If Cannabis is Your Industry, then Your Business is Politics.

Since Colorado’s adult use market began on January 1, there hasn’t been
a more controversial policy subject than edibles, and after the now infamous
column by Maureen Dowd in the New York
Times, this has essentially become a national conversation.

The simple fact is that edibles and other categories of cannabis-infused
products have become some of the most popular means for responsible adults to discreetly
medicate. For decades, a cellophane-wrapped, home-baked brownie of questionable
quality and unknown potency scored in a hasty exchange in parking lots before
big concerts was the extent of the “industry” that was producing edibles.

Now, some of the best edible manufacturers have chosen to
self-regulate, by choosing to test their medicine, by choosing to produce in
commercial kitchens, by creating clear and informative labeling, and by selling
a consistently and reasonably dosed product. It’s hoped that these industry
best practices should be incentivized as much as possible by any regulatory
framework that gets adopted. But, like so much else in the cannabis industry, local
politics unfortunately could threaten the emerging edibles market, as elected
officials have found a soapbox to stand on as some cities have moved to
regulate edibles and extraction. The regulations pushed by the City of San Jose
are a perfect example of this under-informed regulatory overreach with the
Mayor openly bragging that the ordinance’s intent was to “break the vendor
model.”

Yes, that’s what is at stake here, as the lack of state-level
regulations has allowed for cities to develop regulations for edibles and the
production of cannabis-infused products. These can be reasonable regulations as
seen in San Francisco or can be worryingly over-complicated regulations as proposed
(but blocked) recently in San Diego.

It comes down to this: If cannabis is your industry, then your business
is politics. Sophisticated cannabis entrepreneurs, and the patients who rely
upon innovative cannabis-infused products, should understand that politics
matter, and act like politics matter. What you aren’t prepared for, what you
aren’t able to influence, and what you aren’t able to adapt to can hurt your
continued business operation. We should expect that the cannabis industry will
serve more of a role in politics here in California, which brings us to the
subject of this November’s local ballot measures.

Agricultural production comes naturally to Californians and yet many counties
have enacted cultivation bans and unreasonable restrictions. These are being
challenged at the ballot box this November in Shasta, Lake, Butte and Nevada
counties, as voters will be asked to consider the economic benefits of a
regulated, agricultural production of medical cannabis. Professional cannabis
farmers can follow best management practices, can use water responsibly, and
can provide patients in California with high quality sungrown cannabis. Regulating
of storefront dispensaries are the subject of local ballot measures in
Encinitas, La Mesa, Santa Ana, Blythe, and Shasta Lake City all have local ballot
measures of various sorts. But these are just the first wave of what I
anticipate to be many future fights, as prohibition is rolled back city by
city, county by county, over the next several years. Supporters of cannabis
policy reform should understand the role that politics plays in access to
edibles and other cannabis products.

(To learn more about these ballot
measures, and candidates supported by the cannabis industry, or to learn how
you can help out please visit cannabisaction.org for more information.)