Cannabis Policy Reform Update with NCIA’s Government Relations Team

Michael has been at NCIA for over 9 years, and Michelle is close to her 9-year anniversary working at the organization. That date back to when two states, Colorado and Washington state, was just rolling out their adult-use cannabis laws for the first time. So with this, we discuss the tone and temperature when it comes to pro-cannabis policy reform in the halls of Congress at that time.

Lobby Days is easily our favorite NCIA event, and we think many people share the sentiment. Pre-COVID pandemic was always encouraging to see, year after year, the number of NCIA members attending Lobby Days in D.C. grow and grow, reaching over 300 in 2019. So now we see more and more Congressional offices take our group and our concerns seriously. We talk about what are our guest’s reflections on that and much more!

Michelle Rutter Friberg is deputy director of government relations and has worked at NCIA since 2014. Michelle graduated from James Madison University in 2012, where during her studies, she held a year-long internship with Virginia House of Delegates member Tony Wilt (R).

Michael Correia is the director of government relations for the National Cannabis Industry Association. Prior to joining NCIA, Michael spent many years working on Capitol Hill, including working for Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA), who retired in 2010, and the House Committee on Resources, serving three different Chairmen. Previously, he was director of federal affairs for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and senior project manager for the Committee for Responsible Federal Budget.

NCIA’s Hemp Committee Lobbies Congress in D.C. – James Granger and Chris Hope

Tune in to hear more about NCIA’s recent Lobby Days event for the cannabis industry, where most were talking to Congressional offices about SAFE Banking, 280E, and comprehensive reform like the CAOA. We discuss what the focus of the hemp team was during their meetings with members of Congress.

James Granger has built an extensive career focused on the blooming medical and recreational cannabis industry and holds a deep knowledge of cannabinoid effects, extraction, and processing, cannabis chemistry, regulation, management, consulting, politics, operations, product development, and more. In 2018, James joined The Clear (Now Clear Colorado Group) team to re-build and streamline operations, Now, as Chief Political Officer of Clientele Capital, a Denver-based venture capital firm that provides funding and strategic consulting to growth-oriented companies in emerging markets, James spearhead’s the company’s goals of staying ahead of extensive regulatory changes, challenges and nuances the company may face in the new developing cannabis industry.

Chris Hope has 20 years of experience in the cannabis industry. He founded, Sequoia Wellness (SW), a retail cannabis delivery service in 2013, serving the Los Angeles area. In 2016, he founded Sequoia Management Group (SMG), as a cannabis & hemp business development and consulting company. Today, SMG is focusing on the burgeoning industrial hemp industry with a focus on fiber, food, grain, seed, and building materials. Chris was, a founding member and Director of Member & Sponsor Relations for Angeles Emeralds (AE), a cannabis advocacy and lobbying group for Los Angeles County. As a member of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) since 2015, and In 2020, Chris became the Committee Organizer for the Hemp Committee (HC) with NCIA for the 2020/21 term. He now serves as the Chair for the HC, as well as contributing to both the NCIA Sustainability Collaboration/Council and the Novel, Synthetic, and Minor Cannabinoid Collaboration.

The Rise of Cannabis Consumption Lounges: Risk and Opportunities – Part 2

In Part 1 we covered Cannabis Consumption Lounges, what purpose they serve, as well as how the business models compare and contrast to other industries. We began to dip our toes into the liabilities and risks associated and how consumption lounges can protect themselves from something going wrong, or what to do if and when something does go wrong. We pick back up there with Jodi Green and Matt Grimes, as well as What else comes to mind about the risks associated with cannabis consumption lounges and more!

Jodi Green is a business attorney in Miller Nash LLP’s Los Angeles office, focusing on cannabis and policyholder insurance recovery. Jodi is a member of NCIA’s Risk Management and Insurance Committee and was named by Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star” in insurance coverage for five consecutive years. Miller Nash’s 140-member law firm has nearly 30 attorneys practicing in its nationally-recognized cannabis group alone. Miller Nash’s cannabis team serves cannabis companies operating in all industry verticals by providing advice in all legal practice areas, from corporate formation to employment, insurance coverage and litigation, and everything in between.

