Elizabeth Kase is co-chair of RMF’s Cannabis Law practice group. She counsels clients seeking licensure in the emerging adult-use cannabis space pursuant to NY’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act. Since the inception of The Compassionate Care Act in 2014, Ms. Kase guided entrepreneurs, businesses, and social equity applicants seeking to navigate NY’s ever-changing regulatory landscape. She lectures extensively about the status of the laws, legal ethics, and compliance in the cannabis space. She has published numerous articles pertaining to criminal law, cannabis law, and cannabis/derivative products. Ms. Kase is widely recognized for her distinguished experience and was named a “Trailblazer in Cannabis Law” in the National Law Journal. She began her career as Assistant District Attorney in New York County and defended clients in complex federal and state criminal matters for more than twenty years.
Ms. Kase is also well known for her tireless advocacy and commitment to her clients, defending large-scale federal and state criminal matters including public corruption cases, conspiracies, mortgage fraud, health fraud, immigration fraud, embezzlement schemes, sex crimes, and narcotics cases, as well as complex DWIs.
Recognized for her professional accomplishments and contributions to Long Island, Ms. Kase was awarded at the Long Island Business News’ (LIBN) “Top 50 Influential Women on Long Island.” She has been designated a New York Super Lawyer since 2016 and has been recognized by The Nassau County Bar Association for her zealous advocacy as pro bono staff attorney at The Safe Center of Long Island. She proudly serves as Village Justice of Baxter Estates in Port Washington, New York since 2011. Ms. Kase is a graduate of Smith College and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law where she also teaches trial advocacy.
Ms. Kase is admitted to practice New York, Massachusetts, Supreme Court of the United States, and both the Southern District and Eastern District of New York.
Awards
- 2023, Schneps Media – NY Cannabis Industry Power Player
- 2022, Schneps Media – NY Cannabis Industry Power Player
- 2021, Schneps Media – Power Woman of Long Island
- 2021, Long Island Business News Corporate Citizenship Award – Leadership Excellence
- 2019, named to The National Law Journal Trailblazers in Cannabis Law List
- 2016-2023, New York Metro Super Lawyers
- 2016, Long Island Power Women In Business, Star Network
- 2014-2021, Access to Justice Pro Bono Honoree
- 2016, Outstanding Women in Law, Hofstra Law School
- 2015, Top Legal Eagles, Long Island Pulse Magazine
- 2014, Pro Bono Attorney of the Month, Nassau County Bar Association
- 2013, Top 50 Influential Women on Long Island, LIBN
- 2007, Top 40 Under 40, LIBN
Speaking Engagements
- TMA – Long Island Chapter Cannabis and Federal Law – Some of the Gray Areas (May 2023)
- Legal Recreational Marijuana in the Empire State: Ethical and Practical Implications, Baruch College, Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity (April 2023)
- Cannabis in the Catskills Part II- The Return to the Mountain NYSACDL Symposium (April 2023)
- Moderator: UJA Long Island Business Leaders The Cannabis Industry: The Business Behind It, a conversation with leading cannabis industry executives Michael Feinsod (Infinity Capital), Boris Jordan (Curaleaf), and Kyle Shenfeld (Rainbow Realty Group) (June 2022)
- Panelist – Webinar – “RMF’s First Annual 420 State of NY Cannabis Update,” (April 2022)
March, 2022 Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Cannabis and Business Law Society presenter: “An Emergent Industry: Cannabis”
- “A Roadmap to Cannabis Licensing in NY: What you need to know” (January 2022)
- “The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act – Finding your way through NY’s regulatory haze” (December 2021)
- “Cannabis in the Catskills: NY Cannabis Farm to Table, What the Controlled Market Place Will Look Like” NYSACDL Symposium on the Impact of The MRTA on the Practice of Criminal Law(October 2021)
- Presenter, Town of North Hempstead Cannabis Task Force Opt Out Hearing (August 2021)
- “ABC’s of CBD: Cannabis Law Primer” Nassau County Bar Association (October 2020)
- “Cannabis and the Law: The Highs and the Lows – Exploration of the Laws and Regulations Governing Recreational and Medical Marijuana, CBD and More” Nassau County Bar Association CLE Program (January 2019)
- “Practical Implications of Decriminalized Marijuana for the Legal Practitioner” New York State Bar Association CLE Seminar (October 2018)
- “Marijuana Law Forecast: Hazy, Hot and Confusing” Nassau County Bar Association CLE Program (June 2018)
- “How To Foster Responsible Cyber Citizenship In Our Youth” presented at the Portledge School (May 2018)
- “The Interests of Child and Parent in Tape Recording Conversations: The New Issues Caused by People v. Badalamenti”, Panelist, Nassau County Bar Association Dean’s Hour CLE Program (April 2017)
