Wow, where does the time go? The end of 2015 is in sight and 2016 is fast approaching! As per usual, these past 12 months made for another landmark year for our industry where we saw enormous growth across all sectors, as well as witnessed notable legislative victories in the House and the historic first-time introduction of cannabis-specific legislation in the Senate. We continue to see increased activity and support for our issues in D.C., due in no small part to our increasingly prominent voice within the halls of Congress, spearheaded by the work NCIA is doing with your support.

Take a look at a year’s worth of legislative highlights with our Year-in-Review timeline here.

Now, we are excited to announce that starting in January, we’ll be debuting a new nationwide event series! NCIA’s Quarterly Cannabis Caucuses will be held in the cannabis industry’s 12 most active regions, on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the first month of each new quarter. The exact date will vary depending on your region, and you can view the full list of dates and locations here. The schedule for the first quarter will be:

• Oregon Cannabis Caucus – Portland, OR – Tuesday, January 12 – REGISTER NOW
• Mid-Atlantic Cannabis Caucus – Washington, D.C. – Tuesday, January 12 – REGISTER NOW
• Northeast Cannabis Caucus – Boston, MA – Thursday, January 14 – REGISTER NOW
• Florida Cannabis Caucus – Orlando, FL – Thursday, January 14 – REGISTER NOW
• Midwest Cannabis Caucus – Chicago, IL – Tuesday, January 19 – REGISTER NOW
• Tri-State Cannabis Caucus – New York, NY – Tuesday, January 19 – REGISTER NOW
• Colorado Cannabis Caucus – Denver, CO – Thursday, January 21 – REGISTER NOW
• Southwest Cannabis Caucus – Phoenix, AZ – Thursday, January 21 – REGISTER NOW
• Nevada Cannabis Caucus – Las Vegas, NV – Tuesday, January 26 – REGISTER NOW
• So. California Cannabis Caucus – Los Angeles, CA – Tuesday, January 26 – REGISTER NOW
• No. California Cannabis Caucus – San Francisco, CA – Thursday, January 28 – REGISTER NOW
• Washington Cannabis Caucus – Seattle, WA – Thursday, January 28 – REGISTER NOW

As NCIA heads into our sixth year of operation, we’re committed to growing and evolving our work to provide increased value to our members and reflect our unique position with the industry. The Quarterly Cannabis Caucuses have been designed to provide the quality and consistent programming you’ve come to expect from NCIA events, while also preparing you and your business to contribute to our legislative efforts on the national level.

You and your team will leave each Cannabis Caucus equipped with the tools to affect positive change on cannabis issues while making meaningful connections with vested industry players. Each Caucus will be free of charge for current NCIA members and include an in-depth federal policy update from senior NCIA staff or staff from a district congressional office, a comprehensive state and local policy update from a local elected official or a member of NCIA, an informational packet filled with detailed legislative analysis and recent federal policy developments, and an organizational update so you can keep up to date with what NCIA is doing for you. All of this will be offered as well as the opportunity to network with the leaders in the cannabis industry.

The Caucus also serves as an opportunity for our members to share their ideas and concerns with NCIA, which is committed to serving the industry in the best way possible

As the only national trade association representing cannabis business owners on Capitol Hill, we are your voice within the halls of Congress on a daily basis. We take this responsibility seriously and by holding these quarterly member meetings, we hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity to make your own voice heard within our ranks as well.

Every day it seems a new event is popping up, vying for your time, money, and focus. We here at NCIA know that our members’ time is one of their most valued assets, so we’ve created this event series to pack maximum information, value, and member benefit into a regular quarterly meet-up.

Start 2016 off right! Register yourself and your colleagues for an upcoming Quarterly Cannabis Caucus near you today!

———————————————————————————————————————

Do you have questions regarding the upcoming Quarterly Cannabis Caucus in your area or others across the country? Reach out to events@thecannabisindustry.org any time with your questions, comments, or concerns.

Interested in sponsoring one or a series of events in a particular region throughout the year in order to gain valuable exposure for your company to our nationwide network of established business owners? Please contact Brian Gilbert at brian@thecannabisindustry.org for more information on series rates and associated discounts for packages including NCIA’s Cannabis Business Summit 2016, taking place in Oakland, CA, June 20-22.