Alex Kreit

Profile

Professor Kreit became the first director of the created Chase Center on Addiction Law & Policy, when it was established in 2020. He is an assistant professor of law, teaching Healthcare and the Law and Criminal Law during his initial academic year at Chase.

Prior to joining the Chase faculty, he was a visiting professor at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, in affiliation with the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center. He has been a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, San Diego, director of the school’s Center for Law and Social Justice, co-director of its Center for Criminal Law and Policy and a visiting associate professor at Boston College Law School, Newton, Mass. Before joining Thomas Jefferson, he was an associate at Morrison & Foerster, San Francisco, and had been a law clerk for Judge M. Blane Michael of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Professor Kreit is a leading expert in the field of illegal drug and marijuana law. He is author of the casebook Illegal Drug and Marijuana Law (Carolina Academic Press, 2019), co-author of the reference book Drug Abuse and the Law Sourcebook (Thomson Reuters, 2013, updated annually) and co-author of the casebook Marijuana Law and Policy (Carolina Academic Press, 2020). His articles have appeared in journals including the Boston College Law Review, the Ohio State Law Journal and the UC Davis Law Review.

Professor Kreit is frequently quoted in the media on drug policy and marijuana law issues, having appeared in news outlets including CNN Headline News, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, NPR, The San Diego Union-Tribune, Slate, The Wall Street Journal and WIRED. In 2019, the National Law Journal selected him for its list of Trailblazers in Cannabis Law.

While in San Diego, Professor Kreit was a member of the City of San Diego Ethics Commission and chair of the City of San Diego Medical Marijuana Task Force.

Contact

• Office: NH 541
• Email: kreita1@nku.edu
• Phone:  859-572-5948
• Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Education

• B.A., Hampshire College
• J.D., University of Pennsylvania School of Law, cum laude

Courses Taught Prior to Joining Chase Faculty

• Criminal Law
• Criminal Procedure
• Evidence
• Drug Crimes
• Marijuana Law and Policy
• Controlled Substances
• International and Comparative Drug Control
• Criminal Appeals
• International Business and White Collar Crime
• Juvenile Life Without Parole
• Property 

Scholarship

Books

Criminal Law in Focus (Wolters Kluwer, 2020)

Marijuana Law and Policy, co-author (Carolina Academic Press, 2020)

Illegal Drug and Marijuana Law (Carolina Academic Press 2d ed. 2019; 1st ed. 2013 as Controlled Substances: Crime, Regulation and Policy)

Drug Abuse and the Law Sourcebook, co-author (Thomson Reuters 2013, updated annually)

Articles and Essays

The Opioid Crisis and the Drug War at a Crossroads, 80 Ohio St. L.J. 887 (2019)

Safe Injection Sites and the Federal “Crack House” Statute, 60 B.C. L. Rev. 413 (2019)

Drug-Induced Homicide: Challenges and Strategies in Criminal Defense, 70 S.C. L. Rev. 707 (2019) (with Valena E. Beety, Anne Boustead, Jeremiah Goulka, & Leo Beletsky)

Marijuana Legalization and Nosy Neighbor States, 58 B.C. L. REV. 1059 (2017)

Marijuana Legalization, 1 Reforming Criminal Justice 115 (Erik Luna ed., 2017)

Drug Truce, 77 Ohio St. L. J. 1323 (2016)

Marijuana Legalization and Pretextual Stops, 50 UC Davis L. Rev. 741 (2016)

What Will Federal Marijuana Reform Look Like?, 65 Case W. Res. L. Rev. 689 (2015)

The 2015 Federal Budget’s Medical Marijuana Provision: An ‘End to the Federal Ban
on Marijuana’ or Something Less Than That?, 35 N. Ill. U. L. Rev. 537 (2015)

The Federal Response to State Marijuana Legalization: Room for Compromise?, 91 Or. L. Rev. 1029 (2013)

Controlled Substances, Uncontrolled Law, 6 Albany Gov’t L. Rev. 101 (2013)

