Cannabis Compliance Director
David McPherson is the Compliance Director for HdL Companies. Prior to joining the firm, he served 28 years in local government for the County of Orange and the cities of Newport Beach, San Jose and Oakland. He is recognized in California as one of the leading experts in cannabis and hemp policies, regulations and taxation strategies. When Mr. McPherson was the Revenue & Tax Administrator in the City of Oakland, he became a pioneer by being the first person in the country to tax, regulate and audit the cannabis industry. He uses his experience of understanding horticulture, processing and dispensary operations to assist local and state agencies with developing cannabis-hemp policies for regulation, compliance, auditing and economic development. Mr. McPherson and the HdL Cannabis Management team have assisted local agencies by evaluating and bringing into compliance over 4,000 cannabis business in the last six years. He worked closely with the League of Cities and lobbyists on the development of the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA). He currently works with many local agencies on implementation and regulatory requirements for Proposition 64 and state regulations to assist with the transition to fully regulated programs for both medicinal and adult-use cannabis businesses. Mr. McPherson received his bachelor’s degree in History from California State University, Fullerton and his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach.
