unable to access effective and affordable cannabis-based medicine because of federal laws and other outdated regulations. We continue taking similar pro bono matters so we can assist in the provision of justice to those who need it most.
#### SHARING THE VIBRANT HISTORY AND CULTURE OF CANNABIS WITH THE BROADER COMMUNITY
Born out of an urgent need to respond to the suffering caused by the AIDS epidemic, the modern movement for legalization of cannabis has its roots in Northern California. We think it is important to remember the tireless grassroots activism and advocacy that resulted in California legalizing medical marijuana in a groundbreaking first for the nation. Even this milestone was the culmination of decades of grassroots activism that began in the 1960s when cannabis first emerged as a defining element in the culture war.
To share the inspiring legacy of our industry with the broader community, we created an interactive timeline for the Museum of Sonoma County’s exhibit–***Grass Roots: Cannabis from Prohibition to Prescription**–* dedicated to exploring the history of cannabis in Northern California. From the crucial contributions of figures like Dennis Peron and Brownie Mary, to the work of visionary organizations like Americans for Safe Access, visitors to the museum discovered the rich history of cannabis activism and advocacy in California. You can experience an archived version of this timeline .
## Recent Cannabis and hemp Law Perspectives
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 » **About The Firm**
# About Us
###### OUR MISSION & VISION
##### Pursuing good through expert lawyering.
At Rogoway Law, we take pride in the work we do for each of our clients as well as in the larger social change that we’ve helped effectuate. We place great emphasis on the acquisition and retention of subject matter expertise which has been gained through many years of working on a variety of matters which have a regulatory nexus overlapping different practice areas.
We have earned our reputation as a go-to multidisciplinary firm for clients in the wine, cannabis, alcohol beverage, hemp, and psychedelics industries with our deep regulatory expertise and an experienced team of powerful litigation, transactional, intellectual property, and regulatory attorneys.
While we work hard for our clients, we also make sure to set aside time meaningfully dedicated to important causes. Since our inception, we’ve worked on matters such as statewide ballot initiatives to legalize cannabis, litigation on behalf of families of disabled children, and petitioning the TTB for the establishment of an American Viticultural Area (AVA).
#### OUR HISTORY
#### WE'VE BEEN THERE , HELPING PAVE THE WAY.
Rogoway Law was founded in 2011. In the beginning, we were focused on litigating cases in courts across California, in the Court of Appeal, United States District Court, and as pro hac vice counsel in other states. At that time, we primarily helped patients, collectives, and caregivers fight to effectuate their rights. It was this initial trial work which first provided the firm with broad recognition and the opportunity to grow.
Our work to legalize cannabis began in 2009 with California’s Prop. 19 and includes 3 separate statewide initiatives to legalize cannabis through 2016.
Today, Rogoway Law’s practices have expanded beyond cannabis to include clients involved in wine and beverage, psychedelics, hemp, technology, and hospitality industries as well. This is all while our dedication to using our practice as a vehicle to do good is stronger than ever.
Joe Rogoway, Esq. is pictured in 2009 as one of the key proponents of an   election cycle.
### OUR TEAM
### SKILLED REPRESENTATION FROM SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
From our roots in regulatory enforcement and governmental investigations, our practice has grown to include an accomplished team of attorneys with practice areas including corporate transactions, civil litigation, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, and labor and employment. Our attorneys, and non-attorney professionals, utilize their diverse set of skills and perspectives to help provide our clients with value and mitigate risk.
You can visit our team page to learn more about the legal professionals who will be working on your matter.
#### OUR CAUSES
#### DOING OUR PART FOR A BETTER TOMORROW.
Our attorneys demonstrate their professional commitment to social justice through their work on behalf of families of disabled children, trade associations seeking a more hospitable business environment, and to establish new American Viticultural Areas through petitioning the TTB. These efforts are integral to our values and culture.
Jana Adams with her daughter Brooke. In a landmark ruling, we were able to help Brooke–a kindergartner diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy–secure access to life-saving cannabis-based rescue medication while on school grounds.
#### OUR PRESS
#### matters that have influenced the industry.
We have worked hard to establish formal recognition of geographic indicators on behalf of acclaimed winegrowerS and have fought on behalf of the cannabis industry since before the industry was regulated. We fight the good fight, we take on hard cases, we don’t shy away from challenging policy issues, and we help fundamentally help people and businesses.
To learn more about some of the significant matters we’ve been involved with, please take a look at our Press page.
## RECENT INSIGHTS
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Introduction Grapes are the foundational ingredient of wine, so it should come as no surprise that the contract for winemakers to purchase grapes from winegrowers
The Federal Alcohol Administration Act (27 USCA Ch.8, subchapters I-II, Sections 201-219a, as applicable) (The “Act”) authorizes the US Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and
Rogoway Law Group is a professional corporation; as such, it does not have partners, it has members who are the equivalent of shareholders. Because of the prevalence in the industry to refer to members and senior attorneys as partners, we use that term and have referred to them as such throughout this website.
 » **Services**
# Services
## Finding the right lawyer is a critical decision for every business. Rogoway law attorneys take the time to truly understand our clients. What our clients get from our firm is proactive, cost-efficient representation with a track record of success.