MedicalNeed
New Member
Think marijuana took a hit when California voters rejected legalization? Think again.
Marijuana, or cannabis as those in the trade prefer to call it, just got a trade association.
"It seems like the industry is not just surviving in the midst of economic decline, but booming," says National Cannabis Industry Association executive director Aaron Smith in a statement on the new group's web site. "But it wasn't represented in Washington, D.C., like all sorts of other industries are."
The group just announced its formation this week.
The association's board of directors is chalk full of key players in what is becoming big business in states where medical marijuana is legal. The group has plans to work with U.S. lawmakers to let states set their own course on marijuana policy and treat growers and sellers just like any other business interests.
Smith is from Phoenix, Ariz., which this month became the 15th state to legalize medical marijuana.
"Our lobbyist will be traveling the country and getting new members to get the clout we need to make the change we want," he says. "Our lobbyist will be representing hundreds of businesses, thousands of jobs and millions of tax dollars. It's really important we build membership as fast as we can."
But don't expect to see a lot of lobbying in Wisconsin.
I wrote a story about the statewide push to legalize medical marijuana last year, and its prospects looked better, what with Democratic majorities in the Assembly and Senate, and a Democratic governor.
But now efforts to legalize medical marijuana have stalled, and new Republican majorities are unlikely to revive them.
But Dane County voters endorsed the idea 76 percent to 24 percent in the fall election.
But who knows? With all the talk about creating jobs and expanding the tax base, Maybe a good lobbyist can get Republicans onboard.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: host.madison.com
Author: STEVEN ELBOW
Contact: Welcome to Capital Newspapers
Copyright:2010, madison.com
Website:Crime and Courts: Marijuana gets a trade association
Marijuana, or cannabis as those in the trade prefer to call it, just got a trade association.
"It seems like the industry is not just surviving in the midst of economic decline, but booming," says National Cannabis Industry Association executive director Aaron Smith in a statement on the new group's web site. "But it wasn't represented in Washington, D.C., like all sorts of other industries are."
The group just announced its formation this week.
The association's board of directors is chalk full of key players in what is becoming big business in states where medical marijuana is legal. The group has plans to work with U.S. lawmakers to let states set their own course on marijuana policy and treat growers and sellers just like any other business interests.
Smith is from Phoenix, Ariz., which this month became the 15th state to legalize medical marijuana.
"Our lobbyist will be traveling the country and getting new members to get the clout we need to make the change we want," he says. "Our lobbyist will be representing hundreds of businesses, thousands of jobs and millions of tax dollars. It's really important we build membership as fast as we can."
But don't expect to see a lot of lobbying in Wisconsin.
I wrote a story about the statewide push to legalize medical marijuana last year, and its prospects looked better, what with Democratic majorities in the Assembly and Senate, and a Democratic governor.
But now efforts to legalize medical marijuana have stalled, and new Republican majorities are unlikely to revive them.
But Dane County voters endorsed the idea 76 percent to 24 percent in the fall election.
But who knows? With all the talk about creating jobs and expanding the tax base, Maybe a good lobbyist can get Republicans onboard.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: host.madison.com
Author: STEVEN ELBOW
Contact: Welcome to Capital Newspapers
Copyright:2010, madison.com
Website:Crime and Courts: Marijuana gets a trade association
