Number of marijuana license seekers in Illinois tops expectations | Chicago Tribune

Illinois received 369 applications for medical marijuana business licenses, which means about 1 in 5 applications will win approval to open grow houses and retail centers in the state.

The state received 211 applications for dispensaries — retail shops for medical marijuana — and 158 applications for grow centers. Illinois will allow 60 dispensaries statewide and 21 grow centers.

Bob Morgan, statewide project coordinator for the Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program, said the number of applications, which were due Monday, was higher than anticipated.

Read more: Number of marijuana license seekers in Illinois tops expectations | Chicago Tribune

Inside the Illinois Medical Marijuana Program with the Illinois Cannabis Industry Association

The Illinois Cannabis Industry Association (ILCIA) is the official Illinois affiliate of NCIA. In advance of NCIA’s Illinois Member Reception and Federal Policy Update on Tuesday, Sept. 16, in Chicago, two of ILCIA’s board members – Dan Linn and Ali Nagib – talked with us about the latest developments for the Illinois medical marijuana pilot program.

ilcia_logo

The number of licenses for cultivation centers and dispensaries are quite limited – only 22 available for cultivation centers and 60 for dispensaries. What are officials with the Illinois Department of Agriculture looking at in applications to determine who will be awarded a license? Is there a chance to earn bonus points in any category?

Dan: The Department of Agriculture will be grading on a number of different features but the grow plan and horticultural experience will be heavily weighted in the scoring. In the event of a tie between competing applications for a single license the application with the higher scored grow plan will be awarded the license.

Ali: The main required categories don’t have specific bonus points available, but each application has an entire Bonus Section of areas that are not required but available for applicants to gain additional points if the required sections meet a certain score threshold.  The Bonus Section areas include Labor and Employment Practices, a Research Plan, a Community Benefits Plan, a Substance Abuse Prevention Plan, a Local Community/Neighborhood Report, an Environmental Plan as well as additional points for Illinois-based applicants and businesses that are minority-owned, female-owned, veteran-owned, or owned by a person with a disability.

Dan-Linn-Picture-193x250
Dan Linn, ILCIA

State officials are making security a high priority for all applications. What kind of standards must applicants meet in their business plan regarding security measures? 

Dan: Applicants will need to have full seed-to-sale inventory tracking accessible in real time by the Illinois State Police.  Security measures will need to include listings of where the bulletproof glass is on the floor diagram of the dispensary, the camera field of vision, the proper-sized televisions to monitor the cameras, as well as background checks on everyone involved in the program.

What is the climate regarding banking access in Illinois? Have any banks come out to say they will allow cannabis businesses to open bank accounts?

Dan: Some banks are just unwilling to work with the cannabis industry. None have publicly come out as being willing to engage this industry, but there are a number of smaller community banks that are handling accounts for cannabis businesses in Illinois.

September 22 is the deadline for submitting applications to open a cultivation center or dispensary. What does the timeline look like for when licenses will be awarded and when is it expected that dispensaries will actually be selling product?

Ali: Recent public reports indicate that licenses will likely be issued later in the fall, probably in November or December. Based on that timeline dispensaries should be open with product on the shelves for patients in late spring/early summer of 2015.

How many expected applications for cultivation centers and dispensaries will be submitted by the September 22 deadline?

Ali: It is likely that there will be an average of at least a few applicants for each of the 82 available licenses, with total applicants numbering anywhere from 250-600.

Applications also just opened for qualifying medical patients to apply for access to medical marijuana. What is the timeline for qualifying patients to apply and when will patients find out if they are accepted into the program?

Ali: Patients with last names beginning A-L can apply now through Oct 31. Patients with last names beginning M-Z can apply Nov. 1-Dec. 31 and beginning Jan. 1 there will be open year-round enrollment for all patients. The state has 30 days by law to process a patient application, plus 14 days to mail it. This means that patients should expect to receive their approval or denial within 45 days of submission.

What are some of the regulations regarding edibles and other infused products?