Matt Grimes is the principal of The Grimes Law Group. He sits on the Risk Management and Insurance Committee (“RMIC”) of the National Cannabis Industry Association (since 2019), currently serves as the webinar content Chairperson for the RMIC, is a Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Cannabis Law & Policy Committee (since 2021), is a member of the International Cannabis Bar Association, and is involved with several state cannabis industry associations and advocacy groups.

Veterans Action Council & NCIA Lobbies with Etienne Fontan & Michael Krawitz

Extraction Equipment History and Regulatory Challenges

Tune in to learn more about Extraction Equipment History and Regulatory Challenges with Jack Naito, Luna Technologies today on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Voice on The Cannabis Radio. Jack is a former Boeing aerospace engineer turned cannabis entrepreneur who started Portland, Oregon-based Luna Technologies, which manufactures cannabis extraction equipment, with his childhood friend, Kyler Buck, in 2016.

At the time, most of the equipment available was re-purposed from other industries including breweries and pharmaceuticals. These Frankenstein machines were inefficient, potentially dangerous, and difficult to operate. Jack and Kyler saw a better way. We start off by talking about some of its values as a company.

Extraction equipment is complex and expensive, we’re sure there’s some training that individuals need to go through to operate them. So with that safety is an important factor so we dive into that a bit.

Extraction equipment wasn’t originally invented just for cannabis, it came from other industries. Our guests take us through a brief history of where extraction machines came from before the cannabis industry.

NCIA represents small businesses and medium businesses primarily, or Main Street Cannabis, and we have been pushing through complex state regulations and preparing for potential Federal Legalization. We discuss some of the regulations they’re currently dealing with that give them the biggest headache. Also some improvements to regulations that he sees we need to implement.

A Busy Summer in Congress for Cannabis Policy Reform

Tune in to hear more about a busy summer in Congress for cannabis policy reform with Michelle Rutter Friberg, NCIA’s Deputy Director of Government Relations. Now that it’s August recess, we take a moment to cover some of the developments we’ve seen in Congress since the beginning of the year.

Seems like things are starting to feel somewhat back to normal, but we had to adjust and pivot as an organization in many ways. We hosted a couple of VIRTUAL lobby day events earlier in the year, so we dive more into those events, and how they went, plus planning for our upcoming in-person 10th Annual Cannabis Industry Lobby Days in September.

Cannabis Mom, Podcasting Boss, and Bravo TV Fan, Jenny Blaze

Tune in to learn more about Cannabis Mom, Podcasting Boss, and Bravo TV fan, Jenny Blaze today on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Voice. Jenny Blaze is a Digital Entrepreneur, Content Creator, Cannabis Advocate, and host of GoodPods #8 in the Top 100 Indie TV Reviews Chart, the Bravo & Blaze with Jenny Blaze podcast.

She is focused on bridging the gap between mainstream pop culture media and the Cannabis industry to modernize the perception of cannabis consumption and empower others to safely & confidently come out of the “Green Closet” through the launch of her new podcast, Cannabis Mom Boss.

A Conversation with the Cannabis Regulators Association

A Conversation with the Cannabis Regulators Association with Dr. Gillian Schauer, CANNRA today on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Voice only on The Cannabis Radio. Dr. Gillian Schauer was elected CANNRA’s first Executive Director in 2021 and served as a Senior Advisor to CANNRA before the organization’s founding. Dr. Schauer has worked in public health and policy for nearly two decades and has a decade of experience working with federal and state agencies on cannabis policy, data monitoring, and research translation.

She has a Ph.D. from Emory University, a Master of Public Health from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University. The Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) is a national nonpartisan nonprofit organization of government officials involved in cannabis regulation across more than 40 states and territories.

The Rise of Cannabis Consumption Lounges: Risk and Opportunities

Tune in to learn more about the rise of cannabis consumption lounges: risks and opportunities, with Mathew Grimes (The Grimes Law Group), and Jodi Green (Miller Nash), members of NCIA’s Risk Management and Insurance Committee.

