Farmer Tom Lauerman
Union Trained Lobbyist
For more than 25 years, Tom has worked directly with local, state, and federal government entities to help shape practical, enforceable cannabis policy. His background spans public advocacy, legislative collaboration, regulatory development, and federal workplace safety standards. Today, he offers that experience to businesses and organizations seeking informed, effective representation in complex regulatory environments.
Government Affairs Experience
Local Policy Engagement and Public Testimony
Provided formal public comment to the San Diego Town Council regarding safe medical cannabis access, contributing to early municipal discussions around patient safety and regulatory oversight.
Catalyst for Task Force–Driven Policy Development
A legal case involving Tom led directly to the formation of San Diego’s first Medical Cannabis Task Force, establishing a structured process for evaluating and revising local cannabis policy.
State Legislative Collaboration
Worked extensively at the Washington State Capitol alongside legislators to collaboratively draft and insert cannabis-related language into state legislation, ensuring policies reflected operational realities and public safety considerations.
Regulatory Education and Technical Briefings
Used media experience and subject-matter expertise to brief state lawmakers on the safe production, handling, and regulation of cannabis concentrates, supporting informed legislative decision-making.
Federal Workplace Safety Standards Development
Collaborated with scientists and officials from HHS, the CDC, and NIOSH to help develop workplace safety standards specific to the cannabis industry, addressing worker protection, operational risk, and compliance concerns.
County-Level Regulatory Implementation
Worked directly with the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to develop and implement fair, reasonable, and enforceable county-level cannabis regulations.
Professional Advocacy and Lobbying Services
After decades of direct engagement with government agencies at every level, Tom now applies this experience to represent cannabis businesses and organizations seeking effective advocacy, regulatory clarity, and constructive engagement with policymakers.
What This Means for Clients
Regulatory Insight
Deep understanding of how cannabis policy is developed, negotiated, and enforced across jurisdictions.
Established Government Experience
Extensive hands-on work with local councils, state legislatures, and federal agencies.
Strategic, Nonpartisan Advocacy
Clear, practical communication that resonates across political and regulatory environments.
Safety and Compliance Focus
Proven ability to align industry operations with public health and workplace safety priorities.
“Effective policy is built through understanding, collaboration, and trust — not ideology.”
Advocacy is education: how Washington changed its mind on concentrates
While Washington was writing its legalization rules, butane hash oil (BHO) explosions were injuring people and, as Tom puts it, “literally lifting houses off their foundations.” In Olympia, lawmakers thought concentrates only meant BHO. Their answer was to make them all illegal.
When Matt Markovich of KOMO News asked Tom to do an open blast on camera, Tom brought the top people in extraction together. They ran the open blast outside under a tarp, the way it is supposed to be done, then a closed-loop system indoors, with live demos and talks on bubble hash, water hash, RSO and CO2 extraction. The message was one sentence:
If you don’t regulate [and tax], people are gonna continue to blow themselves up.
Farmer Tom Lauerman, Unscripted Cannabis (2026)
In Tom’s account, within a week the state “changed their minds and redid everything and made concentrates legal.” That attention is what brought the union, and then CDC scientists, to his farm.
San Diego, from the 1999 raid to the county’s think tank
The 1999 raid on his collective led to San Diego’s first medical marijuana task force. Today Tom is a cannabis social equity applicant in San Diego County. He was invited into the think tank that helped shape the county’s rules, including outdoor cultivation that officials first told him was impossible. He also walked county staff through the pros and cons of buffer distances for social equity cannabis businesses, and the county went with his recommendation: a 600-foot buffer from daycares, youth centers, places of worship, public parks and trails, and schools, where some cities wanted 1,200 to 1,500 feet. The Board of Supervisors adopted it on a 3-2 vote.
When they say no it can’t be done, […] I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna go that direction anyways.
Farmer Tom Lauerman, Unscripted Cannabis (2026)
Engage an Experienced Cannabis Policy Advocate
If your organization needs knowledgeable, politically neutral representation in cannabis policy or regulatory matters, Tom is available to provide lobbying, advisory, and government-relations support.