Cannabis industry giants merge to form unified lobby in Washington

Two of the largest companies in the U.S. cannabis industry have joined forces to amplify the collective voice of nearly half a million employees as a new administration takes office.

The National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR) and the’US Cannabis Council (USCC) merged to form the’U.S. Cannabis Roundtable, which combines the lobbying power and policy advocacy efforts of both organizations.

L’U.S. Cannabis Roundtable will thus represent some 13,000 cannabis companies in 38 states, as well as 450,000 full-time employees.

Its creation comes at what she describes as a «pivotal moment for the regulated cannabis industry,» when it is more important than ever to speak with one voice.

While many questions remain regarding the the new government's stance on cannabis, Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve and vice president of NCR, points out that President-elect Trump supported the cannabis reclassification and the SAFER Banking Act during his campaign.

«President Trump’s support represents a radical shift in cannabis policy and advocacy. For the first time in history, a Republican president has backed these initiatives, and our new combined organization will best position the industry to help the president see them through to the finish line.»

The main initiatives that the new organization will champion are as follows:

• Reclassify cannabis to Schedule III
• Enact legislation on state rights that allows each state to make its own decisions regarding cannabis policy,
• Enact banking legislation on cannabis (the SAFE/SAFER Banking Act)
• End the anti-American situation that allows foreign cannabis companies to be listed on NASDAQ and the NYSE while prohibiting U.S. cannabis companies with state licenses from doing the same