It is with heavy hearts that the International Cannabis Business Conference team reports that legendary German cannabis attorney Peter Homberg unexpectedly passed away on Friday. Mr. Homberg was an amazing member of the German and international cannabis community by every measure, and he will be truly missed.

Mr. Homberg specialized in life sciences, IP and corporate law, and M&A transactions. Few people on the planet, if any, possess the extensive experience in advising on medical cannabis compliance as Peter Homberg did. In an industry that can often be saturated with noise, Homberg was always thoughtful and no-nonsense, and his insight was invaluable.

As one of the most consistent and prolific presenters at the International Cannabis Business Conference and Talman House events over the years, Peter’s keynotes and panel discussions were always some of the most popular presentations for attendees. Whenever the conference teams needed anything, Peter was always willing to help without hesitation, no matter how big or small the request was.

He was seemingly just as comfortable talking to a packed auditorium as he was having private, small, or individual conversations. Homberg’s wit and intellect were unmatched, and he had a sneakily strong sense of humor. His passing has left a void in many people’s hearts, and his presence as a leading advocate for Germany’s emerging cannabis industry and policy modernization efforts will be impossible to replace.

Peter Homberg spent 12 years as a leading attorney for the law firm Dentons. At the beginning of this year, Homberg announced that he was joining international law firm gunnercooke.

Peter Homberg’s awards and recognitions are numerous, and rightfully so. Peter Homberg was already highlighted by Chambers Europe in 2014 as “a brilliant negotiator” who “has huge experience with biotech companies and is really goal driven.”

JUVE Handbook German Commercial Law Firms, mentioned Peter Homberg in 2015/2016 as a highly recommended practitioner. The international directory Best Lawyers ranked him among the best lawyers for Health Care Law and Pharmaceuticals Law in Germany. Global Law Experts (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), Legal 100 (2021, 2022, 2023), and Leaders in Law (2020,2021) honored Peter Homberg as “Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year in Germany.”

I had the honor of interviewing Peter when he was transitioning from Dentons to gunnercooke.

“Peter Homberg is a tremendous resource and figure in the cannabis world, helping educate lawmakers and industry members from around the world about important cannabis matters. The significance of his advocacy is beyond measure in my opinion, and I was very happy to learn that not only will he continue his work in this area now that he is a part of gunnercooke, but he will also have more flexibility than ever to do so, including contributing more to Cannabis Law Journal.” was what I wrote at the time.

“Unlike many lawyers and especially lawyers from large corporate firms he was very self aware and had a rather wonderful dry humour that would always bring a wry smile. We could easily discuss across a gamut of topics and especially his love of 70’s/80’s German metal outfit the Scorpions!” Sean Hocking, Editor of Cannabis Law Report, wrote about Peter’s passing. “Peter will be sorely missed here and more importantly his passing, I believe, is a major set back to sensible cannabis regulation in Germany.”

“Peter achieved what only few can: He brought people together and kept them united. His positive spirit and passion will remain with us.” Dr. Wolfgang Richter of gunnercooke wrote about Peter, according to Cannabis Law Report. “Over decades, he was an outstanding lawyer who dedicated himself wholeheartedly to his clients and felt at home in the life sciences sector like no other. To his clients, he was far more than just a lawyer – he was an expert, advisor, and reliable partner.”

The International Cannabis Business Conference team would like to express our condolences to Peter Homberg’s family and to everyone who was blessed to know Peter. He will be missed beyond what words could ever express. Below is an embedded video of Mr. Homberg’s keynote address at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin last year: