Attorney Anne van Leynseele, founder of NWMJLaw and one of Washington State first attorney’s to specialize in business law for legal cannabis entities, has written a tell-all book that exposes the sordid underbelly, and lingering criminality of the emerging legal cannabis industry.

“Cultivating Crime, The Dark Side of Legal Marijuana”

……is a cautionary tale — detailing with a lawyer’s granularity the shadowy business practices of the cannabis grey market — where all-cash deals are written on a napkin and sealed with a handshake — and the greed, corruption and incompetence that challenged the migration of the illicit industry into a regulated, legal marketplace.

A must-read for anyone involved in Washington’s legal cannabis scene, who’ll recognize many of the figures and archetypes referenced in the book, Cultivating Crime is a real-life drama that reads like a crime novel, tracing the attorneys personal and professional journey as she made her way from the entertainment industry, to the healthcare industry, to becoming one of the first “cannabis attorneys” to set up practice, working with state regulators and cannabis licensees to help create Washington’s 1-502 legal cannabis regulatory system.

Aside from the local politics and personal improprieties detailed here, the book is chock-full of business lessons that are relevant to both cannabis and non-cannabis entrepreneurs, especially those who are considering partnerships.

Watch this Marijuana Channel One Exclusive interview, as Anne gives a first-hand account of her personal and professional challenges, battling the Old Boys Club mentality of the legal establishment, and dealing with a professional partnership gone wrong.