“There are dozens of unanswered questions right now,” said Andrew Freedman, executive director of the coalition and former cannabis czar of Colorado. “Any one of them is enough to make anyone stop before proceeding with legalization. Therefore, we need to answer, definitively, all these pending questions.
There are now 16 states that have enacted full legalization of marijuana, while another 26 have only legal drug markets. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer has embraced the legalization of marijuana, calling it a priority for this Congress. Meanwhile, the industry is booming – legal sales reached $ 20 billion last year, according to New Frontier Data, a 50% jump from 2019.
The current composition of the coalition: The coalition includes tobacco giant Altria, beer giants Constellation Brands (Corona, Modelo) and the Molson Coors Beverage Company, two national convenience store associations, the Insurance Agents and Brokers Council and The Brink’s Company.
Many of these companies already have large stakes in the cannabis industry and can profit from changes in federal policy. Constellation owns 39 percent of Canada’s largest cannabis company Canopy Growth Corp. Altria bought a $ 1.8 billion stake in marijuana company Cronos Group in 2018 and lobbied for the recently approved marijuana legalization project by Virginia. In addition, Constellation and Molson Coors produce CBD-infused drinks.
The coalition also has a “Center of Excellence” made up of experts, including marijuana entrepreneur and former president of the Minority Cannabis Business Association Shanita Penny, Staci Gruber of McLean Hospital and Harvard University, Brandy Axdahl of the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility and John Hudak of the Brookings Institution.
The balancing act: The new coalition is balancing two sides: large corporations with an interest in marijuana policies and regulations and experts who may not believe that the industry’s approach is the best way to protect Americans’ health or allow equal access to the growing market.
“Our experts … all came specifically with the understanding that they will not be editorialized,” said Freedman, adding that key players in the business must also be part of the regulatory process. “Whenever possible, we will build a consensus. But when there is significant divergence [on an issue], we will be transparent about this significant divergence. “
Penny said she accepted the invitation to join because it gives her a stronger platform to influence policies. She hopes it will be a forum where groups that are often not part of the legalization debate can discuss the parts of cannabis policy that strongly view them, such as youth access or criminal justice reform.
“One of the biggest challenges I have had in the last few years has been reaching out to the leaders of the black community – whether we are talking about clergy or whether we are talking about our elected officials,” said Penny. “If we have a chance to listen to these leaders and take absolutely no account of what has not been heard over the years, I think we will make some significant progress.”