Meet Rod Kight

Attorney | Author | Advocate

Licensed in North Carolina and Oregon

I am an attorney who represents businesses in the cannabis industry in the US and internationally. I consult, assist with strategic planning, advise on compliance issues, and offer a full array of business services to the cannabis sector. I also draft legislation for governments and promote cannabis in lawful international markets. 

Rod Kight, Cannabis industry attorney

Meet Rod Kight

Attorney | Author | Advocate

Licensed in North Carolina and Oregon

I am an attorney who represents businesses in the cannabis industry in the US and internationally. I consult, assist with strategic planning, advise on compliance issues, and offer a full array of business services to the cannabis sector, including hemp, CBD and other cannabinoids, medical marijuana, and adult use marijuana. I also draft legislation for governments and promote cannabis in lawful international markets. 

Thought Leadership for the Hemp and Cannabis Industries

Who wouldn't want this?  Get to know Rod. Call Kight Law to discuss your cannabis business needs.

Rod's Story

I have been an advocate for cannabis reform all of my adult life and personally experienced its beneficial effects while undergoing chemotherapy treatments for testicular cancer. I have been in remission for years. You can read about my cannabis law journey by clicking here. I am fortunate to provide legal services to businesses in the cannabis industry, including hemp, CBD, THC, novel and emerging cannabinoids, and medical and adult use marijuana.

For almost 25 years I have represented thousands of businesses and individuals in legal matters. During that time I have provided legal guidance to clients covering a broad span of business issues, including entity formation, contract drafting and negotiation, shareholder disputes, joint ventures, mergers, tax matters, intellectual property protection, commercial litigation, appeals, asset sales, bankruptcy, and dissolution.

Rod's Professional Biography

Rod is a cannabis business law attorney. Based in North Carolina and Mexico, Rod represents legal cannabis businesses throughout the world and is editor and chief writer of the Kight On Cannabis law blog. Rod is the author of “Cannabis Business Law-What You Need to Know”, published by Aspatore Books. He has served on the advisory board for the American Journal of Endocannabinoid Medicine, for which he has also written a legal column. Rod also created the “Source Rule”, which is widely regarded as a primary legal foundation for the contemporary hemp market in cannabinoids and other cannabis materials.

Rod is frequently quoted on cannabis matters by trade publications and major media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Time, Washington Post, Politico, and Business Insider. Salon.com published an op-ed piece Rod wrote about hemp. Additionally, Rod has been listed in MG Magazine's list of "30 Powerful Litigators", Hemp Connoisseur Magazine’s list of “100 People You Should Know”, and High Time's "2020 Leaders in Cannabis Law." He has been part of the legal teams in two high-profile cases against the DEA and the Texas Department of State Health Services regarding hemp extracts, has drafted and presented cannabis legislation to a foreign head of state, is a member of the board of directors of a publicly traded Canadian cannabis and psychedelics company, testified to the FDA about CBD and cannabis compounds, and is a partner in a Mexican import-export company focused on legal cross-border hemp transactions. Rod routinely advises in-house counsel and C-suite level executives on cannabis issues. He has discussed cannabis legal issues in numerous seminars to lawyers, business executives, and public officials and is regularly asked to be a guest speaker on US and international podcasts about cannabis and psychedelics.

Rod is a strong believer in cannabis for personal and medical use after using it successfully during chemotherapy treatments for cancer (he is in remission). He has been an attorney advocate for NORML and has also been a member of the International Cannabis Bar Association, the National Cannabis Industry Association, the Hemp Industries Association, and the Southeast Hemp Association.

Rod's Commitment to Family, Clients, and a Positive Life

In addition to the law I am passionate about my family and music. I love my wife, who also happens to be the first girl I ever kissed on a playdate in first grade, and my kids. We have a blended family of five great kids who never cease to inspire, challenge, encourage, and educate us about themselves, ourselves, and life. I play music almost every day and have spent many evening jamming with rock and jazz bands over the years. Ashley and I are fortunate to live in both North Carolina and Mexico and we travel often. 

I hope to get an opportunity to speak with you. Although I have almost twenty five years of experience practicing law and know what I’m talking about, the most important things I’d like to convey are that I care and I listen. I’ve got my share of grey hairs and have handled thousands of cases; however, I’m not an aloof, judgmental, starched shirt lawyer. I’d rather wear my hiking shoes than loafers, have a real conversation, and get to know you and your business.

Honors & Recognitions

 

Listed in North Carolina Super Lawyers and Super Lawyers Rising Stars

Rod was selected to North Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Stars in 2012 and to the North Carolina Super Lawyers main list since 2015

Recognized by Business North Carolina Legal Elite

Selected to Business North Carolina Legal Elite Bankruptcy Section 2016-2017

AVVO Superb Rated Lawyer

10.0 Rating on Avvo; 28 5-Star Client Reviews and counting.

Avvo Client Choice Award

Avvo Client Choice Award Recipient 2015

AV Preeminent Peer Rated Lawyer at Martindale Hubbell

AV Preeminent Peer Rated Lawyer by Martindale Hubbell since 2014

Schools and Degrees

  • Furman University
    • BA in Philosophy in 1994
    • studied classical and jazz guitar.
  • University of South Carolina School of Law
    • Juris Doctor 1999

Admissions & Accolades

  • Admitted, North Carolina State Bar (1999)
  • Admitted, Oregon State Bar (2016)
  • Listed in Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2012
  • Martindale Hubbell AV Peer Rated Lawyer
  • Listed in North Carolina Super Lawyers, since 2016
  • Business North Carolina Legal Elite, 2016-2017
  • Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2017-2018
  • Listed in MG Magazine's "30 Powerful Litigators", 2018
  • U.S. News & World Report/Best Lawyers in America’s Best Law Firms, 2019

Memberships & Advocacy

  • North Carolina Bar Association, member
  • National Cannabis Bar Association, member
  • National Cannabis Industry Association, member
  • Women Grow, Asheville Chapter (former chapter), member
  • NORML, national attorney advocate
  • NC NORML, registered agent

Writing and Speaking

An avid writer and public speaker, Rod maintains a cannabis law blog, Kight On Cannabis, and has spoken widely about cannabis law to professional and industry groups across the country. He has been a columnist for the Cannabis Law Report. His book, “Cannabis Business Law-What You Need to Know”, was published by Aspatore, a Thomson-Reuters legal publishing company, in August 2015. Written for individuals interested in starting a cannabis business who need to know the legal “lay of the land”, it was the first book of its kind. Rod has published articles on cannabis law in the Cannabis Law Journal and Best Lawyers. He co-published an article on CBD with Dr. Jamie Coroon in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, a peer reviewed journal. Rod is a regular resource for journalists covering cannabis legal issues. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Pot News Network, Leafly, and other industry publications. Rod has been a guest on national and international podcasts about cannabis law. His blog posts are routinely quoted in online industry publications and by businesses across the world.

We are among the most experienced and knowledgeable firms in the cannabis industry.  Full stop.

Cutting Edge Legal Guidance for Cutting Edge Business

Legal thought leadership for the cannabis industry backed by nearly two decades of business consultancy experience.

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