Ali Nagib
Ali Nagib, ILCIA

Ali: Edibles and other infused products can be produced, but only those that can be kept at room temperature safely; products that require hot-holding or refrigeration are prohibited. Otherwise a wide range of infused products can be produced, and the state regulations have some fairly specific guidelines on the some of the production processes (e.g. which solvents can be used to produce concentrates) in addition to robust testing and labeling requirements.

Dan: Additionally, edibles and infused products must be produced in a sanitary kitchen and cannot look like candy or any name-brand food items.

What is the anticipated cost per ounce once product starts becoming available?

Dan: $250-400 is the estimated initial expected cost per ounce.

Ali: The early stages of the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program are likely to see a wide range of prices and substantial fluctuations as early supply and demand features work themselves out. It is almost certain that initial prices will be above those currently found on the illegal market, if not substantially so, but how the industry will react to the patient demand is uncertain.

The Illinois program is a pilot program that currently expires in 2017, and lawmakers must renew or extend the program at that time. What do you think lawmakers will be considering when deciding to renew or extend the program when the time comes?

Dan: They will be examining any instances of diversion, shenanigans, positive health experiences for patients, jobs created, who is the next President of the United States, how much revenue the program is creating, and probably what the overall public opinion of the program is.

Ali: We expect that by early 2017 the local and national landscape on cannabis policy reform will have continued to progress to the point that we won’t be debating whether or not to extend the pilot program but rather how and when to transition to a full tax-and-regulate framework and how to incorporate medical cannabis patients into it.

Don’t miss your chance to meet the people shaping the landscape of medical marijuana in Illinois. Register online for our upcoming Illinois Member Reception! If you have additional questions about the event please contact us at events@thecannabisindustry.org.

Illinois Cannabis Professionals Network in Chicago

More than 50 representatives from National Cannabis Industry Association member businesses gathered at Chicago’s Fado Irish Pub on the evening of September 16 to connect with each other and learn more about the work their association is doing on their behalf.

Attendees hear from Aaron Smith and Dan Linn about the work of NCIA and its state affiliate, ILCIA.
Attendees hear from Aaron Smith and Dan Linn about the work of NCIA and its state affiliate, ILCIA.

The event was timed just six days before the application deadline for businesses looking to open a medical cannabis dispensary or cultivation center. Illinois’s medical marijuana program was authorized by a pilot program approved by the legislature last year. The law allows for up to 22 cultivation centers and 60 medical cannabis dispensaries in the state.

NCIA executive director Aaron Smith and Dan Linn of the Illinois Cannabis Industry Association (ILCIA) spoke about the advocacy work each group is doing in Washington, DC and Springfield, IL, respectively. ILCIA is a newly-formed NCIA state affiliate that works to advance the industry’s political interests in Illinois through advocacy and the establishment of best practices.

Illinois Cannabis Industry Association board members Mark Passerini (left) and Lori Ferrara (right) pose during the Tuesday evening member reception.
Illinois Cannabis Industry Association board members Mark Passerini (left) and Lori Ferrara (right) pose during the Tuesday evening member reception.

The event was generously sponsored by NCIA members Alternative Garden Supply, Quantum 9, CFO Worldwide420 InvestorsMJ Freeway, and the ArcView Group. Check in to our events page frequently to find out about upcoming events in your community.

 

GUEST POST: The Real Environmental Impact – Sustainable Practices For Cannabis Companies

By Alex Cooley, Solstice

Growing greener has been making the news. Or rather, the cannabis industry’s habit of scaling up largely unsustainable grow methods in big production facilities is on the national radar.

Alex Cooley, Solstice
Alex Cooley, owner at Solstice

One widely circulated quote equates the carbon footprint of producing a gram of hydroponically grown cannabis to that of “driving seventeen miles in a Honda Civic.” And while that beats seventeen miles in a Hummer, it’s a number we have the power to greatly reduce. Part of what excites me about this freshly-legal industry is that we have the opportunity to shape it in a way that big business has thus far failed to do by not putting a higher profit margin above the health of the planet.

In August I was asked to speak about this very topic in Las Vegas at the 2nd annual NCIA Southwest CannaBusiness Symposium. It gave me a chance to reflect on something I’m passionate about – the real environmental impact of what we do, what isn’t working, and how we can create positive change for this and future generations of growers and patients.

