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Vince Sliwoski Partner
"He is outstanding to work with, very collaborative and practical." -Chambers USA
Contact VincentAbout Vince
Vince is a business lawyer, problem solver and dealmaker. His clients range from individual investors and entrepreneurs to widely held domestic and international corporations. Vince is Harris Sliwoski’s managing partner and he has received accolades from Super Lawyers and Chambers USA for his work.
Vince strives for efficient and optimal client results in every transaction. He has expertise in business/corporate law, commercial real estate, and intellectual property law.
His advice is guided by a heightened awareness of all possible outcomes: in his litigating days, Vince tried civil cases and conducted numerous arbitrations and mediations. This litigation experience helps him foresee pitfalls and negotiate favorable terms in transactions, ensuring his clients are well-protected.
Vince is also a leading practitioner in Oregon’s rapidly evolving cannabis and psychedelics industries. He regularly confers with key regulators and has been hired by the Oregon State Bar Professional Liability Fund and private parties as an expert witness in several cannabis-related business disputes. He runs our law firm’s award-winning Canna Law Blog.
Business Lawyer, Problem Solver and Dealmaker
Vince is a frequent presenter and commentator on legal aspects of controlled substances issues. He has been cited by many sources over the years, including U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker in correspondence to the U.S. Attorney General. From 2017 to 2021, he taught one of the first law school courses nationwide on Cannabis Law & Policy.
Vince actively supports Oregon’s creative and non-profit cultures. He serves as general counsel to some of the state’s signature events, including the Pickathon Music Festival and the Waterfront Blues Festival. He is a former columnist for the Portland Mercury and a past President of the Hollywood Theatre’s Board of Directors.
Vince enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, reading, writing, and hosting friends for a Manhattan in his basement bar. Don’t get him started on fly fishing. He also loves recreating his childhood with an annual ice fishing trip to North Dakota.
Fast Facts
Education
- Lewis & Clark Law School (J.D.)
- Minnesota State University (B.A.)
Languages
- Spanish (Proficient)
Bar & Court Admissions
- Oregon State Bar (2010)
- Multnomah County Bar (2010)
- U.S. District Court, Oregon (2012)
More About Vince
- Rescheduling Marijuana Q&A, Town Square Media WZOZ, Oneonta, NY, May 20, 2024.
- What will a reclassification of marijuana by the federal government mean for America? 830 WCCO New Talk Radio Minneapolis, May 8, 2024.
- How to Buy or Sell a Cannabis Business, Harris Sliwoski webinar, April 17, 2024.
- Introduction to Distribution of Regulated Products, Washington State Bar Association, April 11, 2024.
- Cannabis Loans & Investments, Harris Sliwoski Webinar, February 28, 2024.
- Lawyering in the Cannabis Industry, Willamette School of Law, January 29, 2024.
- Attorney Insights on the Cannabis Industry 2024: Ask Us Anything, Harris Sliwoski Webinar, January 10, 2024.
- Cannabis Industry Outlook 2024 | Legal Lunch Byte | Episode 1, The Legal Lunch Byte, January 10, 2024.
- Rolling with the Regulations of Cannabis Trade Laws with Vincent Sliwoski and Adams Lee, Simply Trade Podcast, December 7, 2023.
- Lawyering in the Psychedelics Industry, Florida State University College of Law, October 24, 2023.
- Health Care of the Future, Portland Business Journal, September 28, 2023.
- U.S. Import and Export of Marijuana, Hemp, and Paraphernalia, Harris Sliwoski Webinar, July 25, 2023.
- Law360 Explores: Psychedelics, Law 360 Podcast, May 15, 2023.
- The Business of Cannabis and Bankruptcy, 36th Annual NW Bankruptcy Institute Conference, April 14th, 2023.
- Ongoing Revolutions in Health Care, Harvard Law Entrepreneurship Project (HLEP) Symposium, March 28, 2023.
- Distressed Cannabis Businesses, Harris Sliwoski webinar, February 28, 2023.
