About Dan
Dan Viets earned a J.D. from the University of Missouri–Columbia in 1985 after completing his earlier studies at the same campus. He built his legal foundation in Missouri and has spent his career working inside the state’s legal and policy circles. His education anchored a path that combined law practice with long-standing public advocacy.
Early in his professional life Viets became involved in marijuana law reform. Over the years he has held several leadership roles within the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). He has served as the Missouri coordinator, taken on responsibilities as national board secretary, and led the NORML Foundation as its president. Those roles placed him at the intersection of nonprofit governance, grassroots organization and legal debate.
As Missouri coordinator he organized state-level efforts and acted as a point of contact between local activists and the national movement. His tenure as national board secretary required attention to governance and recordkeeping for a national nonprofit. As president of the NORML Foundation he oversaw educational and charitable work aimed at informing public discussion about marijuana laws.
Viets’s work in those positions involved policy advocacy, public education and organizational leadership rather than courtroom theatrics. He has worked on issues that include regulatory frameworks, compliance questions, and the ways state law interacts with federal statutes. His background gave him familiarity with the practical and legal challenges that accompany changing marijuana regulations.
In private practice he operates under the name Dan Viets Lawyer. He maintains his base in Missouri and draws on his advocacy experience when advising clients. He has represented individuals and groups on matters that touch regulatory requirements, licensing processes and the administrative side of practice areas affected by marijuana policy.
Colleagues and contacts describe Viets as someone who moves easily between nonprofit administration and client advising. He has navigated board governance, public outreach and the kinds of regulatory conversations that shape policy outcomes. In his current practice he continues to counsel clients in Missouri on marijuana-related legal issues, regulatory compliance and policy matters.
