National Cannabis Industry Association logo

Join Now

Cannabis Industry and Policy Reform Advocates Urge Congress to Promote Equity and Address Racially Disparate Harms Caused by Prohibition

National Cannabis Industry Association joins more than 100 signatories in letter delivered to lawmakers today

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) joined other trade organizations and policy groups, as well as dozens of cannabis businesses, in submitting a letter to members of Congress urging them to address the racially disparate harms caused by prohibition. The letter, which was signed by more than 100 businesses and organizations, calls for federal legislation to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, allow banks and other financial institutions to work with cannabis businesses and provide loans to people from marginalized communities who are trying to participate in the industry, and reform the federal tax code to remove the provision that imposes a discriminatory tax rate on cannabis businesses and creates a significant barrier for entry into the legal cannabis market.

The letter also calls for allocating federal funds for programs that would help provide restorative justice and promote equity in the cannabis industry. These include providing financial support for state programs that promote equity, allowing cannabis businesses to access Small Business Administration programs and benefits, expunging cannabis convictions and improving access to services that have been denied to people with cannabis-related criminal records, and reinvesting in the communities that have been most harmed by prohibition. The full text of the letter is available at http://www.DescheduleMarijuana.com.

“As representatives of the legal cannabis industry, we have a responsibility to help undo the harms caused by prohibition and ensure that people most impacted by failed federal policies have access to the opportunities being created every day in this market. We are pleased to join this distinguished group of business leaders and advocates in calling on Congress to incorporate these ideas into legislation,” said Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA). “Past Congresses have played a major role in marginalizing people of color through the war on cannabis, and it is the duty of current and future lawmakers to make up for this.”

“4Front is proud to stand with NCIA, the Minority Cannabis Business Association, and the other organizations that have signed this letter in support of federal cannabis policy reform that will not only help foster a more inclusive industry, but begin to address some of the harm done to communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs,” said Kris Krane, co-founder and president of multi-state cannabis company 4Front Ventures and NCIA board member. “This is a cause that many of us have been pursuing for decades and it’s been tremendously gratifying to watch as the conversation has shifted from whether or not to legalize cannabis to how should we go about legalizing it.”

Last week, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security held a historic hearing entitled “Marijuana Laws in America: Racial Justice and the Need for Reform” to begin a larger conversation in Congress about these problems and how to start fixing them.

In May, NCIA released a set of guidelines in conjunction with lawmakers and stakeholders called Increasing Equity in the Cannabis Industry: Six Achievable Goals for Policy Makers, which provides legislators with simple paths toward addressing many of the issues referenced in the letter.

The SAFE Banking Act, which would remedy the current cannabis banking situation discussed in the letter while increasing public safety and industry transparency, was approved by the House Financial Services Committee in March, and is expected to be voted on by the full House soon. The Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing on a companion bill on Tuesday.

There are currently 47 states that allow cannabis in some form. Thirty-three states and several territories have comprehensive medical cannabis laws, and 11 states as well as the District of Columbia and the territories of Guam and CNMI have made cannabis legal for adults.

###

National Cannabis Industry Association Board of Directors Selects Executive Team

National Cannabis Industry Association Board of Directors Selects Executive Team

 

Newly-elected board members join association Board and appoint officers for 2018-19 term

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), the country’s largest cannabis trade association and industry advocacy organization, officially seated its newly-elected Board of Directors following the association’s member-driven board election.

The election, which concluded in June, brought on three new board members. Mark Passerini is the co-founder of Om of Medicine, a Michigan medical cannabis dispensary that has the distinction of being the only dispensary in the country to partner with a major university via the University of Michigan, and the first board member elected from that state. Michael Steinmetz is the CEO and founder of Flow Kana, one of California’s most innovative companies dedicated to sustainability and empowering small craft cannabis farmers. Taylor West is the former deputy director of NCIA and current senior communications director for COHNNABIS, a full-service brand, marketing, digital, and public relations agency dedicated to the unique needs of the cannabis industry.

A full list of Board members and their bios is available here.

NCIA is also announcing the new Board of Directors Executive Team that will help guide the organization in its continuing federal lobbying efforts and development of valuable resources for the cannabis business community. The Chair is AC Braddock, CEO of cannabis extraction technology company Eden Labs and a recognized thought leader in the cannabis industry, as well as the supporting founder of several cannabis women’s groups. The Vice-chair is Khurshid Khoja, principal of Greenbridge Corporate Counsel, a boutique business law firm founded in 2012, which represents clientele in California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii from across numerous sectors in the legal cannabis industry, on regulatory, start‐up, corporate, intellectual property, finance, and other commercial and transactional matters. The Treasurer is Kris Krane, the founder and managing partner at 4Front Ventures, a cannabis consulting firm that is dedicated to ensuring the highest standards of operations and compliance in the industry. The Secretary and General Counsel to the Board is Henry Wykowski, a San Francisco-based trial attorney representing numerous cannabis dispensaries throughout California in tax matters, including a landmark case which positively impacted cannabis businesses throughout the state.

“My first experience lobbying in D.C. was in 2014 with NCIA and it restored my faith in the power of individual and collective voices in our political system,” said AC Braddock. “This organization represents the very fiber of entrepreneurship and socially responsible small businesses in this country and what we can do when united. I am so looking forward to what we will accomplish in the next few years and beyond.”

“This is likely to be a momentous year for cannabis policy reform at the federal level, with NCIA’s years of advocacy in the Capitol bearing visible fruit in the form of increased congressional and executive branch support on various pieces of critical legislation,” added Khurshid Khoja. “It is a pleasure and an honor to help lead an organization that is the tip of the cannabis industry’s spear in the effort to win federal legalization.”

On top of being the nation’s most established organization lobbying for fair taxation and banking access for the cannabis industry and an end to cannabis prohibition, NCIA is dedicated to ensuring equity in the industry through policy and culture and has established an events scholarship program to promote those values. In addition, the organization will continue producing resources that will be useful for the cannabis industry and policymakers. In conjunction with its members and industry experts, NCIA released publications last week offering recommendations for cannabis testing policy and providing guidance to cannabis businesses for dealing with crisis communications.

“We are proud of our members for getting involved and electing effective and passionate industry leaders to our Board,” said Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association. “The next year is going to be both exciting and challenging in federal cannabis policy and industry development, and we are lucky to have such dedicated individuals helping us change laws and provide value to our members.”

This site uses cookies. By using this site or closing this notice, you agree to the use of cookies and our privacy policy.