Ryan Hurley

An experienced attorney with 15 years of extensive cannabis industry experience, Ryan Hurley is chairman of the Cannabis Practice, Land Use and Emerging Technologies Groups at Wideman Group. Ryan focuses on a variety of legal issues including cannabis, psychedelics, blockchain, web3, AI, water, environment and renewable energy, regulatory issues and land use and zoning.

Previously, Hurley served as general counsel for Copperstate Farms, a vertically integrated cannabis company and one of the largest greenhouse cannabis producers in North America. Hurley was an instrumental player in Copperstate Farms’ birth, growth and development, positioning the company as a market leader through his strategic business advice, careful compliance and risk mitigation. At Copperstate Farms, he managed compliance, employment issues, contracting, capital and debt raises, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, special projects, risk management, board governance, litigation strategy, and more.

Referred to as Arizona’s “Father of Cannabis Law,” Hurley has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona, one of the 20 Names to Know by Phoenix Business Journal, and as a 2024 Top Cannabis Attorney by Phoenix Magazine. He has been a part of the Arizona cannabis industry from its inception and played a pivotal role in the initiatives to legalize both medical and adult-use cannabis in Arizona. A founding member and former board member of the National Cannabis Industry Association, Hurley is deeply entrenched in all aspects of the cannabis industry and a sought-after expert on cannabis policy. Ryan Hurley was also a founding member of the Arizona Dispensaries Association and the organization’s former vice president.

A dedicated, passionate, and knowledgeable figure in cannabis, Hurley has presented at several conferences and seminars throughout the country and been featured in many interviews in television, print, and radio. His expansive background in policy has cemented his reputation as a reliable thought leader for all aspects of the industry.

Ryan’s other practice emphasis is on emerging industries and technologies, including advancing psychedelic therapies, and the use of technology, automation and emerging AI tools to improve the business of law for clients and attorneys. Hurley is also the co-founder of Litix Legal, a LawTech startup which will revolutionize the antiquated business model of law firms by leveraging investment in technology, automation and AI to enable the provision of flat fees instead of hourly billing.

Hurley holds a B.S. in environmental science from the University of Arizona and a J.D. from the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law. Ryan formerly led the Cannabis Law Practice at Rose Law Group 2010-2017. Before emerging as a leader in the growing cannabis industry, Hurley was an associate attorney at Lewis and Roca LLP from 2005 to 2006, focusing on land use, zoning, water, regulatory law, and environmental issues.