Get Under The Sun

  • It takes vast resources to power a warehouse grow that relies on High Intensity Discharge (HID) or High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights. Automated light deprivation greenhouses can produce cannabis of equal or greater value as that produced indoors at half the cost and one quarter the environmental impact.
  • Cannabis used for extracts can all be grown outdoors. Provided you live in a climate that allows for outdoor cultivation, sun-grown cannabis is excellent starting material for extractions. The finished form will be far from the flower, so why not take advantage of one of our most powerful (and free!) resources?
solsticecooley_warehouse
Solstice growhouse

Keep It Lean Indoors

I know that not every method of cultivation can rely exclusively on solar power. However, in indoor grows, we can focus on efficiency.

  • For most indoor grows, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are a huge resource suck. I’ve discovered that the best method is to utilize a centralized Variable Air Volume (VAV) system.
  • Make sure the envelope is sealed. Keep your buildings well insulated to prevent energy leaks. Without a higher energy code and tighter insulation, many industrial-scale grows hemorrhage energy and resources.

Lay Down the Law

Frankly, some of the cities and states currently passing laws to regulate cannabis cultivation have the least enviable power infrastructures. Las Vegas, which relies heavily on coal and natural gas, is ahead of the curve in terms of legislation, whereas clean n’ green hydro-electrically-powered Washington State has yet to create stringent and sustainable regulations. Legislators have been more concerned with issues of security and diversion than environmental impact. The “pot is dangerous” paradigm needs to shift to “unregulated grow practices are dangerous for the planet.”

Nice Package…

We can effectively undo all the good of a smart grow with wasteful packaging.

Solstice glass jars
Glass jars with cork & wood tops
  • Think cradle-to-grave for your packaging: Where did it come from? What is it made of? Where will it go after it has been used? That plastic container might be a good fix in a pinch, but think about the impact it has as you scale.
  • We’ve got to reduce plastics and push glass, wood, or paper wherever possible. Almost every gram of cannabis that goes out into the world from a processing facility is wrapped in plastic – and we all know that it can’t be properly disposed of or recycled. However, the plastic used for business-to-business bulk orders could be saved and reused.
  • At Solstice we’ve been designing glass containers with cork and wood tops for our flower. They can be collected, reused, or returned for a deposit. Our pre-rolls are made from 60% post-consumer recycled paper and printed with vegetable ink. Every little bit counts.

Have Multiple Bottom Lines

The “Triple P bottom line: People, Planet, Profits” is the newest, sexiest take on commerce with a conscience. The Triple P works primarily because it’s a flexible paradigm; it gives business owners a framework in which they can question and evaluate the human and environmental cost of every move they make.

Across industries, innovative leaders are finding more generous, humane, and ultimately more sustainable ways to do big business. Some of these are easy and inexpensive: utilizing proper waste disposal, bike-to-work incentive programs (a Solstice favorite), Plant-A-Tree days, or making sure your pesticide program is safe for employees and the planet.

Sometimes however, there is an unavoidable immediate cost to doing what’s right. Google uses a fancy fuel cell with 2-3 bloom boxes for their building infrastructure. They’re getting loads of good PR for this – in part because very few people can afford to use them.

But it is my belief that the more you grow, the more capital you’re bringing in, the more you have to give to impeccable resource management.

Everyone knows that cannabis makes money; we’re looking at a multi-billion dollar industry over the next 5 years. Hobby systems and garage standards are not scalable for the cannabis boom. Whatever the laws might ‘allow’ us to do, we have to stay ahead of the curve and firmly within our own conscience.

Alex Cooley is the owner of Solstice, a member of NCIA since April 2013. Solstice founded their Seattle-based flagship in 2011 as the first-ever permitted cannabis production facility in Washington State. Solstice has taken an environmentally conscious approach to high quality cannabis production and has cultivated over 350 different types of cannabis, creating one of the most robust genetic libraries anywhere in the world.

