Once Congress gets around to passing cannabis reform legislation, there will be a lot of cooks in the kitchen. That is, at least, what lobbying disclosures suggest.
Dozens of cannabis bills have been introduced under the current Congress and the previous one. While none have made it through both chambers, a few cleared the House. This includes the MORE Act, which would deschedule cannabis, and the SAFE Banking Act, which would expand access to banking for cannabis businesses.
And then there’s the bill that has the highest chance of reaching President Joe Biden’s desk, the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, which would, as its name suggests, expand cannabis research. And, while the Senate has proved to be a roadblock, it is where the most comprehensive reform legislation was introduced: the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, authored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with Senators Cory Booker and Ron Wyden.
While Congress has yet to send a single piece of pro-cannabis legislation to a president’s desk, the likelihood that it will do so is increasing. So, too, unsurprisingly, is the number and diversity of entities lobbying on cannabis to ensure their priorities are taken into consideration.
Here are some of the noteworthy new entities and their lobbying priorities:
*Cannabis Wire has reached out for additional comments, and will update the story.
• The American Council on Education, a nonprofit that “mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice.”
Issue: “____, cannabis reform legislation”
“Our advocacy has focused specifically on lifting any bans on cannabis research grants to institutions and that ACE has not done any advocacy directly on broad federal cannabis policy,” Audrey Hamilton, Director of Public Affairs, told Cannabis Wire.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness, a national nonprofit founded as a grassroots group by “family members of people diagnosed with mental illness.”
Issue: “H.R. 8454- Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act: To allow research into the potential therapeutic effects of cannabis”
In response to an inquiry, Cannabis Wire was directed to NAMI’s advocacy page on cannabis, which reads: “NAMI supports public policies and laws that facilitate research into the risks and benefits that marijuana and other cannabis products have on people with mental health conditions.”
• The Vanroboys Group of Companies, a trucking company based in Ontario, Canada.
Issue: “Issues pertaining to government-wide federal regulation of cannabis”
• Tilray, a global cannabis company headquartered in Canada.
Issue: “Commercial cannabis industry issues, including international trade, interstate commerce, banking, security, market integrity, tax, medical and adult-use, research, equal access, efforts to discourage illicit market activity and related social harms.”
• Good Day Farm LLC, a cannabis company with operations in the South and Midwest.
Issue: “Legislative and regulatory issues related to medical cannabis”
• National Right to Work Committee, a “coalition of 2.8 million workers and concerned Americans fighting to break the chains of forced unionism.”
Issue: “S. 4591: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, all provisions”
“The National Right to Work Committee opposes this bill because of the special powers to further expand forced unionism that it would grant to union officials, specifically as part of the ‘Cannabis Product Advisory Committee’ which the bill creates,” Patrick Semmens, VP of public information, told Cannabis Wire.
• American Distilled Spirits Alliance, a “leading voice and advocate for distilled spirits in the United States.”
Issue: “Budget requirements for cannabis legalization”
“Our interest is really less about cannabis policy and more about making sure that the government is still able to operate efficiently for the distilled spirits industry,” said lobbyist Patrick Anderson. He gave the example of the fact that the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approves labels on alcohol products, and if it were to take on cannabis regulation – which members of Congress have proposed – without adequate expansion of staffing, it could slow down such approvals.
• American Trucking Associations, the largest national trade association focused on the trucking industry.
Issues: “S. 4591 – Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act” and “H.R. 3617 – Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act”
• United Spinal Association, a nonprofit disability rights and veterans service organization.
Issues: “United Spinal/VetsFirst supports … the S. 910 SAFE Banking Act.”
“Our association recognizes that cannabis therapy is a treatment option for our members who experience psychological and physical pain. We believe the choice to use cannabis is between a patient and their doctor and that individuals should be conscious of state laws as they pertain to cannabis use,” Betsy Osborn, manager of government relations, told Cannabis Wire. “We believe that the legislation would provide additional protection to our veteran members who patronize these legitimate cannabis-related businesses if said businesses were afforded the ability to accept non-cash payments.”
• AFL-CIO, or the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the largest federation of unions in the U.S.
Issues: “H.R. 7900 – National Defense Authorization Act (collective bargaining rights, safe banking, contracting out, human rights, VA Review Commission amendments)”
• Due Process Institute, a nonprofit organization that “works to honor, preserve, and restore principles of fairness in the criminal legal system.”
Issues: “Supporting the SAFE Banking Act (H.R. 1996)”
