LAUREN PAYNE
Lauren Payne has been a leader in the medical cannabis movement since 2006 and has over a decade of experience in cannabis licensing and compliance. She joined ALG in 2021 as the Lead Licensing and Compliance Specialist. Prior to that she was an independent licensing consultant and the Senior Regulatory Analyst for a major cannabis consulting company in Oakland. In those roles, Ms. Payne successfully secured highly competitive licenses in San Francisco, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Alameda, Maryland, Connecticut, Ohio, and more. She is intimately familiar with both local and state licensing requirements in California and has experience with other dual licensing states such as Nevada.
In her capacity as an independent consultant, Ms. Payne provided pro bono services to equity applicants. She helped a team secure the contract to implement Oakland’s Equity Incubator program to provide shared kitchen space. Most recently she helped a non-profit secure a $2M grant. She has also advocated to regulators and legislators regarding the desperate need to provide reparations through equity and training programs as well as removing the unnecessary barriers to entry into the cannabis industry.
For more than a decade Ms. Payne has worked with various medical cannabis organizations, patients, advocacy, and industry groups to negotiate local cannabis policy change. She has been a Government Relations Associate for both Americans for Safe Access and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). She drafted and presented model ordinances to cities, counties, and states including San Bernardino, Davis, and Maryland. Ms. Payne has successfully worked with dozens of regulators and legislators to ensure patient needs and community concerns are addressed.
Ms. Payne stays fired up by fielding emergency calls to legal hotlines. First she helped medical cannabis patients through the Americans for Safe Access hotline. Today she supports Black Lives Matter protestors through the National Lawyers Guild’s legendary hotline. When you need help, she answers.
Lauren Payne holds a JD from New England Law School, 2006, and a BA from New College of Florida, 2001.