The Cannabist: Why legal retail marijuana in Massachusetts is a political game-changer for the East Coast

And Massachusetts’ vote was even more meaningful when you consider that it changed the existing narrative of what kinds of U.S. states are legalizing retail cannabis, as National Cannabis Industry Association deputy director Taylor West points out.

“It isn’t a state that fits the category that many of the other legalization states have,” West said. “There’s been this trend toward western states that have a heavy focus on direct democracy, a strong libertarian streak and that has been where we’ve seen a lot of progress — but is also means that some people have, in some ways, pigeonholed the idea that these are the only states that are caring about doing something with adult-use legalization.

“Massachusetts really flies in the face of that. It’s a much more traditional state, it’s one of the original colonies, it is an East Coast state — it doesn’t have that same image as the western states do, and yet the voters there, in defiance of the establishment, very clearly chose a legalized, regulated path over prohibition.”

Read more: http://www.thecannabist.co/2016/11/10/massachusetts-marijuana-new-england/67324/

The Cannabist: Pot policy experts: Legal California weed will bolster marijuana’s presence in U.S. Congress

With the passage of California’s Proposition 64 on Tuesday, the sixth-largest economy in the world just decided to legalize recreational weed.

“It is a huge part of the legal marijuana market in the U.S. right now, and it’s going to get substantially bigger now that it’s opened up to adult use,” says Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association.

Read more: http://www.thecannabist.co/2016/11/10/california-weed-recreational-marijuana-congress/67330/

The Cannabist Show special: Will marijuana industry soar or crash after Election 2016?

Featured guests: National Cannabis Industry Association deputy director Taylor West and Vicente Sederberg attorney/partner Brian Vicente.

See more: http://www.thecannabist.co/2016/11/10/election-2016-marijuana-industry-impact-legalized-states-president-trump/67331/

U.S. News & World Report: Trump’s Attorney General Could Crush Huge Pot Wins

Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, says uncertainty following the election outcome “definitely makes clear that to be in this industry is to be political, whether you like it or not, and we as an industry have a responsibility to be advocates for ourselves.”

Denver Post: Marijuana industry keeps a wary eye on how Trump will respond to pot legalization

The National Cannabis Industry Association urged federal lawmakers to respect the will of voters who have approved marijuana’s legalization. “Now Congress and the new administration should work to protect patients, treat small businesses fairly, and respect the will of the voters in more than half the states in this country,” the group’s executive director, Aaron Smith, said in a statement.

McClatchy: Donald Trump and marijuana: Will the two biggest winners of 2016 get along?

Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, a trade group, said Congress needed to help an industry that was growing quickly and was expected to have a market value of nearly $22 billion by 2020.

After Tuesday’s votes, he noted that more than 60 percent of Americans will now live in states that have approved either medical or recreational marijuana, or both.

“Last night’s results send a simple message: The tipping point has come,” Smith said.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article113726634.html

CEO Update: Marijuana association celebrates legalization expansion

NCIA was not active in any of the state campaigns but the association certainly encouraged voters to adopt the measures. Executive Director Aaron Smith called the results a “tipping point” that could steer the country toward nationwide legalization.

“Voters have spoken clearly in states across the country,” he said. “More than 16 million voters, including in two of the three most populated states in the nation, chose legal, regulated cannabis programs that promote safety, boost the economy, help sick patients, and address social injustices.

“It’s time for our leaders in Washington, D.C., to hear those voters,” he added. “Responsible cannabis businesses are contributing to the economy and to their communities, and they’re here to stay.”

Scotsman Guide: Private lenders encouraged by cannabis victories

Advocates said the victories show the majority of Americans want to see marijuana decriminalized.

“In seven of the nine states, cannabis initiatives got more votes than Donald Trump did,” said Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association. “This is really an indicator that the American people have rejected the ideas of prohibition and are really ready to move forward with a smarter path for dealing with cannabis as a product.”

Cannabist TV: Will marijuana industry soar or crash after Election 2016?

Featured guests: National Cannabis Industry Association deputy director Taylor West and Vicente Sederberg attorney/partner Brian Vicente.

Watch the video: http://www.thecannabist.co/2016/11/10/election-2016-marijuana-industry-impact-legalized-states-president-trump/67331/

Rolling Stone: What Will President Trump Mean for Pot?

Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, agrees that the incoming president will probably let states set their own regulations. “Trump has said on more than one occasion that he thinks states should be allowed to set their own policies,” she says. “And this election made it clear that’s the will of American voters as well.”

