About Mike Rothman

I am the founder and principal of the Medical Cannabis Law Group located in Rockville, Maryland. In addition to founding this very specialized law group, I also serve clients in Maryland and the District of Columbia as a criminal defense attorney at the Law Office of Mike Rothman. My interest in medical Cannabis and its legal uses extends back more than ten (10) years. After the State of California legalized a form of adult use of Cannabis in 1996, I knew that the adult use of cannabis and medical cannabis was the only way forward for this country (and the world). Creating more criminal records for citizens of this country not only crippled the communities that were victims of the drug war, it created an underclass that could not afford such records. Adult use and medical use of Cannabis could bridge the divide while permitting qualifying patients a way to legally access the benefits of cannabis. Not only would medical use (and adult use) of Cannabis reduce incarceration rates, but it would also end much of the cycle of distrust that has developed between law enforcement and local communities.

For more than ten (10) years, I have advised clients around the country about the Cannabis plant, its medical uses, and its legality in commercial transactions. Over the last 14 years, I have been a criminal defense attorney with my office located in Rockville, Maryland. My legal practice includes representing clients in matters involving criminal defense, commercial litigation, business and corporations law, securities law, intellectual property, and government representation. Prior to opening my practice, I worked for the law firm of Arent Fox in Washington, DC as an Associate Attorney.

During law school, I clerked at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland (Northern Division), as well as for the United States Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Litigation. I also have a Master’s Degree in Public Administration (a business-government degree) from The George Washington University’s School of Business and Public Management. In addition, I have worked on Capitol Hill as a Congressional Aide, and I served as a Deputy Campaign Manager for a U.S. Congressional Campaign.

For the last six years, the legal ratings and publishing company Superlawyers named me as one of the top 5% of practicing lawyers in Maryland and Washington, DC, as rated by my peers. I am a member of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS). I am a lifetime member of NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), and have willingly served on any voluntary cause that helps to bring an end to the arrest and to normalize business relations for Cannabis users and providers. This past year, I spoke at the Patients Out of Time Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. I am also an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau.