Geoffrey Lawrence
Research Director, Reason Foundation
Geoffrey Lawrence is research director at Reason Foundation.
Lawrence has been a financial executive in both the public and private sectors and has served as chief financial officer of publicly traded, growth stage, and startup manufacturing and distribution companies. He was CFO of Players Network, the first fully reporting, publicly traded marijuana licensee to be listed on a U.S. exchange, CFO of C Quadrant, a startup manufacturer and distributor that was subsequently sold to Lowell Farms (LOWL), CFO of Apex Extractions, a manufacturer and distributor based in Oakland that he helped take public, and, most recently, CFO of Claybourne Co., a top-3 flower brand in California by market share. Through these roles, Lawrence raised capital, planned capital expenditure, prepared financial forecasts, implemented systems for accounting and inventory control, designed internal control processes, managed monthly and quarterly closings and reporting, managed compliance with state and local regulations, negotiated contracts, and prepared filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Lawrence also served as a senior appointee to the Nevada Controller’s Office, where he oversaw the state’s external financial reporting. Prior to joining Reason Foundation in 2018, Lawrence had also spent a decade as a policy analyst on labor, fiscal, and energy issues between North Carolina’s John Locke Foundation and the Nevada Policy Research Institute.
Lawrence is additionally the founder and president of an accounting and advisory firm with particular expertise in the licensed cannabis industry and public markets.
Lawrence holds an M.S. and B.S. in accounting from Western Governors University, an M.A. in international economics from American University, and a B.A. in international relations from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. He lives in Las Vegas with his wife and two children and enjoys baseball and mixed martial arts.
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Debt trends for state and local governments 2020-2022
This tool provides debt and spending insights for the 100 largest municipalities, counties and school districts in America and all 50 states for fiscal years 2020, 2021 and 2022.
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City debt: New York has more than four times the liabilities of Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston and other cities
New York City, the District of Columbia, Chicago, Atlanta, Yonkers and Austin have the most per capita liabilities.
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County debt: Los Angeles, Miami-Dade and Cook counties among worst in nation
Los Angeles County had $54 billion in liabilities at the end of 2022. Miami-Dade County had $29 billion in total liabilities.
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State debt: California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Texas each have over $200 billion in total liabilities
On a per capita basis, Connecticut's $27,031 total liabilities per capita are worst in the nation, followed by New Jersey.
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Debt and liquidity in America’s 10 largest cities
During fiscal year 2022, nine of America’s 10 most populous cities generated enough revenue to finance their expenditures.
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Batch-tracking: The next wave of marijuana tracking systems
Maine recently implemented a first-of-its-kind system to track marijuana sales, setting a new standard for the industry.
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Psychedelic drug policy recommendations for the incoming Trump administration
The incoming Trump administration has promised sweeping reforms, and that might include reversing the federal suppression of psychedelics.
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Arizona Proposition 138 would change the minimum wage for tipped workers
Under current law, workers who regularly receive tips from customers can be paid up to $3 less per hour by the employer.
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Missouri Proposition A would increase the minimum wage, create a sick leave mandate
Missouri Proposition A would increase the minimum hourly compensation to $13.75 in 2025 and $15 in 2026.
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Alaska Ballot Measure 1 would raise minimum wage, impact paid sick leave
Alaska Ballot Measure 1 addresses three issues simultaneously: the minimum wage, paid sick leave, and workplace penalties.
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California Proposition 32 would increase the minimum wage
If this measure passes, California businesses with more than 25 employees would face an $18 minimum wage by January 2025.
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California Proposition 4 would fund conservation and energy through bonds
California Proposition 4 would authorize the state of California to issue $10 billion in new bonded debt to pay for a variety of capital projects.
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Nevada Question 1 would remove constitutional status of Board of Regents
The proposed constitutional amendment could make the Board of Regents answer to the legislature not directly to voters.
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Nevada Question 5 would allow a sales tax exemption for diapers
Current exemptions include farm machinery, food, prosthetics, newspapers, feminine products, medical equipment, medicines, and mobility equipment.
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Nevada Question 2 would revise language related to public entities for individuals with mental illness, blindness, or deafness
The proposed amendment simply changes the way persons with certain disabilities are described.
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Nevada Question 4 would remove slavery as a punishment for crime
The intention is to remove from the Nevada Constitution the power of the state to force convicted criminals to work.
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Nevada Question 7 would require voter identification
As a proposed constitutional amendment, it would need to be approved by a majority of voters in successive elections.
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South Dakota Measure 29 would legalize the recreational use of marijuana
Measure 29 protects the rights of individuals to deliver, transfer, or sell marijuana to each other.
