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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Ibogaine treatment for opioid use disorder
Policymakers should consider ibogaine as a potential alternative treatment for opioid use disorder.
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Hawaii Senate Bill 3335 has some cannabis protections but needs improvements
The proposal contains many constructive components but also would impose unnecessary restrictions on licensing.
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Regulated psilocybin access in Arizona would help treat mental health conditions
Arizona Senate Bill 1570 would create a regulated and limited program to access psilocybin.
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Florida’s attorney general challenges marijuana initiative with spurious arguments
Florida voters have the chance to vote on a marijuana ballot initiative, but Florida politicians are trying to keep that from happening.
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Survey shows stereotype of the lazy, lefty marijuana smoker doesn’t reflect reality
Marijuana users come from all different backgrounds and are not restricted to a particular political affiliation, education level, income bracket, career position, or location.
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A policy framework for personal psychedelics licenses
Psychedelic licenses for consumers have advantages over the current approach in two U.S. states that rely on professionals to dispense and facilitate services.
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The Breakthrough Therapies Act could spur research and improve access to life-saving drugs
The Breakthrough Therapies Act would pave the way for more accessible and innovative mental health treatments while also enabling state-level adaptation.
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Marijuana social equity programs should be redesigned to focus on restorative justice
Social equity should not simply be a false mantra for politically connected and well-capitalized opportunists to distort new marijuana markets or exploit the public purse.
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The case for interstate marijuana commerce right now
Pathways to establishing an interstate marketplace for marijuana.