Wired: Legal Weed Has Arrived. Get Ready for the Budweiser of Bud

Consumer demand is responsible for widely salable wonders like the Big Mac, Budweiser, and Granny Smith apples. It also supports copious bespoke industries like craft beer, Etsy, and the cupcake industrial complex. So, an open market is probably going to force a range of changes on the cannabiz. If it happens, it will be most apparent in California, with its huge population and extant cannabis culture.

“Obviously, California is a large enough market where those problems aren’t very big hurdles,” says Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association.

Read more: https://www.wired.com/2016/11/legal-weed-arrived-get-ready-budweiser-bud/

U.S. News and World Report: Trump’s Attorney General Could Crush Huge Pot Wins

Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, says uncertainty following the election outcome “definitely makes clear that to be in this industry is to be political, whether you like it or not, and we as an industry have a responsibility to be advocates for ourselves.”

Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-11-09/donald-trumps-attorney-general-could-crush-huge-pot-wins

Denver Post: Marijuana industry keeps a wary eye on how Trump will respond to pot legalization

The National Cannabis Industry Association urged federal lawmakers to respect the will of voters who have approved marijuana’s legalization. “Now Congress and the new administration should work to protect patients, treat small businesses fairly, and respect the will of the voters in more than half the states in this country,” the group’s executive director, Aaron Smith, said in a statement.

McClatchy: Trump and weed: Will the 2 biggest winners of ’16 get along?

Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, a trade group, said Congress needed to help an industry that was growing quickly and was expected to have a market value of nearly $22 billion by 2020.

After Tuesday’s votes, he noted that more than 60 percent of Americans will now live in states that have approved either medical or recreational marijuana, or both.

“Last night’s results send a simple message: The tipping point has come,” Smith said.

Cleveland.com: Marijuana measures pass in 4 Ohio communities, several states

Supporters called Tuesday’s results a watershed moment that could push Congress to enact national reforms.

“Last night’s results send a simple message — the tipping point has come,” said National Cannabis Industry Association Executive Director Aaron Smith. “More than 16 million voters, including in two of the three most populated states in the nation, chose legal, regulated cannabis programs that promote safety, boost the economy, help sick patients and address social injustices.”

CNN Money: Legal weed: Tax jackpot or pipe dream?

As it turns out, the market was just getting started. The next year, the state pulled in $163 million.

“It took a little bit longer for the market to fully establish itself than originally projected,” said Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association.

Colorado is off to an even stronger start in its current fiscal year, which began July 1. The state reported $17.6 million for July and $19 million for August, its two strongest months so far.

Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2016/11/07/news/economy/california-marijuana-tax/index.html

NBC: Hazy Future for the Marijuana Industry Under a Trump Justice Department

Still, analysts and advocates alike say, the industry may be too big and valuable for a Trump administration to stop, especially after voters in California — home to the world’s 6th largest economy — legalized the recreational use of marijuana.

“It’s obviously a different ball game than what we anticipated under a [Hillary] Clinton administration,” says Taylor West, NCIA deputy director. “But regardless of who the president is and who is controlling the Senate, this is still an issue that Congress is going to have to wrestle with.”

Politico: Voters ready to legalize pot for tens of millions across U.S.

Because marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, legal retailers in the states also can’t deduct the cost of normal business operations like employee salaries or rent, under a 1980s-era law targeting drug traffickers. That means above-board marijuana businesses can pay effective tax rates of 70 percent or higher, according to the National Cannabis Industry Association.

The Fix: Weed Has The Ability To Alleviate The Opioid Crisis, Evidence Suggests

The evidence is in. A new report by the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA)—a national trade association for the cannabis industry—provides a comprehensive review of the current research examining cannabis and its impact on opioid use.

Read more: https://www.thefix.com/weed-has-ability-alleviate-opioid-crisis-evidence-suggests

Money, Inc.: Report Finds Marijuana Can Stop Opioid Epidemic

Cannabis may be the best option in stopping the spread of the opioid epidemic, according to a report released yesterday by the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA).

NBC News: The Big Winner on November 8 Could Be… Marijuana

Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, believes this election will be “a tipping point” that makes it impossible for Congress to keep ignoring the issue. “If all nine initiatives were to pass, we’d have approximately 62 percent of the US population living in a state where medical or adult-use cannabis access is legal. That’s huge,” she said.

Washington Post: A casino magnate is spending millions to fight legal marijuana in three states

Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, said in an interview that “being involved in the political process is an inherent part of being in this industry,” and that “NCIA and other organizations and companies have been preaching that message for the past year.”

