Rob Kampia Ousted from NCIA over Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Rob Kampia, co-founder of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), was ousted from the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) board of directors on Feb. 2 over mounting allegations of sexual misconduct.
Kampia’s allegations of sexual misconduct date back years and involve multiple women. Kampia called his removal from the organization a “coup” by other NCIA board members.
According to the Washington City Paper, Kampia dated a 19-year-old MPP intern while he was twice her age in 2008. The paper also alleges that some women at the MPP were so upset by his conduct that they didn’t show up to organization meetings. On August 2010, Kampia slept with a female subordinate, leading to seven staff resignations, including the woman he slept with. He admitted his guilt in the incident.
“I just think I’m hypersexualized,” Kampia told The Washington Post.
On Nov. 21, 2017, the Marijuana Policy Project announced that Kampia had stepped down from his role as executive director, while initially slated to assume a smaller role in the organization. Two hours after the announcement, Kampia responded with a now-edited Facebook post, stating “When you read this statement, please imagine me breathing a [sigh] of relief while perhaps also receiving a shoulder massage from a Playboy model, a divinity, or another significant figure in one’s life.” Kampia was known for hosting benefits for the MPP at the Playboy Mansion. About a month later, he left the organization altogether.
What Kampia didn’t see coming was the #MeToo movement that began in 2017 with the fall of Harvey Weinstein. Actions that were previously forgettable are now unacceptable in the eyes of mainstream American society, and his actions caught up to him. Kampia now plans on shifting focus to a new organization called the Marijuana Leadership Campaign.
