Toni Forge, Esq.
For over 28 years, Toni Forge has worked as a litigator, managing attorney, state mediator and associate general counsel. A graduate of UC Law San Francisco and the University of San Francisco, Toni is a leader in compliance and litigation management. She has acted as a chief compliance officer for major Fortune 500 companies and has implemented several litigation management programs for global insurance companies. She served as a Regional Managing Attorney for Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company and a Claims Director for Arrowpoint Capital where she managed hundreds of internal and external law firms. As a former mediator for the State of Nevada, she possesses exceptional negotiation and mediation skills.
Toni co-founded 4LeafConsulting in 2016. 4LeafConsulting is a California cannabis licensing and compliance consulting firm dedicated to offering clients a practical approach to establishing their cannabusinesses. 4LeafConsulting specializes in local and state licensing, interpreting cannabis regulations, strategic partnerships, contract negotiation and drafting and operational business strategies. 4LeafConsulting has won several competitive cannabis licenses throughout California and Illinois. Additionally, Toni is “Of Counsel” with Nano Law, a law firm that specializes in cannabis startups and is general counsel for the LA based dispensary, Josephine & Billie’s. She also serves as counsel for The Oakland Equity Collective.
Toni serves on the executive advisory board of Green Believers and is Vice President of the National Association of Black Cannabis Lawyers. She has presented several cannabis educational seminars for different organizations such as Kalogia, Women Empowered In Cannabis, State of Cannabiz, Green Believers and Sensi Magazine’s “Sensi Women” series. She has been a featured speaker on numerous cannabis podcasts such as Conscious Cannabis, Cannabis Business Minds, Power To Fly, the Minority Cannabis Business Association report, Women Leading in Cannabis and several others.
Toni has also taught several continuing legal education courses regarding cannabis basics and how to apply for a state cannabis business licenses. Toni provides lawyers a practical approach to understanding the emerging field of cannabis and cannabis business licensing.
Toni has a passion for social equity in the cannabis space. Toni consults and shapes policy for social equity cannabis organizations in Oakland, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and New York. Toni recently co-authored The Social Equity Advocacy Handbook outlining best practices and procedures for those municipalities and groups advocating for cannabis social equity. This handbook was reviewed by the City of New York’s Office of Cannabis Management’s Social Equity Program.
Toni is works with municipalities in Southern California shaping cannabis policies. She currently is a technical advisor for both the City of Los Angeles and the City of Hawthorne and served as a cannabis consultant for the City of Commerce. She has been a technical resource for the City of New York’s Office of Cannabis Management. In 2019, Toni was nominated as “Lawyer of the Year” by Webjoint magazine.