Shay Aaron Gilmore

Shay Aaron Gilmore is a California cannabis and hemp business attorney who represents licensed operators, hemp businesses, investors, creditors, and entrepreneurs. He has focused exclusively on these industries since January 1, 2018, the first day of adult-use legalization in California. His practice covers regulatory compliance, administrative law, corporate matters, commercial contracts, employment issues, intellectual property, real estate and land use, and venture capital transactions. He helps clients navigate licensing, investment, growth, and changing state regulations.

Shay earned a B.A. in Economics from Rice University in 1998 and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2001. He has been licensed by the State Bar of California since 2001. His education and more than two decades of legal practice provide a strong foundation for advising clients on business structures, negotiations, financing arrangements, and regulatory concerns within California’s closely regulated cannabis and hemp markets.

Shay has represented buyers, sellers, investors, landlords, and creditors in acquisitions, secured financings, restructurings, and venture capital matters. His work includes cannabis manufacturing, distribution, cultivation, and retail operations throughout California. He also advises on Department of Cannabis Control licensing, renewals, ownership changes, local permits, hemp registration, and compliance. In 2025, he testified before the California State Assembly Judiciary Committee regarding proposed legislation affecting online cannabis and hemp retail platforms.

Shay Aaron Gilmore has been recognized among the Top 20 California Cannabis Lawyers by the Daily Journal, the Top 100 Northern California Lawyers by Super Lawyers, and the Top 200 Global Cannabis Lawyers by Cannabis Law Journal. He serves on the boards of the International Cannabis Bar Association and California NORML and chairs the California Lawyers Association Cannabis Practitioners Group. He also organized a pro bono panel that provides legal services to verified applicants in San Francisco’s Cannabis Equity Program.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, The Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore
• Board of Directors Member, International Cannabis Bar Association
• Member, California Lawyers Association
• Co-Founder, Bar Association of San Francisco, Cannabis Law Section

Licensed State

• California

Education

• The University of Texas School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Rice University
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)