Dear friend:

2013 has been a watershed year for the legal cannabis industry, with unprecedented momentum toward replacing criminal marijuana markets with regulated storefronts — from new medical cannabis states like Illinois and Massachusetts to the establishment of adult-use markets in Colorado and Washington. The industry is truly growing up, and NCIA’s membership has grown more than three fold over the last year.

Thanks to you and almost 400 other responsible cannabis professionals that make up NCIA’s network, we’ve been able to significantly increase the reach of our message in Washington, DC and in the media. We’ve also greatly expanded our educational programming within the industry to arm cannabis entrepreneurs with the latest information and to instill the core values of responsibility, professionalism, and civic engagement throughout the cannabis business community.

I’m sure you’ve had an exceedingly busy year — I know the last 12 months have been the most active of my professional life — but as the year comes to a close, I hope you get the opportunity to enjoy time with your friends and family, and reflect on just how fortunate we are to be doing this work at this time in history. The opportunity to create a new American industry only comes around once in a lifetime. It’s truly incredible to be blazing on into this undiscovered territory with you.

Next year will bring about even more progress for the cannabis industry and its trade association. I look forward to continuing our mutual work of creating a future when our industry is afforded the freedom and equality that it justly deserves.

All of us at NCIA are wishing you a great winter holiday and a prosperous New Year!

Sincerely,

Aaron Smith
Executive Director