- “Is Medical Marijuana a Prescription for Driving While Impaired?” presented at the 5th annual Man vs. Machine, DWI College, St. Francis College (March 2017)
- Medical Marijuana In New York, New York State Bar Association (October 2016)
- Medical Cannabis Legal Primer: Guidance and Assurance for the Healthcare Professional, CWCBExpo (June 2016)
- Medical Marijuana and Medical Practitioners, NCBA (February 2016)
- Medical Marijuana and New York State Law, Beth Israel Hospital (December 2015)
- Social Media Safety, St. Mary’s Elementary School PTO (November 2014)
Publications and Media
- OCM Has Declared October 4th New York’s Opening Day For Adult-Use Cannabis Applicants (Alerts, Cannabis)
- How Medical Cannabis Can Save the NY Cannabis Industry with Ellen Kessler (Cannabiz New York Podcast, July 2023)
- Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C. Successfully Assists All Client-Applicants In Obtaining Cannabis Licenses To Date (Press Releases)
- Is the Cannabis Adult Use Transition Act a rescue package? (Cannabiz New York Podcast, June 2023)
- Cannabis Control Board Wrap Up – May 11, 2023 (Cannabiz New York Podcast, June 2023)
- Employer and Employee Rights Since the Passage of MRTA (Cannabiz New York Podcast, May 2023)
- RMF Attorney Elizabeth S. Kase Honored In PoliticsNY and amNY Metro 2023 Cannabis Industry Power Players List (Press Releases)
- An Introduction to Cannabiz New York with Elizabeth Kase, Esq. and Hon. Jerry Kremer (Podcast, March 2023)
- A Big Week in Cannabis: Recent Lawsuits and Gov. Hochul Proposes A New Bill ( Podcast, April 2023)
- What’s Buried in the Big Ugly (Podcast, May 2023)
- “SPECIAL DELIVERY” CANNABIS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOORSTEP” (Alerts, Cannabis)
- RMF Attorneys Elizabeth S. Kase and Sheryl P. Giugliano to Present at TMA – Long Island Chapter Cannabis and Federal Law – Some of the Gray Areas (Press Releases)
- New York State Office of Cannabis Management Releases Preliminary Regulations for Adult-Use Marketplace (Alerts, Cannabis)
- Thirty-One Ruskin Moscou Faltischek Attorneys Named As New York Metropolitan Area Super Lawyers For 2022 (Press Releases)
- New York Law Journal- “Cannabis in NY: Hashing Out the Potential for Preemption of Zoning Laws” (February 2022)
- Cannabis Industry Power Players: Meet Elizabeth Kase, Esq. (January 2022)
Watch interview here
- The Cannabis License Application Process in New York, podcast with EsinerAmper (January 2022)
Listen here
- Author Nassau Law article titled Cannabis and COVID-19: A Hazy 2020 Vision (November 2020)
- Co-Authored NY Daily News Op-Ed article titled Child sex abuse victims face a lifetime of challenges; so do those falsely labeled as predators (March 2019)
- Quoted in City & State New York article titled Recreational Marijuana FAQ (February 2019)
- Quoted in New York Law Journal article titled Marijuana Legalization in NY Could Come Later Than Hoped, Lawmakers Say (February 2019)
- Quoted in Newsday article titled What does legalized recreational pot mean for workplace rules? (January 2019)
- Co-Authored Nassau Lawyer article titled Does the Warrantless Utilization of DNA Against a Non-Consenting Third Party Violate the Fourth Amendment? (November 2018)
- Quoted in Long Island Business News article, Former Real Estate Firm’s CFO Charged With $3.5M Embezzlement (September 2018)
- Co-Authored Op-Ed piece titled “2018: The Year New York Implements Meaningful Criminal Justice Reform?” in New York Law Journal (January 2018)
- Co-Authored article titled “Reform on the Way for New York’s Medical Marijuana Program?” in New York Law Journal (October 2016)
- Quoted in a feature on volteface.me titled, “How Cannabis Legalisation Can Help Remedy Social Injustices” (August 2016)
- Co-Authored chapter titled, “The New Compassionate Care Act: High Ambitions, Joint Risks, and Blunt Facts” in Thomson Reuters Westlaw Special Report: “A Non-smoking State: New York’s Medical Marijuana Law Explained” (June 2016)
- Quoted in LOHUD article, Marijuana Growers’ Criminal Pasts Missing From Records (May 2016)
- Co-Authored The Risk Management Quarterly Journal article, How High is the Risk to Your Organization? Risk Management and Medical Marijuana (April 2016)
- Quoted in LA Times article, LAPD reviewing 2012 inquiry into Stephen Collins sex abuse claims (October 2014)
- Quoted in USA Today article, Questions about Stephen Collins case still unanswered (October 2014)
- Quoted in USA Today article, How does the Bill Cosby lawsuit change things? (December 2014)
The Cannabis License Application Process in New York- In this episode of CannaCast, Eric Altstadter, Partner and leader of EisnerAmper’s Cannabis and Hemp Group, speaks with Elizabeth Kase, the Co-Chair of the Cannabis Law Group at the Law Firm of Ruskin Moscou Faltischek about the license application process in New York State.