- Lawyering in the Cannabis and Psychedelics Industries, Willamette School of Law, January 30, 2023.
- Legal and Regulatory Landscape for Psychedelics, The Seminar Group, January 12, 2023.
- Cannabis and International Trade Issues, NCBFAA webinar, December 1, 2022.
- Lawyering in the Cannabis Industry, Lewis & Clark Law School, October 18, 2022.
- Psilocybin Services Act – OHA Rules Update, Fourth Annual Northwest Cannabis and Psychedelics Law Institute, September 23, 2022.
- Oregon Psilocybin: Ready to Launch, Harris Sliwoski webinar, April 7, 2022.
- Legalized Cannabis and the Border, AILA conference, March 31, 2022.
- Corporate Cannabis Q&A: Cannabis Loans and Investments, Harris Sliwoski webinar, March 3, 2022.
- Legal and Regulatory Landscape for Psychedelics, The Seminar Group, January 26, 2022.
- Corporate Cannabis Q&A: Buying and Selling a Cannabis Business, Harris Sliwoski webinar, January 13, 2022.
- Key West Legal Seminar, NORML, December 2, 2021.
- I’m a Psychedelics Lawyer Ask Me Anything, Reddit, November 30, 2021.
- Cannabis Leasing, American Bar Association, Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section Meeting, November 8, 2021.
- Lawyering in the Cannabis Industry, Lewis & Clark Law School, October 19, 2021.
- GOOD Guys: Law Firm Leaders, National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations webinar, September 23, 2021.
- Panelist for The Gray Line Between Ethical and Unethical Representation of Cannabis Clients Business and Corporate Litigation, ABA Business Law Virtual Section Annual Meeting, September 22, 2021.
- Starting a Ketamine Clinic– What You Need to Know, Harris Sliwoski webinar, September 9, 2021.
- How Businesses and Investors can Enter Mexico’s Cannabis Market, Cannabis Mexico Summit, March 25, 2021.
- Lawyering in the Cannabis Industry, Willamette School of Law, March 14, 2021.
- Weed in the House!, Legal Talk Today, December 18, 2020.
- Ketamine, Psilocybin and New Drug Therapies (Part 2), Harris Sliwoski webinar, November 19, 2020.
- Drafting Cannabis Contracts, Cannabis Law Institute, September 8, 2020.
- Ketamine, Psilocybin and New Drug Therapies, Harris Sliwoski webinar, July 9, 2020.
- Coronavirus & Cannabis Q&A, Harris Sliwoski webinar, March 26, 2020.
- The International Cannabis Trade, Harris Sliwoski webinar, March 4, 2020.
- Navigating the Use of CBD Oil as a Food Claim, September 10 and 11: Harris Sliwoski Presents!, Illinois Cannabis Info, September 7, 2019.
- Panelist, Cross Border Cannabis Transactions, Geneva Group International (GGI), June 21, 2019.
- Program Co-Chair, The Business of Marijuana in Oregon, The Seminar Group, May 17, 2019.
- Panelist, Paths to Practice: Landing a Job in the Media and Entertainment Industries, Lewis & Clark Law School, March 21, 2019.
- Employment Law for Oregon Cannabis Businesses, Harris Sliwoski webinar, December 12, 2018.
- Program Co-Chair, The Business of Marijuana in Oregon, The Seminar Group, June 7, 2018.
- Intellectual Property in the Cannabis Industry, Harris Sliwoski webinar, May 17, 2018.
- Cannabis Litigation, Harris Sliwoski webinar, August 5, 2020
- Federal Responses to Oregon Marijuana Law. National Business Institute CLE, December 8, 2017.
- Oregon Cannabis Law and Naturopathic Doctors, National University of Natural Medicine’s Medical Cannabis Conference, July 29, 2017.
- Program Chair, The Business of Marijuana in Oregon, The Seminar Group, June 9, 2017.
- The Business of Cannabis: Key Considerations for Advising Industry Clients, American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education, June 7, 2017.