Inside the Illinois Medical Marijuana Program with the Illinois Cannabis Industry Association

The Illinois Cannabis Industry Association (ILCIA) is the official Illinois affiliate of NCIA. In advance of NCIA’s Illinois Member Reception and Federal Policy Update on Tuesday, Sept. 16, in Chicago, two of ILCIA’s board members – Dan Linn and Ali Nagib – talked with us about the latest developments for the Illinois medical marijuana pilot program.

ilcia_logo

The number of licenses for cultivation centers and dispensaries are quite limited – only 22 available for cultivation centers and 60 for dispensaries. What are officials with the Illinois Department of Agriculture looking at in applications to determine who will be awarded a license? Is there a chance to earn bonus points in any category?

Dan: The Department of Agriculture will be grading on a number of different features but the grow plan and horticultural experience will be heavily weighted in the scoring. In the event of a tie between competing applications for a single license the application with the higher scored grow plan will be awarded the license.

Ali: The main required categories don’t have specific bonus points available, but each application has an entire Bonus Section of areas that are not required but available for applicants to gain additional points if the required sections meet a certain score threshold.  The Bonus Section areas include Labor and Employment Practices, a Research Plan, a Community Benefits Plan, a Substance Abuse Prevention Plan, a Local Community/Neighborhood Report, an Environmental Plan as well as additional points for Illinois-based applicants and businesses that are minority-owned, female-owned, veteran-owned, or owned by a person with a disability.

Dan-Linn-Picture-193x250
Dan Linn, ILCIA

State officials are making security a high priority for all applications. What kind of standards must applicants meet in their business plan regarding security measures? 

Dan: Applicants will need to have full seed-to-sale inventory tracking accessible in real time by the Illinois State Police.  Security measures will need to include listings of where the bulletproof glass is on the floor diagram of the dispensary, the camera field of vision, the proper-sized televisions to monitor the cameras, as well as background checks on everyone involved in the program.

What is the climate regarding banking access in Illinois? Have any banks come out to say they will allow cannabis businesses to open bank accounts?

Dan: Some banks are just unwilling to work with the cannabis industry. None have publicly come out as being willing to engage this industry, but there are a number of smaller community banks that are handling accounts for cannabis businesses in Illinois.

September 22 is the deadline for submitting applications to open a cultivation center or dispensary. What does the timeline look like for when licenses will be awarded and when is it expected that dispensaries will actually be selling product?

Ali: Recent public reports indicate that licenses will likely be issued later in the fall, probably in November or December. Based on that timeline dispensaries should be open with product on the shelves for patients in late spring/early summer of 2015.

How many expected applications for cultivation centers and dispensaries will be submitted by the September 22 deadline?

Ali: It is likely that there will be an average of at least a few applicants for each of the 82 available licenses, with total applicants numbering anywhere from 250-600.

Applications also just opened for qualifying medical patients to apply for access to medical marijuana. What is the timeline for qualifying patients to apply and when will patients find out if they are accepted into the program?

Ali: Patients with last names beginning A-L can apply now through Oct 31. Patients with last names beginning M-Z can apply Nov. 1-Dec. 31 and beginning Jan. 1 there will be open year-round enrollment for all patients. The state has 30 days by law to process a patient application, plus 14 days to mail it. This means that patients should expect to receive their approval or denial within 45 days of submission.

What are some of the regulations regarding edibles and other infused products?

Ali Nagib
Ali Nagib, ILCIA

Ali: Edibles and other infused products can be produced, but only those that can be kept at room temperature safely; products that require hot-holding or refrigeration are prohibited. Otherwise a wide range of infused products can be produced, and the state regulations have some fairly specific guidelines on the some of the production processes (e.g. which solvents can be used to produce concentrates) in addition to robust testing and labeling requirements.

Dan: Additionally, edibles and infused products must be produced in a sanitary kitchen and cannot look like candy or any name-brand food items.

What is the anticipated cost per ounce once product starts becoming available?

Dan: $250-400 is the estimated initial expected cost per ounce.

Ali: The early stages of the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program are likely to see a wide range of prices and substantial fluctuations as early supply and demand features work themselves out. It is almost certain that initial prices will be above those currently found on the illegal market, if not substantially so, but how the industry will react to the patient demand is uncertain.