Cannabis consumption lounges: what they are, how they work, why they exist, and why we need or want them? We compare a business model like this to something else that already exists in the alcohol industry, bars. Also for fine cigars, there are special cigar lounges. We talk about how cannabis consumption lounges are similar, and how they are different. We also dive into personal experiences our guests have had with consumption lounges so far.

Evolutions In Vaporizer Technology and Cannabis Oil Cartridges

Learn more about evolutions in vaporizer technology and cannabis oil cartridges with Mike Hogan of Thompson Duke Industrial today on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Voice only on The Cannabis Radio. Today we start by talking about the vaporizer market. The devices are one part, as well as the actual cannabis oil formulas go into the cartridges. There’s a kind of standard, mass-produced vape pen battery you can get for $10, and most cartridges fit them, but there are also proprietary designs that require specific pods or cartridges. So we ask, what other evolutions of the vaporizer designs and technologies have you seen?

On the other hand, there’s the oil, as we mentioned, and we saw a health crisis hit our industry in 2019 and NCIA published a white paper on the vaping crisis. The issue was with the vitamin E acetate being used in the formula, and Massachusetts even banned vape pens entirely for a while. We discuss the reports that this was putting people in the hospital with lung infections.

Myths and Misinformation About Cannabis Banking Services

Tune in to learn more about myths and misinformation about cannabis banking services with Green Check Verified CEO Kevin Hart today on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Voice. Green Check Verified is a leading provider of cannabis banking solutions and expert advisory services for financial institutions. He is an experienced, passionate, team-oriented leader that has held executive positions in venture-backed technology companies. Hart specializes in developing strategic plans coupled with organizational development with strong metrics-driven execution to achieve the next level of results. His diverse experience includes strategic planning, start-up and/or expanded business strategies, organizational development, sales organizations, and operational execution. All with exceptional executive relationships and BOD development.

Taking a look at the big picture, dispelling the misinformation and myths about banking in the cannabis industry, all of the challenges, and we know the SAFE Banking Act has passed the U.S. House six times now but died in the Senate. So there’s a lot of cash-heavy operations happening out there, but there is SOME KIND of banking services being used in our industry. We can use our debit cards at certain dispensaries for an extra fee, for example. Let’s say Congress passes some comprehensive federal legalization legislation or the standalone bill the SAFE Banking Act somehow makes its way to the President’s desk and gets signed into law. The idea is that this will allow banks to work with cannabis companies without getting in trouble with the DOJ. So we talk about what would that look like from Kevin’s perspective. Bigger picture, federal legalization will likely lead to opening up interstate commerce and even international commerce for our industry which would open up a whole new can of worms. We dive into what would the relationship between bankers and cannabis companies look like in that scenario.

Navigating The Process of Cannabis Technology Patents

Learn more about navigating the process of cannabis technology patents with Paul Coble and Scott Seeley. Paul is an intellectual property attorney with Harris Bricken and Chair of NCIA’s Cannabis Manufacturing Committee; Scott Seeley is an intellectual property attorney with Eastgate IP and is an Organizer of the Cannabis Manufacturing Committee.

We dive into some high-level topics surrounding patents in the cannabis industry. You can get a patent for just about anything, you just need to be the first person to invent it and submit the paperwork. Everything in our houses like paper towel rolls had patents, so now in the cannabis industry, we’re wrapping our arms around patents for things like vaporizer technology, and plant genetics. So to start, we ask what are the impacts of a patent, and what does it mean for a company.

Next, we define the challenges we’re seeing. There is a problem with bad patents being issued in the cannabis space, so we dive into what is a good patent versus a bad patent. We also discuss how they are being used in the cannabis space, as well as why they are important for cannabis operators.

Crafting New Jersey’s Cannabis Laws & Regulations

Tune in to learn more about crafting New Jersey’s cannabis laws & regulations with Fruqan Mouzon of Fox Rothschild. Fruqan helped craft the adult-use cannabis legislation in New Jersey, giving him a very unique perspective on the market in that state. We discuss what his role was and what the process was like writing that legislation, as well as what he believes were the mistakes and lessons learned in hindsight. Fruqan also explains some of the unique aspects of New Jersey’s cannabis market versus other states with legal cannabis, including social equity licensing provisions in the law.