- Don’t Go Up in Smoke: Workplace Law Seminar for Canna-businesses, Fisher Phillips, May 11, 2017.
- Oregon’s Medical Marijuana Industry: 20 Years Later, Oregon Public Broadcasting Interview, March 23, 2017.
- Cannabis and Commercial Real Estate: Navigating a Budding Industry, American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education, February 22, 2017.
- Recreational Marijuana Business Law in Oregon, National Business Institute CLE, December 6, 2016.
- Civics Conference for Teachers, Classroom Law Project, December 2, 2016.
- From Pinot to Pot: The Marijuana Market One Year after Legalization, Oregon Business Magazine Panel Event, October 25, 2016.
- Program Chair and Presenter, The Business Marijuana Oregon CLE, The Seminar Group, June 1, 2016.
- Oregon Marijuana for Investors, Harris Sliwoski webinar, May 25, 2016.
- Marijuana in Oregon – Law and Policy Panel, Lewis and Clark Law School, October 7, 2015.
- Handling Unusual Assets and Dealing with Regulated Industries, Oregon State Bar Debtor Creditor Section Annual CLE, September 19, 2015.
- Federal v. State Conflict, Marijuana in Oregon CLE, The Seminar Group, July 8, 2015.
- Festivals and Events: Which Legal Entity is Right For You, Oregon Festivals and Events Annual Conference, March 1, 2015.
- Music Licensing and Practical Approaches to Working with Music Industry Clients, Oregon State Bar Intellectual Property Section CLE, April 2, 2014.
- Practical Pub Talk: Developing and Protecting Your Brand, Farleigh Wada Witt Pub Series, April 9, 2014.
- A New Portland Shroom Service Center Offers Halloween Trips and Bargain-Priced Psychedelic Stock, Willamette Week, August 21, 2024.
- Harris vs Trump: Which presidential candidate will better serve the cannabis sector?, Proactive Investors, August 5, 2024.
- Notes From the Underground Mushroom Market, Double Blind Mag, July 17, 2024.
- Cannabis Rescheduling may Boost Market, but Banking Uncertainties Loom, American Banker, May 6, 2024.
- What Marijuana Reclassification Means for the United States, TIME, May 1, 2024.
- Marijuana Set to Become “Less Dangerous in the U.S. What Does that Mean?, The Christian Science Monitor, May 1, 2024.
- Oregon to set cannabis license caps, greenmarketreport.com, March 8, 2024.
- Chalice Founder William Simpson on rebuilding the fallen Oregon cannabis company, Portland Business Journal, February 29, 2024.
- Who’s Microdosing Magic Mushrooms in the Boardroom?, agendaweek.com, January 8, 2024.
- SAFER Banking (Cannabis), law.com, September 21, 2023.
- Cannabis banking is a reality. So do banks still need the SAFE Banking bill?, American Banker, September 17, 2023.
- EDITORIAL: Recent federal move to reclassify cannabis benefits everyone, SentinelColorado.com, September 8, 2023
- Is Marijuana on the Verge of a Legal Revolution?, The Michigan Chronicle, September 8, 2023
- U.S. regulators might loosen restrictions on marijuana. Here’s what that would mean, PBS News Hour, August 31, 2023.
- U.S. health officials want to loosen marijuana restrictions. Here’s what it means, CNBC, August 31, 2023.
- What rescheduling marijuana could mean for Oregon’s industry, Portland Business Journal, August 31, 2023.
- US regulators might change how they classify marijuana. Here’s what that would mean, ABC News, August 31, 2023.
- Potential Changes to Marijuana Classification by US Regulators: Implications Explained, Bolly Inside, August 31, 2023.
- What Rescheduling Marijuana Would and Wouldn’t Do, Reason, August 31, 2023.
- Microdosing Psychedelics Under Local, State, and Federal Law, Boston University Law Review, Forthcoming, August 24, 2023.
- Unveiling USA’s Top 10 Cannabis Lawyers Spearheading Legal Trends in 2023, Business Today News, July 21, 2023
- Psychedelic Access Pathways: Differentiating Medical, Wellness, and Religious Access to Psychedelics, BrainFutures, July 11, 2023.
