Nicholas Castro

Associate Attorney at Pollicella & Associates, PLLC

2018 | Birmingham, MI

Illinois State University | Sociology

“I don’t really want to worry about what happened. I want to look forward to the future of what’s going to happen.”

Nicholas Castro, ’18, came to MSU Law with a passion for the environment and a forward-thinking mindset. Today, he's found his place in the legal landscape in one of the fastest-growing legal fields: cannabis law.

Originally from a suburb of Chicago, he began working with Pollicella & Associates, PLLC, also known as Cannabis Attorneys of Michigan, during the summer following his graduation from MSU Law. He interned at the firm while studying for the bar exam, and became a full-time associate attorney in early November 2018 after becoming a member of the Michigan State Bar.

New to this area of practice, and new to the legal landscape as a whole, Castro has learned a lot during his first year in the field, and enjoys the independence of being an attorney.

“You get to figure stuff out on your own, but also have the help of more experienced, senior partners and associates that you can bounce ideas off of,” he said. “I know that the competitive culture exists within law school, but once you get into a job and you’re working at a firm it’s almost the exact opposite because everyone you’re working with is on the same page. It’s all very collaborative.”

Before graduating, Castro completed an externship with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office in the Environment, Natural Resource, and Agriculture Division. While he enjoyed the position, the work was largely responding to events from the past, and he wanted to have an impact on the future.

His current position allows him to be a part of a completely new and developing area of the law, “There are new business entities being created by statutes that I will get to work with firsthand. It’s sometimes frustrating how fast this industry is moving, because information can become obsolete within a week, but I also enjoy that because it’s always fresh and there’s new problems. It’s never dull.”

With changes in legislation for the state of Michigan following the December 6, 2018, vote that legalized possession, use, and recreational production of marijuana, the demand for information about entering the cannabis industry has been overwhelming, according to Castro.

His firm primarily works with people to organize the business and legal matters of operating medical marijuana facilities. In the world of recreational usage, there’s still much to be determined by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, so he’s fielding calls in the meantime and establishing connections with potential clients. “People are definitely changing their attitudes about marijuana across the board,” he said.