Reflections on Medical Marijuana Prosecutions and the Ethical Duty to Seek Justice, 89 Denver U. L. Rev. 1027 (2012)

Spring Symposium: Practical, Legal, and Ethical Perspectives on Medical Marijuana, 16 Mich. St. J. Med. & Law 540 (2012) (transcription of keynote address)

The Decriminalization Option: Should States Consider Moving from a Criminal to a
Civil Drug Court Model?, 2010 U. Chi. Legal F. 299

Making Sense of Facial and As-Applied Challenges, 18 Wm. & Mary Bill OF Rts. J. 657 (2010)

Beyond the Prohibition Debate: Thoughts on Federal Drug Laws in an Age of State Reforms, 13 Chapman L. Rev. 555 (2010)

Toward a Public Health Approach to Drug Policy, 3 Advance:  The Journal of the American Constitution Society Issue Groups 43 (2009)

Vicarious Criminal Liability and the Constitutional Dimensions of Pinkerton, 57 Am. U. L. Rev. 585 (2008)

Rights, Rules and Raich, 108 W. Va. L. Rev. 705 (2006)

Raich, Health Care, and the Commerce Clause, 31 Wm. Mitchell L. Rev. 957 (2005) (with Aaron Marcus)

Why is Congress Still Regulating Noncommercial Activity?, 28 Harv. J. L. & Pub. Pol’y 169 (2004)

The Future of Medical Marijuana: Should the States Grow Their Own?, 151 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1787 (2003) (student note)

Presentations

• Panelist, “Marijuana Law 2020: Lessons from the Past, Ideas for the Future,” Boston University Law Review conference on federal marijuana reform and the Controlled Substances Act (November 13, 2020)
  

• Panelist, “Controlled Substance Regulation 2020,” Gonzaga University Cannabis Law Club (October 12, 2020)
  

• Group discussion, “Drug Use and the Law: Where Does It Fit in Law School Courses?” Southeastern Association of Law Schools (July 30, 2020)
  

• The Opioid Crisis and the Drug War at a Crossroads
  - National Conference of State Legislatures Advancing Justice 2020, Fort Myers, Fla. (Feb. 7, 2020)
  - Louisiana State University Law Center Symposium on Criminal Justice Reform, Baton Rouge, La. (Feb. 1, 2019)
  - The Association of American Law Schools Annual Conference, New Orleans, La. (Jan. 6, 2019)
  - Southwest Criminal Law Scholars Workshop, UNLV Law, Las Vegas, Nev. (Oct. 27, 2018)
  - The Ohio State Law Journal Symposium, Columbus, Ohio (Oct. 19, 2018)
  - Laboratories of Democracy: Drug Policy in the United States, Washington, D.C. (Sept. 25, 2018)

• The Criminal “Law” of the Bar Exam
  - Southwest Criminal Law Scholars Workshop, UNLV Law, Las Vegas, Nev. (Oct. 18, 2019)
  - Central States Law Schools Association, University of Toledo College of Law, Toledo, Ohio (Sept. 21, 2019)
  - CrimFest, Brooklyn Law School, Brooklyn, NY (July 16, 2019)
  

• Marijuana Law: Is There a Canon? (discussion session)
  - Southeastern Association of Law Schools Annual Meeting, Boca Raton, Fla. (Aug. 1, 2019)

• Marijuana Policy Under Trump
   - University of Toledo College of Law, American Constitution Society, Toledo, Ohio (Sept. 23, 2019)
  - American Association of Law Libraries Annual Conference, Baltimore, Md. (July 15, 2018)
  - American Association of Law Libraries Annual Conference, Baltimore, Md. (July 15, 2018)
  - American Constitution Society Lawyer Chapter, San Diego, Calif. (June 28, 2018)
  - American Insurance Association, Washington, D.C. (June 5, 2018)
  - UC Irvine School of Law, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Irvine, Calif. (Jan. 30, 2018)
  - Federal Bar Association of the Eastern District of Washington Annual Conference, Spokane, Wash. (Sept. 29, 2017)
  - Southeastern Association of Law Schools Annual Meeting, Boca Raton, Fla. (Aug. 6, 2017)
  - Cannabis Law Institute, National Cannabis Bar Association, Denver, Col. (July 28, 2017)
  - Cozen O’Connor Global P&C Claims Think Tank Conference, West Palm Beach, Fla. (May 18, 2017)
  - The Business of Cannabis CLE, Los Angeles, Calif. (Apr. 27, 2017) (Keynote address)
  - Babson College, Wellesley, Mass. (Apr. 23, 2017)
  - University of New Hampshire School of Law, American Constitution Society, Concord, N.H. (Nov. 15, 2016)

• Facial Challenges and the Fourth Amendment
  - Amending America’s Unwritten Constitution, Boston College, Boston, Mass. (May 16, 2019)
  - American Constitution Society Law Scholars Forum, The Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law, Orlando, Fla. (March 1, 2019)
  - Law and Society Association Annual Meeting, Mexico City, Mexico (June 23, 2017)
  - AALS Criminal Justice Section Midyear Meeting, Washington, D.C. (June 14, 2017)
  - ABA Criminal Justice Section, Annual Fall Institute Roundtable, Washington, D.C. (Nov. 3, 2016)
  - Boston College Law School, Faculty Colloquium, Newton, Mass. (Sept. 23, 2016)
  - Southwest Criminal Law Workshop, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA (Sept. 19, 2014)
  

• The Impact of the 2018 Elections on Drug Policy Reform
  - National Conference of State Legislatures Capitol Forum, Washington, D.C. (Dec. 6, 2018)
  - Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Nov. 15, 2018)
  - American Constitution Society Hoosier Lawyer Chapter, Indianapolis, Ind. (Nov. 13, 2018)

• Drug Sentencing Reform and Ohio’s Issue 1
  - Kirwin Institute, the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Nov. 1, 2018)

• The Implications of Marijuana Legalization for Sentencing Commissions
  - National Association of Sentencing Commissions Annual Conference, Columbus, Ohio (Aug. 14, 2018)

• Safe Injection Sites and the Federal “Crack House” Statute
  - CrimFest, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, New York, N.Y. (July 16, 2018)
  - Southwest Criminal Law Scholars Workshop, Santa Clara Law, Santa Clara, Calif. (March 31, 2018)
  - The Association of American Law Schools Annual Conference, San Diego, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2018)

• Drug Policy Reform and Strategic Litigation
  - Students for Sensible Drug Policy Annual Conference, Portland, Ore. (March 26, 2017)

• Marijuana Legalization: Recommendations for Policymakers
  - Bridging the Gap: A Conference on Scholarship and Criminal Justice Reform, Phoenix, Ariz.  (Feb. 11, 2017)

• Covering Mass Incarceration in the First Year Criminal Law Course
  - Society for American Law Teachers 2016 Teaching Conference, Chicago, Ill. (Sept. 30, 2016)

• Drug Truce
  - Conference on Criminal Justice Reform, Boise, Idaho (June 5, 2016)
  - Law & Society Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, La. (June 3, 2016)
  - Southwest Criminal Law Workshop, University of Utah College of Law, Salt Lake City, Utah (Sept. 26, 2015)
  - Law & Society Association Annual Meeting, Seattle, Wash. (May 31, 2015)
  - Vanderbilt Law School, Drug Law and Policy Roundtable, Nashville, Tenn. (March 21, 2015)

• Marijuana Legalization, Probable Cause, and Pretext Stops
  - UC Davis Law Review Symposium, Davis, Calif. (Jan. 29, 2016)

• Marijuana Legalization and Patents: Some Preliminary Thoughts
  - Texas A&M Journal of Property Law Symposium, Fort Worth, Texas (Oct. 16, 2015)