The Illinois program is a pilot program that currently expires in 2017, and lawmakers must renew or extend the program at that time. What do you think lawmakers will be considering when deciding to renew or extend the program when the time comes?

Dan: They will be examining any instances of diversion, shenanigans, positive health experiences for patients, jobs created, who is the next President of the United States, how much revenue the program is creating, and probably what the overall public opinion of the program is.

Ali: We expect that by early 2017 the local and national landscape on cannabis policy reform will have continued to progress to the point that we won’t be debating whether or not to extend the pilot program but rather how and when to transition to a full tax-and-regulate framework and how to incorporate medical cannabis patients into it.

Don’t miss your chance to meet the people shaping the landscape of medical marijuana in Illinois. Register online for our upcoming Illinois Member Reception! If you have additional questions about the event please contact us at events@thecannabisindustry.org.

D.C. Update: Congress Takes a Minimalist Approach on Marijuana (and Everything Else)

U.S. Capitol DomeAs Congress starts winding down what many pundits have described as the least effective Congress in history, marijuana proponents can still celebrate modest successes this year and look forward to carrying our positive momentum into 2015.

For the first time in history, the House of Representatives passed pro-marijuana legislation. Unfortunately, the Senate will not take up the legislation, due to inter-party bickering. And although lawmakers just returned from thirty-seven days of recess, they are expected to be in session for as little as seven legislative days before going home for the November midterm elections. In those few days, Congress is expected to pass a spending bill that will fund the government until December, but is not expected to vote on any issues related to marijuana legislation. They are expected to convene after the election for a “lame-duck” session in November, and depending on the schedule, NCIA is planning to hold events in D.C. at this time.

This midterm election is anticipated to have low voter turnout, and it is expected that the House of Representatives will stay in Republican control for the next two years, while it is highly likely that the Senate will change hands and become Republican-led as well. Although our policy positions tend to be supported more by Democrats, we have many members of both parties supporting our issues, and we continue to make inroads with Republican offices.

Now is the perfect time for our industry to lay the groundwork and start building goodwill into next year, as marijuana issues are on the ballot in Alaska, Oregon, and Florida. Marijuana policies have not traditionally been high on politicians’ radars, but this year has seen a tremendous spike in attention and recognition of our issues. That means it’s imperative for our industry to continue becoming more politically engaged. It also means that we must continue to be active in our communities and show our neighbors and leaders the positive public face of the industry.

With two months to go before the elections, many politicians will be back in their districts doing campaign events, and all NCIA members should use this link to find their Members of Congress and attend any local events they are hosting. If your elected officials are supportive of our issues, make donations to their campaigns and help them get re-elected by volunteering on their efforts. If they are opposed to our issues, work for their opponents. We are right on the policies, but the reality is politicians need to get re-elected, and the people who help make that happen are much more likely to get a positive response in D.C.

I plan to do the same thing here in D.C. In fact, once I finish writing these words, I’ll be off to attend a fundraiser for Senator Mark Udall of Colorado and Senator Mark Begich of Alaska.

Michael Correia is NCIA’s director of government relations, based in Washington, D.C. Find out more about NCIA’s federal policy objectives.

Illinois Medical Marijuana Program Accepting Applications

IllinoisAfter months of planning, the state of Illinois has officially begun accepting applications from potential medical marijuana patients and business owners for its Medical Cannabis Pilot Program.

On Tuesday, September 2, Illinois officials began processing paperwork from potential patients whose last names begin with the letters A through L. By the end of the first week, according to the Chicago Sun-Timesmore than 2,000 applications had been received. (Patients with names beginning with the letters M through Z will be eligible to apply beginning November 1.)

The pilot program’s coordinator, Bob Morgan, expressed excitement over the large number of patient applications in the very early days of the process. “It’s a strong indication of the interest in the program,” he told the Sun-Times.

The dispensary and cultivation licensing process promises to be a bit more challenging. With only 22 licenses available for cultivation centers and 60 for dispensaries, competition will likely be stiff, especially for the large Chicago market. (See this interactive graphic from the Chicago Daily Herald for more details on where the 60 dispensary licenses will be allocated.) The application process is extensive, and the capital requirements for applicants are steep. Even successful applicants will have to consider the “pilot” nature of the program, which includes the possibility that it could sunset after a few years.

