What You Need to Know
On Friday, September 9th, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) released guidance on the use of Workplace Impairment Recognition Experts (WIRE).
Join us on Friday, September 30 to learn about the new CRC guidelines. Hear directly from experts in the field about the new “Reasonable Suspicion” Observation Report and how to implement best practices for your business.
Unable to attend our meeting live? No worries!
Still register and we will send you the recording afterward.
Speakers
Ray Cantor
Deputy Chief Government Affairs Officer, NJBIA
Ray Cantor is Deputy Chief Government Affairs Officer of Government Affairs of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), the nation’s largest state-level business association whose member companies collectively employ 1 million people.
Cantor, an attorney whose career has included high-level positions in the legislative and executive branches of government, a former assistant commissioner and, later, chief adviser to the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), leads NJBIA’s advocacy efforts on environmental and energy matters affecting the business community.
At DEP, Cantor oversaw the offices of Legal Affairs, Dispute Resolution, and Economic Analysis in addition to advising the DEP commissioner on policy, legal, management, and economic matters. Cantor was also responsible for policy formulation related to all DEP regulations, including site remediation, NRD, air quality, water regulation, and land-use management.
A graduate of New York Law School, Cantor began his career working at the state’s Office of Legislative Services as senior counsel in the Environment, Energy, & Natural Resources section. He later served as the Assistant Commissioner of Land Use Management & Compliance at DEP until 2002 and also worked as a project consultant for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Cantor’s experience as a business lobbyist includes five years as director of Government Affairs for the Medical Society of New Jersey and then executive director of the New Jersey Apartment Association. He returned to the state DEP in 2010, where he served as chief advisor to DEP Commissioner Bob Martin for eight years.
Jeffrey P. Catalano, Esq.
Associate, Parker McCay P.A.
Jeffrey P. Catalano, Esq. concentrates his practice in the areas of public schools/education and labor/employment.
He is a proud alumnus of Cornell University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations in 2009 and his Juris Doctorate from Cornell Law School in 2012. He is intrigued by the evolving world of work and believes that understanding both employer and employee perspectives creates a solid foundation for helping clients build and maintain a healthy workplace.
Jeffrey has represented both labor and management over the course of his career, which provides for the informed legal perspective his clients demand and value. His experience includes a clerkship with the National Football League Management Council, representing the NFL Clubs in matters of collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, and policy implementation.
Jeffrey has spoken multiple times as a guest lecturer at Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations on a variety of topics related to labor and employment law.
Jeffrey’s informed legal perspective, dedication to his clients, and commitment to advocacy distinguish him as an attorney. The challenge of unpacking problems to get to practical solutions is what he enjoys most about being an attorney.
He currently resides in Glassboro, New Jersey with his fiancée and their goldendoodle, Mabel. Jeffrey is an avid chef and wine enthusiast. He also enjoys various strategy games and rooting for his beloved Philadelphia sports teams.
Beau W. Huch, Esq.
Of Counsel, Porzio Bromberg & Newman P.C.
Beau is a member of the Litigation Practice Group, where he counsels clients on compliance and regulatory issues relating to the emerging cannabis market. Beau also serves as Director with the firm’s lobbying subsidiary, Porzio Governmental Affairs, and advises on strategies to navigate the legislative landscape in the areas of healthcare, environmental, cannabis, and law enforcement.
Christopher Riggs
Chief Counsel, Cannabis Regulatory Commission
Christopher Riggs, a native New Jerseyan, has been practicing law in the state for eight years. After graduating Florida Coastal School of Law, he started his legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Jean B. McMaster in Gloucester County Superior Court, Civil Division in 2014.
In 2015 he joined the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office as deputy attorney general in the Tort Litigation section of the Division of Law. During his time in that role, he successfully defended Holland v Rosen – a constitutional challenge to New Jersey’s Criminal Justice Reform Act which prioritizes non-monetary conditions over monetary bail for pretrial release.
In 2018, Christopher was promoted to assistant section chief of the New Jersey Health and Human Services Department. There, he piloted the agency and the state’s Department of Health through the novel legal issues that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As chief counsel at the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission he is tasked with establishing and enforcing the laws, rules, and regulations governing all aspects of the state’s cannabis marketplace. His oversight includes, but is not limited to, licensing, testing, selling, and buying cannabis in New Jersey.
Chris is the married father of three children, and is a volunteer coach for youth ice hockey and baseball.