But, she added, the industry is still relatively new. Many marijuana businesses are operating as start-ups and lack excess capital to support ballot initiatives. Some are also preoccupied with regulatory issues at the state and local level.

“There are a lot of competing pulls on a relatively small pool of funds for these efforts,” West said.

Huffington Post: Why Medical Marijuana Use Is Dropping For Older Americans

Medical marijuana advocates acknowledge that age may be an issue now, but they said things are changing fast. More states are approving programs. More people are signing up. And, as the industry matures, so will its ability to find new underserved markets.

“The jury is still out in terms of what industry-wide statistics will show as this becomes more established,” said Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association. “Reducing the stigma will be a strong factor for people over the age of 65.”

Seeker: Rural Towns See Pot Farming in Their Future

One hint of pot’s potential as an economic driver comes from a recent report issued by Arcview Market Research and New Frontier Data, which says that legal marijuana sales grew by a robust 23 percent nationwide between 2014 and 2015, to $5.7 billion-and may hit $22 billion by 2020. About half of that future revenue is projected to come from marijuana sold for recreational use. That’s already legal in Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Alaska, and several more states have referendums this fall in which voters can opt to legalize it as well.

“It certainly has the potential to be an economic boon for states that create regulated systems,” explains Taylor West, director of the National Cannabis Industry Association.

The Press-Democrat: Should marijuana be legalized in California? A look at Proposition 64

Aaron Smith, executive director of the 1,100-member National Cannabis Industry Association, says he believes California voters will back legalization because they have seen it evolve in other states, where he said tax revenues have swelled without a significant increase in crime.

“The sky hasn’t fallen,” said Smith, a part-time Santa Rosa resident. “Anybody who has any relationship with cannabis understands it is safer than alcohol, tobacco and many prescription drugs.”

Legalization will turn the thousands of jobs in the state’s cannabis industry into “solid, taxpaying jobs,” while sales, advertising and other aspects of the business are tightly regulated by the new law, he said. State-licensed dispensaries “would have a lot to lose by selling to minors,” he said.

Bangor Daily News: What has to happen before you could buy marijuana without a prescription in Maine

“There’s always a fairly long process of writing more detailed regulations,” said Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, which lobbies for legalizing marijuana at the federal level. “That’s where you start hashing out things like the licensing process and how you set up the business and what kind of security you’re required to have. … All of those things have a significant impact on what businesses can do as they’re preparing to enter the market.”

Denver Post: Cannabis businesses dip their toes into world of franchising

Given the complexity and variation of state regulations for direct cannabis businesses such as dispensaries and grow operations, ancillary businesses like clinics may be the more natural outlet for franchises in the near term, said Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association.

“That kind of operation is much more feasible in what we would call the ancillary part of the industry, the people who aren’t directly handling the plant,” West said. “Those folks don’t have the same regulatory hurdles. They don’t have to have all the same licenses or approvals from the state.”

Westword: DEA: Marijuana Home Grows Are the New “Meth Houses”

Taylor West, deputy director at the National Cannabis Industry Association, says that comparing residential grow operations in Colorado to meth houses is inaccurate. “It’s a classic example of the misinformation and scare tactics that characterizes how the DEA has approached marijuana for decades,” she says.

“It doesn’t benefit anyone to make absurd comparisons like that,” West adds. “There are plenty of ways for marijuana growers and distributors to make real contributions to their communities and work with their communities, [and] the DEA’s ridiculous claims don’t facilitate those kinds of conversations.”

Marijuana Business Magazine: Marijuana for the Win!

A growing number of businesses, like Dixie, Berkeley Patients Group, the Arcview Group and Marijuana Business Daily, have hosted legalization fundraising events. These are important not only for the donations that come in, but also because they allow marijuana businesses to make a visible stand in favor of legalization by putting their names on invitations and drumming up attendees and contributors.

“There are more companies recognizing this is not only a good way to contribute but a good way to show they are vested in the industry and vested in the issues,” Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, said.

Another option is for businesses to set up “contribution matching programs,” where the company promises to match donations – up to a certain amount – that customers make to a particular campaign.

Reuters: DEA Denies Petition to Reclassify Marijuana

Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, said the DEA’s decision would curtail research since marijuana would remain a criminal product.

“Research institutions are going to be somewhat hesitant if they think they will potentially jeopardize other research funding,” she said. “This decision by the DEA really flies in the face of objective science.”