Washington, D.C. – The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) today launched We Are The Cannabis Industry, a campaign designed to tell the stories of real people who work in America’s legal marijuana industry and highlight how the emerging business sector is creating significant benefits for both individuals and the economy.

“Cannabis businesses generate billions of dollars in economic activity and support tens of thousands of jobs,” said Aaron Smith, NCIA executive director. “The people of the industry provide compassionate care for patients, responsible education for consumers, and cutting-edge innovation for quality and safety. We’re proud to tell their stories.”

The campaign’s cornerstone is an online site featuring a diverse cross-section of cannabis professionals whose expertise and personal experiences underpin a $7 billion industry.

The launch of the campaign also includes a D.C.-focused digital advertising buy, the first of its kind for the industry.

The first four profiles each highlight a specific aspect of the benefits of a legal, regulated cannabis industry.

• Scott Yoss works for a dispensary in Denver, where he focuses not just on sales, but on educating his customers about safe, responsible cannabis usage.

• Brian Eberhart is the assistant manager of a dispensary in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Marine Corps veteran who became addicted to opiate painkillers after a military training injury. He credits cannabis with helping him overcome his addiction, and the cannabis industry with giving him a new career path and opportunity for advancement.

• Shirlee McDaniels avoided opiates altogether after knee and hip replacement by treating her pain with medical cannabis. Now she works in a Denver dispensary and uses her experience to help other patients explore their options safely.

• Roger Schulz lost his long-time job with a plastics manufacturer in Ohio during the recession. He was unemployed for three years until he was connected with an Ohio-based advanced manufacturer that makes high-tech cannabis oil extraction machines and systems. Now he’s back to work, in an industry with huge economic vibrancy and growth potential.

New profiles will be posted to the site regularly in the coming weeks.

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