DENVER – Marijuana business owners were told Tuesday to reject the culture of “big alcohol, tobacco and (pharmaceutical)” as the budding industry grows.
Marijuana leaders met in Denver at the annual Cannabis Business Summit and Expo, where “commerce meets a revolution,” according to organizers, including the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA).
Aaron Smith, executive director of NCIA, urged cannabis business owners to foster a culture of community engagement. Smith also spoke of a need for diversity in the industry, including supporting equal pay for women.
“Our industry’s values should be based on what is taught from the use of the cannabis plant, not the culture of big pharma, not the culture of alcohol,” Smith said.
In looking ahead, industry leaders spoke of the need for reforms on the federal level, where marijuana remains illegal. Top priorities include adjustments to the tax code, access to banking and a reclassification of marijuana as a controlled substance.
The industry also is pushing for legalization in several more states come 2016, including California, which will be a top priority. California has legal medical marijuana but not recreational. The state failed to implement statewide uniform regulations on medical marijuana, unlike Colorado, where the Legislature has implemented robust rules and regulations.
There has been progress on the federal level. Medical marijuana protections were added to the U.S. House version of the federal budget this year, earning 23 more votes than last year. Smith said the industry is only 16 votes away in the House from ending prohibition.
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, who is working on legislation to change the federal classification of marijuana, told attendees: “The cannabis industry has a robust presence here, partly because legalization did not return Colorado to its Wild West roots.”
She referred to herself as one of the “vanguards” in Congress on marijuana reform. As a chief deputy minority whip, DeGette has the power to manage her party’s legislative agenda.
“I think every member of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, really needs to think about how they’re handling the regulatory framework,” DeGette said.
Colorado’s U.S. senators – Michael Bennet, a Democrat, and Cory Gardner, a Republican – are also working on bills to provide greater access to medical marijuana.
Perhaps offering a sign that marijuana is officially entwined with politics, Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul joined the summit Tuesday for a private fundraiser.
“Our issues are now being taken more seriously than ever at the highest levels of power in Washington. The dialogue around marijuana policy has shifted,” Smith said. “We’re now making real significant and tangible progress.”