Cannabis is a massive industry that is poised for continued growth. Valued at $43.72 billion in 2022, the global cannabis market grew to $57.18 billion in 2023. By 2030, it is expected to reach a whopping $444.34 billion.
A Voice in the Government
As more states legalize cannabis, the US market is estimated to grow to $428.22 billion by 2032, unlocking substantial potential for those working in the space.
Among the companies looking to explore opportunities is Ballard Partners. Recognizing the need for cannabis suppliers to have a voice in the government, the public affairs firm founded by Brian Ballard in 1998 maintains a Cannabis Practice Group. Since the group’s inception in 2022, it has influenced state and federal legislation on behalf of some of the country’s largest cannabis companies.
An Experienced Team
Courtney Coppola has led the Cannabis Practice Group since its inception. The former director of Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use, Coppola spearheaded the launch of a medical marijuana program in a state whose cannabis market quickly grew into one of the largest in the country. During her time as director, she oversaw the registration of more than 500,000 patients while handling the licensing and enrollment, respectively, of the state’s first regulated marijuana suppliers and prescribing physicians.
Following her tenure with the Office of Medical Marijuana Use, Coppola provided leadership to the Florida Department of Health as the chief of staff. Her background also includes a role as deputy chief of staff to Governor Ron DeSantis. Under the Florida governor’s direction, she oversaw no fewer than 10 departments and agencies, among them the Department of Health, the Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. In 2022, Coppola joined Ballard Partners’ 13th & Park interview program for a conversation centered on cannabis legislation and her views on the future of the industry.
Joining Coppola in her leadership of the Cannabis Practice Group is Eugene O’Flaherty. A fixture in Boston political circles, O’Flaherty served as the chief legal officer for Mayor Martin Walsh. In this senior cabinet-level position, O’Flaherty headed a 60-member team of attorneys, administrative staff, and paralegals while advising the mayor—who would later become the US labor secretary under President Joe Biden—on all legal matters.
Prior to assuming his position in the mayor’s office, “Gene-O,” as he’s affectionally known in Boston, served for 17 years in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Throughout his tenure representing his constituents, he was the driving force in such legislative victories as strengthening penalties for habitual violent criminals and defeating repeated attempts to reinstate the state death penalty.
The head of the Judiciary Committee and a member of the House Leadership Team, O’Flaherty was also instrumental in passing legislation aimed at reorganizing the court system, as well as implementing the landmark law that made Massachusetts the first state in the country to legalize gay marriage. Along with cochairing the Cannabis Practice Group, O’Flaherty is the managing partner of Ballard Partners’ Boston office.
Serving Leading Cannabis Clients
Together with the rest of the Cannabis Practice Group team, Coppola and O’Flaherty have delivered high-level advocacy for clients that include Ayr Wellness, DBL Ventures, and Trulieve, the latter of which is one of the country’s largest cannabis companies. Based in Florida but operating in a number of states, Trulieve has been led since its founding by CEO Kim Rivers. An experienced M&A attorney and business leader, Rivers joined 13th & Park in 2024 to discuss her career, the formation of Trulieve, and what it’s like to be a CEO in a nascent industry.
