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Cannabis Victories: Small Business Committee Hearing and Appropriations Progress

by Michelle Rutter, NCIA’s Government Relations Manager

Last week was arguably the biggest week for cannabis reform in Washington, D.C. — ever.

As we noted last week, the House Committee on Small Business held a hearing entitled “Unlocked Potential? Small Businesses in the Cannabis Industry.” The hearing allowed members of the Committee to learn about the opportunities the legitimate cannabis industry presents for small businesses in states with legal cannabis, as well as entrepreneurs from traditionally underserved communities. The hearing also discussed the challenges also faced by “ancillary” or “indirect” cannabis businesses. 

The Chairwoman of NCIA’s Banking Access Committee, Dana Chaves, testified, as well as representatives from the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), the Veterans Cannabis Coalition (VCC), and The Heritage Foundation. In the testimony NCIA submitted for the record, we wrote, “[SBA] programs were specifically designed to stimulate economic activity and create jobs through small-business enterprises. Offering funding to the emerging regulated cannabis industry, which is mostly comprised of small businesses, would perfectly align with SBA’s primary objective to maintain and strengthen the Nation’s economy.” You can read NCIA’s full testimony here.

In addition to the hearing, there was a resounding, victorious Floor vote that put every single member of the House of Representatives on the record when it comes to cannabis. 

Known as the Blumenauer-McClintock-Norton amendment, this provision that was added to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act of 2020, passed by a vote of 267-165 and would prevent any federal funds from being used to target state-legal cannabis programs. The vote was decisive: it had support from all but eight Democrats, and picked up 41 ‘Ayes’ from Republicans. 

It is unclear whether or not the amendment will be included in Senate appropriations language, however, it will be an uphill battle. But, having the House of Representatives clearly say that adult-use cannabis programs, businesses, and consumers shouldn’t fear the Department of Justice kicking their doors down cannot be underestimated. 

So, thank you to the nearly 2,000 NCIA members who made this victory possible by investing in our unparalleled lobbying team in Washington, D.C. Legislation like this doesn’t pass by itself — it’s a direct result of the forward-thinking members who support our work in D.C. We look forward to celebrating many more victories with you! 

 

Small Business Committee Congressional Hearing – The Cannabis Industry’s Unlocked Potential

by Michelle Rutter, NCIA’s Government Relations Manager

On Wednesday, June 19, the House Committee on Small Business will hold a hearing entitled “Unlocked Potential? Small Businesses in the Cannabis Industry.” This is the first time in history that this committee has ever considered this topic! As the nation’s oldest and largest trade association, NCIA is proud to represent thousands of small businesses at this hearing.

The hearing will “focus on the opportunities the legitimate cannabis industry presents for small businesses in states with legal cannabis, as well as entrepreneurs from traditionally underserved communities. The hearing will also enable members of Congress to explore the challenges currently faced by those businesses, and also those of “ancillary” or “indirect” cannabis businesses who may not be directly involved in the production or distribution of cannabis products.”

NCIA has been proud to work very closely with the House committee on this hearing. As a result, Dana Chaves, who is chairwoman of NCIA’s Banking Access Committee and the Senior Vice President and Director of Specialty Banking at First Federal Bank of Florida will be testifying at the hearing!

Other witnesses will include Shanita Penny, M.B.A., President of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, Eric Goepel, Founder & CEO of the Veterans Cannabis Coalition, and Paul Larkin, who is the John, Barbara, and Victoria Rumpel Senior Legal Research Fellow in the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

The Committee memo also states “the marijuana legalization movement brings new opportunities for entrepreneurship and business start-up in the cannabis industry. Because this is such a nascent sector, legalization also allows policymakers to increase equity and diversity in the cannabis industry, which can take the form of addressing financial barriers to market entry and ensuring the industry reflects the local community.” It also recognizes that “because this is such a nascent sector, legalization also allows policymakers to increase equity and diversity in the cannabis industry, which can take the form of addressing financial barriers to market entry and ensuring the industry reflects the local community.”

According to a recent Leafly report, “Annual [cannabis] sales nationwide are nearing the $11 billion mark. And the number of Americans directly employed in this booming industry has soared to more than 211,000. When indirect and ancillary jobs—think of all the lawyers, accountants, security consultants, media companies, and marketing firms that service the cannabis industry—are added, along with induced jobs (local community jobs supported by the spending of cannabis industry paychecks), the total number of full-time American jobs that depend on legal cannabis rises to a whopping 296,000.”

NCIA applauds the House Committee on Small Business and Chairwoman Velazquez (D-NY) for discussing this important topic. NCIA is proud to represent all of the cannabis industry’s small businesses!

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