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Coalition Formed to Protect Business in Legal Cannabis States

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Cannabis StatesCannabis companies are joining forces to form the New Federalism Fund (NFF), a coalition that will be dedicated towards preserving regulatory systems and cannabis-related commerce in states that have enacted cannabis regulation. The coalition will represent the specific needs and goals of those who have time and money invested in the regulated cannabis industry.

The coalition’s agenda priorities aim to protect states that regulate recreational cannabis sales, limit enforcement resources and changing federal tax law to accommodate cannabis businesses like any other commercial industry. Members of the coalition want our elected officials to understand that regulation is the best approach to controlling illegal drug activity.

Neal Levine is Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at LivWell Enlightened Health as well as a member of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA.) Levine will now lead as Chairman of the NFF. “Marijuana isn’t going anywhere,” stated Levine. “Someone is going to sell it. So the question is, do we want regulated and compliant businesses who check IDs and pay their taxes to do that, or drug dealers? We want our elected officials to know that a regulated cannabis industry is the best way to stop the illegal drug trade while growing our local economies. Local control over regulated commerce just makes sense. It’s a building block of federalism for good reason.”

An air of uncertainty and change looms because of the shifting powers that be in Congress and Washington. Statements coming from the Department of Justice and representatives of the current administration have to be analyzed by cannabis advocates who are unsure of how the White House will approach medical and recreational cannabis. This and other factors have created a sense of urgency for cannabis business owners.

The NFF will be present in Washington, D.C. to ensure that every state that has voted to regulate cannabis is protected and that the commercial cannabis industry is properly represented. 28 states have legalized cannabis in one form or another, and the coalition intends to preserve that.

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