And They’re Off! 118th Congress Begins with Eyes on the House

Photo By CannabisCamera.com

by Michelle Rutter Friberg, NCIA’s Deputy Director of Government Relations

After November’s midterms, a runoff Senate election in Georgia, and last week’s speakership drama, the 118th Congress has finally begun. 

Last year was an historic year: from the enactment of the first federal standalone cannabis reform since the adoption of the Controlled Substances Act of 1971 to President Biden’s marijuana reform announcement in the fall. In addition, three states (Rhode Island, Maryland, and Missouri) took action to legalize adult-use marijuana and regulate cannabis. Nearly half of the U.S. population – more than 155 million people – now live in jurisdictions with some form of legalized adult-use marijuana.

At the federal level, members of Congress introduced a wealth of policies aimed to end the antiquated federal cannabis prohibition and address the harm caused by the discrepancies between state and federal laws and regulations. This tremendous bipartisan momentum for cannabis reform sets the stage for a productive 2023 and 118th Congress.

However, as you may have seen or heard on the news, the 118th Congress was off to a slow (to say the least) start as arguments over the Speaker of the House position escalated over the course of the week. After days of negotiations and a multitude of concessions, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) eked out a victory in the wee hours of Saturday morning to become Speaker. The contentious and historic fight for the Speakership largely confirmed expectations for this Congress: With House Republicans’ narrow four-seat majority, governing is going to be difficult and messy. This will undoubtedly make cannabis reform a challenge, but one that NCIA is ready to rise to. 

The House returned Monday for week two of the 118th Congress, while the Senate remains in recess through January 23, with a few pro forma sessions scheduled over the coming weeks. House Republicans will now move to finalize organizing for the new Congress: the Steering Committee have already begun meeting to determine chairmanships for a number of committees including Ways and Means and Small Business. Once these chairmanships are resolved, the Steering Committee will turn to populating committees with new members – most committees have several openings – and may begin to populate some this week. The exact numbers will be determined by the final ratios between Republicans and Democrats, but we’re expecting a mirror image of the ratios used in the 117th Congress. 

All of these decisions will have a substantial impact on cannabis reform, as Leadership and committee chairs determine what legislation is considered. While Republicans’ slim majority in the House brings a number of challenges, it will also undoubtedly provide a number of opportunities for reform and negotiation. 

Stay tuned for more developments from the Senate. Interested in learning more about NCIA’s government relations efforts? Consider upgrading your membership to our policy-focused Evergreen tier. Lastly, don’t forget to register for an in-person NCIA event near you, and for our annual Lobby Days in May! 

 

NCIA Member Profile: The Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center

NCIA is kicking off the new year by celebrating one of the founding members of our association, The Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center, Inc., where they are committed to providing safe, dignified, and affordable access to medical marijuana for approved patients in the State of Rhode Island. CEO Gerry McGraw served as a licensed caregiver in the Rhode Island program, providing medicine for a patient with a chronic neurological disorder. He has advocated for the state’s program in legislative and other public forums, and retains deep relationships with key decision-makers in federal and state government.

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Cannabis Industry Sector:

Medical Cannabis Providers

NCIA Founding and Sustaining Member Since:

April 2011

How do you uniquely serve the cannabis industry?

Rhode Island law allows for three licensed dispensaries (or “compassion centers”) to provide medicine to registered patients in the state. We are grateful and humbled to have the opportunity to care for a wide array of patients, offering safe access to high-quality medicine. The needs of our patients are quite varied, so it’s important not only to cultivate superior medicine, but also to produce a diverse product line to help the greatest number of people. We believe the choices offered to patients and the knowledge and compassion of our staff are what makes the Slater Center so unique.

Gerry McGraw, founder of The Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center
Gerry McGraw, CEO of The Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center

Why should patients looking for medical cannabis go to The Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center?

Patients looking for medical cannabis should go to the Slater Center if they seek quality medicine, affordable prices, a secure environment, diverse product offerings, and a knowledgeable staff. First and foremost, our medicine is grown organically by a team of expert cultivators that understand strain diversification and achieving optimal results for patient efficacy. Our team is constantly developing new products for a variety of ingestion methods, empowering patients and helping them determine the best options for their care. We maintain a mission of helping all patients regardless of their ability to pay with the provision of free and reduced-price medicine. And our Providence location is a warm and inviting oasis that offers unmatched security for all patients under our care.

Medical cannabis patients have such a wide array of challenges, many of which are often met without the guidance of their doctors. How do you empower patients and help improve their quality of life?

Our commitment to patients goes well beyond simply providing high-quality medicine. We’ve created a new department in our facility called Patient Outreach Services. The focus of Patient Outreach is to offer ancillary health, wellness, information, and support services all free of charge. We provide regular programming like Cooking With Cannabis 101, grow classes, and nutrition seminars. Our expert staff members speak before Parkinson’s Disease support groups and have even presented to local chapters of state medical societies. We have an extensive in-house library with books and medical literature devoted to the research and healing advances associated with cannabis. And since we opened in 2013, we offer free massage therapy and Reiki therapy to all our patients — delivered right here in our facility. At the Slater Center, we strive to be a true patient resource that serves the full spectrum of needs of our patients.

An inside look at The Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center
An inside look at The Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center

Why did you join NCIA?

We are a proud to be a founding member of NCIA, having joined when the organization was first launched. Our CEO, Gerald McGraw, Jr. is also proud to serve as a founding NCIA board member. The Slater Compassion Center was first conceived in 2010, taking years of planning and dedication to finally become a reality. We knew right away that cannabis establishments needed to come together with leaders from all over the country to share best practices and raise the standards for this nascent industry. Moving forward, we also believed that corralling the efforts of advocates on state and federal legislative and regulatory issues would be increasingly important. NCIA was the perfect conduit to bring together folks from all corners of the country to unify the voice of those in the cannabis industry. We are thrilled to see the organization’s incredible growth and effective advocacy.

Contact:

The Slater Center Website

The Slater Center Facebook

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