A partner in the national Cannabis Law Practice Group at Fox Rothschild, he played a central role in New Jersey’s successful effort to legalize recreational marijuana. As former General Counsel for the New Jersey Senate Majority, Fruqan worked closely with legislative leaders to craft the state law that cleared the way for adult-use cannabis in the Garden State.

Fox Rothschild is A national law firm with 950 attorneys in more than 70 practice areas and is a true pioneer in the field of cannabis law. Fox was among the first major law firms to embrace the industry and is consistently ranked among the nation’s top cannabis law firms in Chambers USA.

Our guest helped craft the adult-use cannabis legislation in NJ, so which gives him a very unique perspective on the market in that state. We talk more about what that process was like, what Fruqan’s role was officially, as well as who he worked with to accomplish all this. More specifically, New Jersey of course is an east coast state, and we’re seeing all these little colonial states get on board with cannabis in recent years. We dive into what are some of the other unique aspects of New Jersey’s cannabis market that Fruqan can point to or explain for us. We are really encouraged to see more states including social equity licensing in the regulations from the get-go rather than as an afterthought, and we’d like to hear more about what we can expect from New Jersey. Also in that respect how its cannabis market will reinvest and perhaps alleviate some of the damages done by the war on drugs.

The New Cannabis and Hemp Symbol Standardization

Tune in to learn more about the new cannabis and hemp symbol standardization with NCIA’s Cannabis Manufacturing Committee and Facilities Design Committee members Darwin Millard of TSOC and David Vaillancourt of The GMP Collective.

The big exciting news here is that the global cannabis/hemp industry now has a universal symbol designated by ASTM International. Hooray. It looks like a yellow triangle with the cannabis leaf in the center and is pretty straightforward. But first, we back up by reminding our listeners what ASTM International is and does. In the last few years, we’ve had a hodgepodge of symbols imposed across various states here in the U.S. and Canada for packaging and even on the edibles themselves … which have been all across the board and problematic in some cases. We ask our guests what they have seen so far before this ASTM symbol came out. Back to the logic of the design of the symbol itself, we dive into the rhyme and reason for the triangular shape, the yellow color, the very obvious leaf plant in the center, and so on.

The Future of Social Equity and Interstate Commerce

The Future of Social Equity and Interstate Commerce with Mark Slaugh from NCIA’s DEI Committee today on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Voice. CEO and owner of iComply, Mark works in the specialist sector of compliance for the medical, retail, and hemp industries and has over 13 years of experience in cannabis industry development, consulting, and operational compliance and over 22 years experience in regulations and risk management. He is a qualified expert witness on cannabis compliance and regulations in Colorado. iComply provides operational compliance services and validation of over 200 cultivation, manufacturing and processing, and dispensing facilities since 2011, and iComply consults for a variety of communities, organizations, and governments.

We dive into the intersection of DEI issues and how interstate commerce plays into that. First, we define what interstate commerce is and why the industry as a whole wants to achieve this. We talk about how social equity licensees and operators going to be impacted when federal legalization finally happens and we have some form of interstate commerce available to the cannabis industry. So currently in our 36 states with legal medical cannabis and 18 with adult use, most if not all have some form of social equity program giving black and brown business owners more equality in our industry. We talk about what’s working so far currently, as well as where it falls short.

Mark Slaugh is a leading niche asset for the dynamic cannabis market worldwide. His innovative work in cannabis compliance, regulatory affairs, policy monitoring, political reform, and social justice reflects an extensive understanding of cannabis, its benefits, and its social transformation from illicit “vice” to a legal substance under licensing and regulation. Mark progressively works to move this new market forward at political, policy, and operational levels. He represents objective knowledge about cannabis and its economic, social, and political implications on society as a trusted resource for the media, marijuana businesses, and governments. He regularly speaks at National and International conferences on topics regarding policy, market development, and operational cannabis compliance. All today on The Future of Social Equity and Interstate Commerce with Mark Slaugh, DEI Committee on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Voice.