As Troy Dayton, CEO of NCIA Sustaining Member The Arcview Group, told Chicago’s WBEZ Radio, “[Business owners] had better have a lot of money in the bank because it may be a long ramp up before they can make their businesses profitable.”

Despite these challenges, medical marijuana is coming to Illinois, and with it comes opportunity. Soon, the fifth-largest state in the nation will offer patients the potentially life-changing choice to access medical marijuana, and that’s progress to celebrate.

Are you applying for a dispensary or cultivation license in Illinois? Share your experience in the comment section below.

VIDEO: THREE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR CANNABIS BUSINESS’S FOOD SAFETY

Cross-posted from NCIA’s Cannabis Business Summit website.

Training has been Maureen McNamara’s gig for over 20 years. Having cut her teeth in the rough and tumble hospitality world, Maureen realized her 20+ years of experience were well-suited to serve the burgeoning cannabis industry.

In partnership with the National Cannabis Industry Association, Maureen now offers a certification course in food safety for edible manufacturers as well as a responsible vendor program for budtenders, owners, and managers to teach them to sell safely, knowledgeably, and responsibly.

You can learn more about Maureen’s trainings at www.cannabistrainers.com and take part in one at NCIA’s Infused Products and Extraction Symposium which runs from October 27 – 28. For more details visit: http://cannabisbusinesssummit.com/infused-product-symposium/

Lady Business: Bethany Moore from National Cannabis Business Association | Ladybud Magazine

LADYBUD: You work at the National Cannabis Industry Association NCIA — what is it that you do there?

BETHANY: ​My primary role at NCIA is focused on membership development. I foster deeper relationships with our existing members, as well as seek out relationships with cannabis companies that are not yet a part of NCIA. ​I travel quite a bit for the events we do all around the country, and I enjoy that opportunity to feel the connection of this growing community from one end of the country to the other. I obviously recruit new members, but also do fun stuff like work with members to write blog posts, match members with event sponsorship opportunities, and otherwise assist in development for the organization. The future is bright and I’m honored to be in this role at this time, after years of being a volunteer activist for drug policy reform issues, when honestly, I didn’t see this whole legalization thing coming as soon as it did. I’m pleasantly surprised about the forward progress of the movement recently and look forward to helping the industry and movement progress forward responsibly and ethically.

Read more: Lady Business: Bethany Moore from National Cannabis Business Association | Ladybud Magazine

Start Making Sense – A Cannabis Industry Fundraiser for SSDP

The National Cannabis Industry Association is proud to be hosting “Start Making Sense,” a cannabis industry fundraiser for Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) on Tuesday, September 9 at the NCIA/Vicente Sederberg offices in Denver.

Start Making Sense - PosterSSDP, the leading student-led drug policy reform organization in the country, is currently engaged in extensive voter education and get-out-the-vote efforts in Florida to support the passage of Amendment 2. This important voter initiative, if passed, would legalize and establish a comprehensive medical marijuana program for the first time in a southern state. We at NCIA are proud to support those efforts and all of the other great work of SSDP, so we hope our members and supporters will join us for this very special evening of music, food, and drinks while supporting sensible reform.

We wanted to throw this event not only to support our friends at SSDP but also to show our appreciation for our dedicated Colorado members who have been helping lead this burgeoning industry and supporting NCIA’s phenomenal growth over the last few years. Colorado has been a focal point for reform and helped set the example for responsible business practices. Now we invite our Colorado members to help this industry grow in an state where support is still very much needed.

We will also be hosting a silent auction throughout the night with multiple signed art prints from Black Ink, a Philadelphia-based art and design company founded by Prints Not Prison Art Drive Poster - Papadosioformer SSDP members. They have been longtime supporters of SSDP, donating their design skills over the years to SSDP’s live-music-based program, the AMPLIFY Project. Their ongoing collaboration, the “Prints Not Prisons” Art Drive, has raised hundreds of dollars for sensible reform throughout the years. (You can view a full catalog of their work here.) Black Ink’s surrealistic style has been a huge hit among live music fans and is sure to gain some new fans during our event.

