Marijuana Business Conference and Expo Legalization Panel Report

   
| November 13, 2015 2:29 pm | 0 comments

The Marijuana Business Conference and Expo, sponsored by Marijuana Business Daily, is in Las Vegas and the enthusiasm for the burgeoning cannabis industry is certainly palpable. The conference is teeming with people looking to network and learn about marijuana business opportunities in various states as more than 5,000 attendees and 200 exhibitors have converged upon the Rio Hotel and Casino. The conference has grown over the years as more people get comfortable entering the industry. The conference consists of various roundtables for retailers, processors, growers and other professionals, as well as an opportunity to hear from professionals across various fields, including those with experience in other industries. The panel that most interested me, however, was the 2016 legalization panel.

Of course, people are more comfortable with the cannabis industry because marijuana businesses have become legal under state law in many states and the momentum is only increasing. However, businesses will only become truly legal once, the United States federal government legalizes cannabis and the best avenue for federal reform is to continue legalization in states across the country.

The 2016 legalization panel consisted of great insight from nationally renowned advocates. Steph Sherer of Americans for Safe Access; Rob Kampia, Executive Director of the Marijuana Policy Project; Students for a Sensible Drug Policy Director Betty Aldworth; Drug Policy Alliance’s Amanda Reiman; and Aaron Smith of the National Cannabis Industry Association compromised the panel. I want to sincerely thank Marijuana Business Daily for putting together a great, informative panel.

A fundraiser was also held by Marijuana Business Daily, raising funds for national marijuana reform organization. I want to thank Marijuana Business Daily for not losing sight of the need to bring activists and industry professionals together to move legalization forward, this is a theme that has been a foundation for the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference and International Cannabis Business Conference and it is truly the only way that the movement can succeed. Ohio’s Issue 3 should be a cautionary tale of the industry trying to bypass grassroots activists.

The big question of the panel was who’s next and Kampia first laid out the five initiative states most likely to legalize cannabis: Nevada, California, Massachusetts, Maine and Arizona. As far as non-initiative states that must legalize through the legislature, Kampia stated that Vermont and Rhode Island would likely prevail first. I cannot disagree with Kampia’s list of states as these states have the proper voting demographics to legalize cannabis, along with strong reform organizations and efforts on the ground. The one “odd duck” as far as demographics would be Arizona, as the one true “Republican” state, but the Grand Canyon state has passed a regulated medical marijuana law with dispensaries already, so legalizing cannabis for all adults is certainly within reach in 2016.

All of the panelists stressed the importance of contacting federal representatives, who often cite the fact that they just don’t hear enough from constituents calling for cannabis law reform. The CARERS Act is a prime example of legislation that the cannabis community can rally behind, along with general issues such as banking and 280E tax reform. All of the panelists noted that moving marijuana to Schedule II has limited value and that rescheduling marijuana, like Bernie Sanders has called for, is what is really needed for the cannabis industry and community.

Along with being politically active and donating to good causes and candidates, DPA’s Amanda Reiman encouraged those in the cannabis industry to reinvest in their local communities. Citing Berkeley Patients’ Group as an example, as BPG’s long-standing commitment to their neighborhood has not only been the right thing to do, it has proven to be good for business as the local government and community has stood by the dispensary when the federal government has interfered with its operations. I cannot agree with Reiman more, as it is imperative that cannabis businesses look to give back to good causes, it is both the morally right thing to do, but it can also help serve the bottom line through good marketing opportunities. Cannabis consumers and patients, if given the choice, are very likely to support businesses who care about civil rights and social justice.

The legalization panel left me feeling even more confident about the prospects for the cannabis community and industry over the coming years. While the challenges are big, the cannabis community has already rallied to tackle huge obstacles. We are in better shape than we have ever been and we only need to continue working hard with our time, resources and dollars, to continue the momentum that we are seeing across the country.

Anthony, a longtime cannabis law reform advocate, was Chief Petitioner and co-author of Measure 91, Oregon's cannabis legalization effort. He served as director of both the New Approach Oregon and Vote Yes on 91 PACs, the political action committees responsible for the state's legalization campaign. As director of New Approach Oregon, Anthony continues to work towards effectively implementing the cannabis legalization system while protecting small business owners and the rights of patients. He sits on the Oregon Marijuana Rules Advisory Committee and fights for sensible rules at the legislature as well as city councils and county commissions across the state. Anthony helps cannabis business comply with Oregon's laws and advises advocates across the country. He also serves as content director of both the International Cannabis Business Conference and the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference, helping share the vision of moving the cannabis industry forward in a way that maintains the focus on keeping people out of prison and protecting patients. He was a member of the Oregon Health Authority Rules Advisory Committee, assisting the drafting of the administrative rules governing Oregon’s state-licensed medical marijuana facilities. He first co-authored and helped pass successful marijuana law reform measures while a law student at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He passed the Oregon Bar in 2005 and practiced criminal defense for two years before transitioning to working full-time in the political advocacy realm. His blogs on Marijuana Politics are personal in nature and don't speak for or reflect the opinions of any group or organization.