- Rising Silicon Valley Drug Use Puts GCs in Tough Spot | Corporate Counsel, law.com, July 6, 2023
- After La Mota fallout, cannabis companies fight back on temporary Oregon taxation rules, Portland Business Journal, June 26, 2023.
- The Psilocybin Economy: From Spore to Trip, Portland Business Journal, June 20, 2023.
- The State Agency That Oversees Cannabis Had the Tools to Regulate La Mota, but Records Show It Rarely Did. Willamette Week, May, 31, 2023.
- Under scrutiny, OLCC looks to rein in tax delinquent cannabis companies, KGW News, May 25, 2023.
- What’s the Matter with Oregon?, Week Week Newsletter, May 26th, 2023.
- It’s Going to Cost $2800 to Have a Psilocybin Session at Oregon’s First Licensed Center, doubleblindmag.com, May 8, 2023.
- Oregon Licenses First Psilocybin Service Center, Making Legal Shroom Trips Possible, Willamette Week, May 5, 2023.
- Oregon’s Appetite for Psilocybin Is Being Fed Outside the Law in the Mushroom Underground, Willamette Week, April 26, 2023.
- Regulatory Hurdles Challenge Oregon Psilocybin Providers, Lucid News, January 20, 2023.
- Psilocybin-assisted Therapy is Officially Legal in Oregon, Lucid News, January 4, 2023.
- Where is Psychedelic-assisted Therapy Legal?, DoubleBlind, December 16, 2022.
- I Tried Microdosing Mushrooms For My Anxiety — Here’s What Happened, The Zoe Report, December 2, 2022.
- Legal Experts Discuss Regulation of Cannabis and Psychedelics at Petrie-Flom Center, The Harvard Crimson, November 11, 2022.
- Biden’s Marijuana Pardons Did Not Free a Single Federal Prisoner or Deliver the Expungement He Promised, Reason, October 24, 2022.
- First Cannabis, Are Magic Mushrooms Next?, EHS Today, August 8, 2022.
- Psychedelic Rx: Legal battles aim to expand patients’ access to psilocybin and other hallucinogens, ABA Journal, August 1, 2022.
- Microdosing May Become a More Significant Leadership Issue, SHRM Executive Network, July 20, 2022.
- Oregon Issues Draft of Magic Mushroom Cultivation Rules, Lucid News, May 10, 2022.
- Under Oregon’s Proposed Rules, Legal Psilocybin Will Be All-Natural, Organic, and GMO-Free, Reason, April 5, 2022.
- ‘It’s not medical’: Oregon wrestles with how to offer psychedelics outside the health care system, STAT, March 10, 2022.
- U.S. House Passes MORE Act, Tacoma Weekly, December 7, 2020.
- US House passes historic bill to legalize marijuana at federal level, but Senate looms, Marijuana Business Daily, December 4, 2020.
- Oregon Pot Regulator Eases Licensing Rules To Clear Backlog, Law360, October 15, 2020.
- Lawyers who specialize in cannabis are eyeing the burgeoning psychedelics industry as companies studying magic mushrooms go public, Business Insider, September 30, 2020.
- Federal Courts are Undermining Cannabiz Contracts: Attorney, WeedWeek, September 24, 2020.
- ‘Kamala Harris Is There’: Biden Veep Pick Inspires Cautious Optimism from Cannabiz, Green Entrepreneur, August 14, 2020.
- Cannabis entrepreneurs bet big on pot as a global commodity, The Rise, April 17, 2020.
- Hemp Businesses Eligible for Coronavirus Stimulus Package, Ganjapreneur, March 31, 2020.
- Marijuana, hemp businesses bolster commercial real estate, United Press International, February 26, 2020.
- How the USMCA Could Pave the Way for Cannabis Free Trade, The Globe and Mail, December 27, 2019.
- Dan’s Gambit, Cannabis Business Times, July 2019.