For musical entertainment we will be screening the landmark concert film “Stop Making Sense” by the Talking Heads. The movie will be projected onto the front side of our office building (better known as the Cannabis Cottage), so attendees can enjoy the last few days of summer outside before Colorado begins its annual cool-down. The inside of the Cannabis Cottage will be transformed into several themed networking rooms, each featuring different music and decorations to indulge your varied musical taste buds.

We aren’t skimping when it comes to food either! NCIA staff will be cooking up pork shoulder and beef brisket all day long (as well as a veggie option) so no one leaves with an empty stomach. In addition, a selection of fine Colorado microbrews will be on tap, along with a local wine selection and other non-alcoholic refreshments.

We hope you’re excited to join us for an evening supporting sensible reform while enjoying each others’ company and timeless music. Everything will be provided, but we are strongly urging all attendees to donate the suggested $40 for admission. Every dollar you contribute will have an exponential effect and impact on the spread of sensible reform. Please REGISTER TODAY and we’ll see you on Tuesday!Start Making Sense - Cover Photo

Cannabis & Community: The Industry Gives Back to Medical Research and the Arts

The National Cannabis Industry Association was founded in order to foster a legitimate, responsible, and socially-engaged cannabis industry. We continue to advocate for these values both within the industry and to the outside. As part of this ongoing message, we encourage our members to engage with their communities and support charities in addition to the marijuana policy reform efforts that advance the industry directly. Cannabis businesses that engage in philanthropy are not only helping important causes and earning a tax deduction — they are demonstrating tangible benefits of legally regulating cannabis businesses to policymakers and the public. After all, criminal drug dealers don’t usually give back to their communities.

Voter support for legal marijuana is at an all-time high but a lot of work still needs to be done before public perception and the legal environment reach the point where the cannabis industry is treated like any other legitimate American business sector. Successful cannabis businesses can help move us in the right direction by publicly supporting mainstream causes that resonate with the general public in addition to helping lay the foundation for a culture of corporate responsibility within the emerging industry.

Colorado’s burgeoning legal cannabis industry is leading the charge on this front with two great examples of philanthropic activity this summer.

NCIA director of education and events Brooke Gilbert (left) poses with director of government relations Michael Correia (right) at this year's Clinic Charity Classic.
NCIA director of education and events Brooke Gilbert (left) poses with director of government relations Michael Correia (right) at this year’s Clinic Charity Classic.

On August 16 the Clinic Marijuana Center held its 5th Annual Clinic Charity Classic, a golf tournament benefitting the Multiple Sclerosis Society. The sold-out tournament was sponsored by dozens of cannabis businesses — including NCIA — and raised over $80,000 for the M.S. Society’s Colorado-Wyoming Chapter.

The cannabis industry is also supporting the arts through our sponsorship of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra’s “Classically Cannabis: A High Note Series,” a run of private, cannabis-friendly summer concerts in Denver. The series is leading up to a September 13 concert at the nationally-renowned Red Rocks Amphitheater sponsored by NCIA and our members Bhang Chocolate, Gaia Plant Based Medicine, Leafly, The Farm, Terrapin Care Station, Walking Raven Marijuana Center, Cannapages.com, Julie’s Baked Goods, Vicente Sederberg, and Northern Lights Cannabis Co. 

Our support for these important community benefits strengthens our relationship with those who may not have any direct experience with cannabis or the industry and generates positive news coverage across the nation.

Let us know how your business is engaging with your community in the comments below or tell us if you have an idea for new ways to get philanthropically involved.

2nd Annual Southwest CannaBusiness Symposium – Speaker Presentation Slides

Below we have assembled all the speaker presentation slides from our 2nd Annual Southwest CannaBusiness Symposium for cannabis industry professionals, held at the Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on August 23, 2014.

For a full overview of the entire symposium and each session please read our recap.

Please join us for future NCIA networking and educational events. Check out our Events Calendar and sign up today!

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