Jason Klein

Jason Klein is a business attorney with a long track record of representing cannabis businesses, both marijuana and hemp, in tightly regulated markets. As one of the first lawyers on the East Coast to build a practice dedicated to the cannabis industry, Mr. Klein has a long track record of successfully navigating his clients through challenging regulatory and business operating environments amid uncertainty in new marketplaces. He has represented all types of cannabis business clients, from small and large, including direct and ancillary marijuana companies, hemp growers and supply chain operators, investors, registered providers, and many others, in a variety of states primarily east of the Mississippi River. This involves serving as outside general counsel and advising more than 100 marijuana and hemp businesses, including some of the most recognizable brands in the industry, in every stage of the business life-cycle – from formation through license acquisition, to corporate disputes, transactions and exits. Mr. Klein’s greatest passion is structuring and negotiating all aspects of buy- and sell-side M&A deals, including maneuvering through complicated and novel regulatory issues in ways that bring buyers and sellers together to complete their most important transactions.

Mr. Klein took on his first cannabis client in 2011, and since 2016 his practice has been exclusively dedicated to this industry. He is a founding board member of the National Cannabis Bar Association and a frequent speaker at local and national events on cannabis business matters. Since 2017 he has hosted a monthly webinar series, The Cannabusiness Key, a thought-leader speaker series which highlights leaders in cannabis to explore a wide range of topics relevant to industry insiders and newcomers alike. Recent topics include “Smart Expansion: How to Build a Scalable MSO” with Joe Caltabiano formerly of Cresco, “How to Identify Smart Money for Your Cannabis Business” with Steve Ham of Altmore Capital, and “Implementing the 2018 Farm Bill – a 2020 Update” with Eric Steenstra of Vote Hemp. He is regularly published, quoted, and profiled in publications such as the Baltimore Sun, Washington Lawyer, and the Cannabis Business Executive, among others.

Mr. Klein is admitted in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Michigan. He graduated from Indiana University – Bloomington with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics with a minor in Mathematics. He then returned to Indiana University – Bloomington to earn his Juris Doctor from the Maurer School of Law and Masters of Public Administration from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA).  He lives in Washington, DC with his wife and three children. He especially enjoys traveling, having visited all 50 states and 70+ countries around the world, including many in Africa, South America, and Europe.