- What You Need to Know Before Leasing to a Cannabis Grower, Greenhouse Grower, November 21, 2018.
- Josephine County’s cannabis suit against Oregon should be dismissed, judge says, Portland Business Journal, September 4, 2018.
- Jury Acquits Marijuana Patient Who Admitted To Breaking Georgia Law, Marijuana Moment, July 17, 2018.
- Oregon cannabis regulators will hit pause on new licenses after June 15, Portland Business Journal, May 31, 2018.
- Inside the Williams Memo: What U.S. attorney’s enforcement priorities mean for Oregon’s cannabis industry, Portland Business Journal, May 22, 2018.
- Interstate pot: Proposal to open Oregon cannabis sales to other states faces big hurdles, Portland Business Journal, May 2, 2018.
- Legalised cannabis given a makeover as students flock to study it, The Telegraph, January 7, 2018.
- Oregon’s top federal prosecutor reserving judgment on Sessions’ pot memo, Oregon Live, January 5, 2018.
- Oregon’s US Attorney Suggests He Won’t Step Up Marijuana Enforcement, The Portland Mercury, January 4, 2018.
- With Plans to Sell CBD Nationwide, Lucky’s Market Charts Legal Gray Area, Leafly, October 11, 2017.
- Native American Tribes Eye Lucrative Marijuana Market, voanews.com, August 21, 2017.
- Two for tea: Portland’s Bud Brothers finds a niche, Portland Business Journal, June 30th, 2017.
- 20 Years On, Oregon Still Imposes Strict Limits On Medical Claims For Marijuana, Oregon Public Broadcasting, May 23, 2017.
- Indian tribes fear Trump will be a buzzkill for their marijuana business, Idaho Statesman, April 26, 2017.
- Do Farmers Have a Legal Right to Grow Cannabis?, Leafly, December 22, 2016.
- Why did Marijuana Control Board deny this company a license? Alaska Journal of Commerce, November 10, 2016.
- Why Hemp and Marijuana Farmers Had a Messy Breakup—And What Happens Now, Willamette Week, November 8, 2016.
- Oregon Gov. Signs Cannabis Bank Protection Bill, Cannabis Dispensary, April 7, 2016
- Canna Law Blog, Contributing Writer, 2015 – Present; Managing Editor and Publisher, 2017 – Present.
- Psychedelics Law Blog, Contributing Writer, Managing Editor and Publisher, 2021 – Present.
- F*** the Treaties: Rescheduling and “Marijuana-Specific Controls”, Cannabis Law Journal, May 24, 2024.
- Cannabis Seed Importation Carries CBP Enforcement Risks, Law360, July 5, 2023.
- Psychedelic Rx: Legal Battles Aim to Expand Patients’ Access to Psilocybin and Other Hallucinogens, American Bar Association Journal, 2022.
- Cannabis Securities Litigation, Seton Hall Legislative Journal, 2022.
- Microdosing at Work: Business and Legal Implications, Harvard Law School, Petrie-Flom Center Bill of Health, April 8, 2022.
- Psychedelics 2021 Year in Review and Looking Ahead to 2022, Practical Law, January 31, 2022.
- Puff, Puff, Tax: Internal Revenue Code Section 208E Penalizes State-Sanctioned Marijuana Companies And Undermines The Ability To Pay Principle, Villanova Law Review, 2021.
- Why Was Early Therapeutic Research on Psychedelic Drugs Abandoned?, Psychological Medicine, Cambridge University Press, 2021.
- Cannabis Banking: What Marijuana Can Learn from Hemp, Boston University Law Review, 2021.
- It’s (Not) Just a Plant: Landscapes of Legalized Cannabis in Oregon’s Rogue River Valley, University of Arizona School of Geography, Development, and Environment, 2021.
- Letter from Senators Warren and Booker calling for the decriminalization of cannabis, October 6, 2021.
- Federal Courts Are Trending Against Cannabis Contracts, Law360, September 24, 2020.
- Preventing Industry Abuse of Cannabis Equity Programs, Southern Illinois University Law Journal, 2020.