• 2015-16 Supreme Court Preview (panelist)
  - University of San Diego School of Law, Federalist Society, San Diego, Calif. (Sept. 17, 2015)

• Teaching and Studying Vice (discussion session) 
  - Southeastern Association of Law Schools Annual Meeting, Boca Raton, Fla. (Aug. 2, 2015)

• Legal Ethics and Marijuana (2015 Mart Vogel Lecture on Professionalism and Legal Ethics)
  - The State Bar Association of North Dakota Annual Meeting, Bismarck, N.D. (June 19, 2015)

• Ohio Marijuana Policy Reform Symposium (panelist)
  - The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, Columbus, Ohio (June 11, 2015)

• Assessing the 2015 Federal Budget’s Medical Marijuana Appropriations Provision
  - Northern Illinois Law Review Symposium, DeKalb, Ill. (April 17, 2015)

• What Will Federal Marijuana Law Reform Look Like?
  - CSU Fullerton, Students for Sensible Drug Policy Regional Conference, Fullerton, Calif. (March 15, 2015)
  - University of San Diego School of Law, American Constitution Society, San Diego, Calif. (Feb. 24, 2015)
  - University of California Irvine, Symposium on Critical Perspectives on the Drug War, Irvine, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2015)
  - Case Western Reserve Law Review Symposium, Cleveland, Ohio (Sept. 12, 2014)

• Federal Law and Industrial Hemp
  - Cannabis in Washington State Seminar Group CLE, Seattle, Wash. (Dec. 5, 2014)

• Local Regulation of Medical Marijuana
  - Medical and Recreational Marijuana Seminar Group CLE, Los Angeles, Calif. (Oct. 3, 2014)

• The Fourth Amendment at the Border
  - University of San Diego School of Law, American Constitution Society, San Diego, Calif. (April 16, 2014)

• Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentencing
  - University of Florida Law School, American Constitution Society, Gainesville, Fla. (April 14, 2014)
  - Tulane Law School, American Constitution Society, New Orleans, La. (April 8, 2014)
  - University of Hastings College of Law, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, San Francisco, Calif. (March 1, 2014)

• State Marijuana Reforms and the Federal Response
  - Loyola Law School, American Constitution Society, Los Angeles, Calif. (March 26, 2014)
  - Alliant University, Substance Abuse Awareness Week Keynote Speaker, San Diego, Calif. (March 5, 2013)
  - George Washington University Law School, American Constitution Society, Washington, D.C. (Feb. 22, 2013)
  - Temple University School of Law, American Constitution Society, Philadelphia, Pa. (Oct. 8, 2012)
  - University of Idaho College of Law, American Constitution Society, Moscow, Idaho (Mar. 26, 2012)
  - Michigan State University Journal of Medicine and Law Symposium, East Lansing, Mich. (Feb. 24, 2012) (keynote address)

• Lessons Learned: Marijuana Legalization Roundtable Discussion (panelist)
  - University of Denver School of Law, Denver, Col. (Feb. 10, 2014)

• Overinclusiveness and Drug Possession
  - The Association of American Law Schools Annual Conference, New York, N.Y. (Jan. 5, 2014)

• Debate with former Office of National Drug Control Policy Senior Advisor, Kevin A. Sabet
  - Thomas Jefferson School of Law, San Diego, Calif. (Sept. 24, 2013)

• Drug War Deserters
  - Alcohol and Drugs History Society Conference: Under Control?, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, England (June 23, 2013)
  - San Diego World Affairs Council, San Diego, Calif. (March 21, 2013)
  - International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law Conference, Washington, D.C. (Oct. 25, 2012)

• The Federal Response to State Marijuana Legalization: Room for Compromise?
  - University of Oregon Law Review Symposium, Eugene, OR (Apr. 19, 2013)

• American Constitution Society Convening of Scholars on Federalism, Preemption and State Marijuana Legalization (participant and introductory remarks)
  - Washington, D.C. (April 11, 2013)

