Joshua Kappel

Practice Areas

Psychedelics & Emerging Therapies

Commercial Transactions

Impact & ESG

Insolvency & State Receivership

Intellectual Property

International Transactions

Outside General Counsel Program

Technology

Career

Joshua Kappel is a founding partner of Vicente LLP with a passion for helping entrepreneurs and visionaries build human-centric and regenerative companies in the cannabis and psychedelic industries.

Enthusiastic about policy, Josh also loves helping advocates draft legislation and build sustaining vehicles that will forever influence these emerging industries. Most recently, Joshua co-authored Colorado's Proposition 122, the Natural Medicine Health Act, and served as chair of the campaign committee for Natural Medicine Colorado. In November 2022, Proposition 122 passed with 54% of the vote. This historic state-wide measure creates access to natural psychedelic medicines through a regulated supervised-use model and by decriminalizing personal and communal use. In addition to a half dozen other psychedelic and cannabis measures, Joshua helped draft Colorado's Amendment 64, the first state measure to legalize cannabis for all adults.

In addition to policy work, Joshua helps companies of all shapes and sizes—from nonprofits and start-ups to multinational corporations and public companies—navigate the ever-changing psychedelic field with a focus on corporate structuring and business practices, the intersection of state and federal law, state licensing and regulatory compliance, and general corporate law.

Active in the emerging therapies community, Joshua is a founding board member of the Microdosing Collective—the only recognized nonprofit in the U.S. dedicated to legalizing microdosing. He currently serves as a founding member of the Psychedelic Bar Association, where he stewards the Corporate Forms and Business Practices Committee. Additionally, Joshua was a founding board member of the International Cannabis Bar Association, founder of Simplifya, and helped launch a number of other nonprofits and private companies.

A sought-after thought leader in cannabis and psychedelics policy, Joshua has contributed writings, presented at local and international conferences, worked on psychedelics reform initiatives, and testified at public hearings. He is recognized by his peers in Best Lawyers in America for his work in cannabis law and was repeatedly named one of "Denver's Top Lawyers" by 5280 Magazine. In 2025, Joshua was ranked Band 1 for Psychedelics Law by Chambers and Partners USA.

Professional Memberships

- Founding Board Member, Microdosing Collective

- Campaign Committee Chair, Natural Medicine Colorado

- Founding Member, Psychedelic Bar Association

- Committee Member, Corporate Forms and Business Practices, Psychedelic Bar Association

- Mentor, Canopy Boulder

- Board Member, Simplifya

- Founding Board Member, VS Tech Ventures

- Founding Board Member, Leafwire

- Founding Member, Council for Responsible Cannabis Regulation

- Advisory Board Member, Cannabis Wheaton Income Corp

- Founding Board Member, National Cannabis Bar Association

- Associate Director, Sensible Colorado

Publications

Co-author, "Understanding ESG Requirements for Licensing Colorado Natural Medicine Businesses," March 4, 2025

Co-author, "Colorado Psychedelics Update: Regulators Finalize Natural Medicine Program Rules," August 23, 2024

Co-author, "Training Program Applications Now Open for Colorado's Natural Medicine Program," July 3, 2024

Co-author, "The Ultimate Guide to SB23-290, Colorado’s Natural Medicine Regulation and Legalization Bill," May 24, 2023

Author, "Colorado Psychedelics Update: State House of Representatives Passes Natural Medicine Health Act Implementation Bill SB23-290 with Amendments," May 1, 2023

Awards

Education