- Developments in Interstate Compact Law and Practice, American Bar Association, 2020.
- Politics and Finite Flexibilities: The UN Drug Control Conventions and Their Future Development, American Journal of International Law, 2020.
- I Was Gonna Get a Job, But Then I Got High: An Examination of Cannabis and Employment in the Port-Baratu Regime, Boston University Law Review, 2019.
- Up in Smoke: The Looming Insolvency of Oregon Marijuana Growers and the Case for Chapter 12 Bankruptcy Relief, University of Oregon Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation, 2019.
- Marriage Equality and a Lawyer’s Role in the Emergence of “New Rights”, Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality, 2019.
- A Tale of Two Countries: Does Canada’s Legalization of Cannabis Give it the First Mover Advantage in Franchising?, Franchise Law Journal, 2019.
- Unrealistic Expectations: The Federal Government’s Unachievable Mandate for State Cannabis Regulation, Washington Law Review, 2018.
- Dr. GreenThumb Goes to Washington: A Scientific Argument for the Legalization of Medical Marijuana, Seton Hall Cir. Review, 2017.
- Legalizing Marijuana: A View from Among the Weeds, Hastings Law Journal, 2017.
- Helmet to Helmet: The State of the National Football League’s Unsubstantiated Policies in Handling Player Use of Opioids and Marijuana, Mississippi Sports Law Review, 2017.
- The Colors of Cannabis: Race and Marijuana, University of California Davis Law Review, 2016.
- Ask a Pot Lawyer, The Portland Mercury, Featured Columnist, 2015-2018.
- What (and Whom) State Marijuana Reformers Forgot: Crimmigration Law and Noncitizens, DePaul Journal for Social Justice, 2015.
Business Structuring and Corporate Transactions
- Advised business owners on entity selection, liability protection, business structuring, capitalization, general operations and a diverse array of business transactions.
- Represented borrowers and lenders in financing matters, including equity, debt, and hybrid transactions.
- Represented buyers and sellers in business mergers and acquisitions.
- Represented companies and individuals in the purchase, sale, lease, and securitization of real property.
- Advised privately held businesses, banks and credit unions on trademark and intellectual property issues.
- Represented entertainment and music industry clients on performance, licensing, publishing, and distribution agreements.
Cannabis and Psychedelics
- Represented cannabis clients on general business operations, including regulatory compliance, contracts, and real property issues.
- Represented cannabis and psilocybin clients on regulatory compliance and controlled substances issues.
- Advised U.S. National Credit Union Administration on published hemp banking guidance following the 2018 Farm Bill.
- Advised Office of Congressman Earl Blumenauer on interstate cannabis commerce considerations.
- Cited by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker in correspondence to the U.S. Attorney General in relation to international cannabis law and policy.
- Advised nation-state in international cannabis trade compliance issues and structuring.
- Advised top 5 U.S. grocer on hemp-related food and beverage sales.
- Advised top 10 North American Food company on hemp-related food and beverage sales.
- Advised world’s largest testing and certification company on cannabis testing issues.
- Advised top 3 U.S. shipping company on cannabis shipping policies.
- Advised leading venture capital funds on seven- and eight-figure cannabis portfolio M&A projects.
- Advised lenders in multi-million dollar mezzanine debt structuring with $1B+ cannabis company.
- Advised series of credit unions on marijuana banking program structuring.
Expert Witness Services
- Performed expert witness services in state and federal courts regarding attorney standard of care, regulatory questions, and common industry practices.
- Chambers USA (2021-2024)
- USA’s Top 10 Cannabis Lawyers, Business Today (2023)
- Top 200 Global Psychedelic Lawyers and Policy & Regulatory Experts (2021-2024)
- Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (2018-2020)
- Cornelius Honor Society
- Moot Court Honor Society
- Oregon State Bar Association Intellectual Property Section, Executive Committee (2014 – 2016)
- Mentor, Oregon State Bar New Lawyer Mentoring Program
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest
- Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
- Hollywood Theatre Board of Directors