• Medical Marijuana: Legal Update CLE Presentation
  - Americans for Safe Access Annual Conference, Washington, D.C. (Feb. 22, 2013)
  - California Appellate Defense Counsel San Diego Chapter, San Diego, Calif. (Nov. 29, 2012)
  - Thomas Jefferson School of Law Alumni Association CLE Seminar, San Diego, Calif. (Nov. 17, 2012)
  - South Asian Bar Association of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif. (Apr. 13, 2011)

• What Happens When “Legalize It” Moves From Slogan to State Law?
  - San Diego City College, San Diego, Calif. (March 11, 2014)
  - University of La Verne College of Law, American Constitution Society, Ontario, Calif. (Nov. 5, 2013)
  - University of Maine School of Law, American Constitution Society, Portland, Maine (Sept. 6, 2013)
  - Law & Society Association Annual Meeting, Boston, Mass. (May 30, 2013)
  - Columbia Law School, American Constitution Society, New York, N.Y. (April 4, 2013)
  - NYU School of Law, American Constitution Society, New York, N.Y. (April 4, 2013)
  - The Association of American Law Schools Annual Conference, New Orleans, La. (Jan. 5, 2013)
  - University of Virginia School of Law, American Constitution Society, Charlottesville, Va. (Oct. 15, 2012)
  - Drexel University School of Law, American Constitution Society, Philadelphia, Pa. (Oct. 8, 2012)
  - University of Michigan Law School, American Constitution Society, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Feb. 23, 2012)

• Dissent and the Constitution
  - San Diego Public Library’s “Searching for Democracy” Series, San Diego, Calif. (Oct. 23, 2012)

• Eye to Eye with the Constitution: How to Interpret It?
  - San Diego Public Library “Searching for Democracy” Series, San Diego, Calif. (Oct. 20, 2012)

• The Criminal Law Syllabus: What to Cut and What to Keep? (panelist)
  - Society for American Law Teachers, University of Maryland School of Law, Baltimore, Md. (Oct. 6, 2012)

• The Bill of Rights, Privacy, and the Balance of Federal and State Power
  - San Diego Public Library “Searching for Democracy” Series, San Diego, Calif. (Sept. 26, 2012)

• San Diego Mayoral Debate (one of three panelists posing questions to the candidates)
  - Thomas Jefferson School of Law, San Diego, Calif. (April 20, 2012)

• A Question of Integrity: Politics, Ethics, and the Supreme Court
  - California Common Cause, San Diego, Calif. (Feb. 4, 2012)

• Reflections on Medical Marijuana Prosecutions and the Ethical Duty to Seek Justice
  - Denver Law Review Symposium, Denver, Col. (Jan. 27, 2012)

• Administrative Drug Courts
  - American Bar Association & American Association of Law Schools Workshop, Washington, D.C. (Oct. 27, 2011)

• Federal Drug Enforcement Grants and the “Corrections Free Lunch”
  - International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law 24th Annual Conference, Ottawa, Canada (Aug. 11, 2011)

• The Rule of Law and Coercive Drug Treatment: Reflections on Three Approaches Controlled Substances Act After Forty Years
  - International Conference on Chinese Rule of Law, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China (May 27, 2011)
  - University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law, Washington, D.C. (March 24, 2011)
  - Law & Society Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, Ill. (May 29, 2010)
  - Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meeting, San Diego, Calif. (Feb. 24, 2010)

• Juggalos to Phis-heads: Managing Fanatical Music Consumers (panelist)
  - SXSW 2011, Austin, TX (March 16, 2011)

• Why Are Drug Crimes Missing From the Law School Curriculum?
  - Southwest/West Junior Faculty Conference, Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz. (March 14, 2011)
  - Society for American Law Teachers, University of Hawaii Richardson School of Law, Honolulu Hawaii (Dec. 11, 2010)

• Should California Legalize Marijuana? (Participant in Debates and Forums on Proposition 19)
  - San Francisco State University, San Francisco, Calif. (Oct. 25, 2010)
  - Association for Criminal Justice Research Fall Conference, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Oct. 21, 2010)
  - Thomas Jefferson School of Law, San Diego, Calif. (Oct. 20, 2010)
  - Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Calif. (Oct. 15, 2010)

• Drug Crimes and Wrongful Convictions
  - Texas Wesleyan Law Review Symposium, Fort Worth, Texas (Oct. 8, 2010)

• Medical Marijuana Collectives in California: Where Does the Law Stand?
  - California Appellate Defense Counsel, San Diego, Calif. (May 20, 2010)
  - 2009 International Drug Policy Reform Conference, Albuquerque, N.M. (Nov. 12, 2009)
  - Loyola Law American Civil Liberties Union, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Calif. (Oct. 20, 2009)
  - National Lawyers Guild of San Diego, California Western School of Law, San Diego, Calif. (Sept. 17, 2009)

• Why Hasn’t the Record Industry Sued Girl Talk (panel organizer and moderator)
  - SXSW 2010, Austin, TX (March 18, 2010)

• Making Sense of Facial and As-Applied Challenges
  - Southwest/West Junior Faculty Conference, Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz. (March 15, 2010)

• Coalition Building (panelist)
  - Students for Sensible Drug Policy Annual Conference, San Francisco, Calif. (March 14, 2010)

• Beyond the Prohibition Debate: Thoughts on Federal Drug Laws in an Age of State Reforms
  - Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meeting, San Diego, Calif. (Feb. 25, 2010)
  - Chapman Law Review Symposium, Orange, Calif. (Jan. 29, 2010)

• The Federalism Implications of Taxing and Regulating Marijuana in California
  - University of California Hastings College of Law, San Francisco, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2010)

• Regulating Medical Marijuana in San Diego
  - Rotary Club, San Diego, Calif. (Jan. 27, 2010)
  - San Diego Historical Society, San Diego, Calif. (Sept. 24, 2009)

• Drug Policy and the Constitution
  - University of California San Diego, San Diego, Calif. (Jan. 12, 2010)

• The Decriminalization Option: Moving from a Criminal to a Civil Drug Court Model
  - University of Chicago Legal Forum Symposium, Chicago, Ill. (Oct. 24, 2009)

• From Prohibition to Regulation: Perspectives on Marijuana Policy
  - American Constitution Society Sacramento Lawyers Chapter, Sacramento, CA (Aug. 25, 2009)

• Victims or Villains?: Young People and the War on Drugs in the United States
  - Alcohol and Drugs History Society Conference: The Pathways to Prohibition, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland (June 28, 2009)
  - Law & Society Association Annual Meeting, Denver, Col. (May 28, 2009)

• Drug Policy and Social Justice: What are the Connections?
  - Michigan Social Justice Conference, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. (April 4, 2009)

Selected Articles, Commentaries and Media

Recurring panelist on the Marijuana Today podcast, a weekly podcast about the business, law, and politics of marijuana, 2014-present

San Diego Must Prep For New Marijuana Era, San Diego Union-Tribune, Nov. 28, 2016

Understanding California’s Medical Marijuana Laws, 14 CRIMINAL L.J. 7 (2014) (State Bar of California publication)

Federal Drug Policy Should Focus on Big Cases, The New York Times, Jan. 14, 2014

Marijuana Legalization in 2014: An Overview, JURIST–Forum, Nov. 26, 2013

Crisis in the Courts, San Diego Union-Tribune, April 4, 2012 (with former California State

Assemblyperson Howard Wayne)

Prop. 5 is No Boon to Violent Offenders, Los Angeles Times, Oct. 24, 2008

Recognitions

National Law Journal Trailblazer in Cannabis Law (2019)

Hayek Fund for Scholars Grant (2019)

Institute for Humane Studies Faculty Partnership Grant (2015)

San Diego Daily Transcript Top Attorneys in Academics (2009, 2011, 2012)

San Diego News Network 35 Under 35 Community Leaders (2010)