by Madeline Grant, NCIA’s Government Relations Manager
Like the Olympics, we only have a presidential election every four years. Usually, this means more voters are engaged and paying attention to the political process than normal. It’s more important now than ever for voters to get involved, and there are many ways to do just that. Some people campaign by making phone calls and knocking doors to get out the vote, others simply vote on election day. Some choose to make financial contributions to candidates or issues-based PACs (political action committees) that they care about.
As a trade association, NCIA has a PAC (the NCIA-PAC) that collects and contributes funds to candidates that support cannabis reform on Capitol Hill. In recent years, you may have heard that PACs are considered “special interest” or part of the “D.C. swamp.” Some candidates go so far as to not accept contributions from PACs to their campaigns. However, many small PACs, like the NCIA-PAC, are misrepresented by these characterizations and are fully funded by the hard-working members of their associations. The NCIA-PAC gives our cannabis professionals a united voice in the political process. Keep reading below to learn more about NCIA’s PAC and how you can get involved.
There is a common misconception that political contributions buy votes, however, the reality is that political contributions gain access. Of course, a politician’s goal is to get elected or re-elected and campaign contributions are a vital component of that goal. The NCIA-PAC helps support our champions and politicians that will fight for us on Capitol Hill so that they can continue fighting for our industry in D.C.
Another common misconception people have is that a one-time contribution will get you a friend for life, but unfortunately, that is not always the case. As long as a member stays in office, they will continue to ask for financial support. Think of it like this: supporting the NCIA-PAC lets us support elected officials who support the cannabis industry, and it’s imperative that they continue to be re-elected! Even the smallest donations make an impact.
At this point, you may be asking yourself: why should I support the NCIA-PAC? Well, your dollars support candidates who understand the cannabis industry’s concerns and who focus their attention on issues important to NCIA. A donation also affords you opportunities to collaborate with other concerned and politically active members to ensure our industry’s involvement in the legislative process and provides engagement, support, and information that is helpful to you, our cause, and your business.
NCIA’s government relations team works year-round to build relationships on Capitol Hill and represent the cannabis industry. As a team, we reiterate the importance of access to banking, fixing the 280E tax provision, the necessity of descheduling cannabis, and ensuring that our industry is diverse and equitable, among other issues. Our efforts here in D.C. make an impact, but members of Congress and their staff also need to hear from you. So, we hope you will consider joining us and NCIA’s PAC Leadership Circle at our 2nd Annual VIP Day in Washington D.C., on May 19.
Through a donation of $1,000 dollars or more, you will participate in an exclusive day including briefings, a luncheon and meetings with members of Congress, meetings with committees of jurisdiction, complimentary entry to the NCIA-PAC Fundraiser, and networking with NCIA’s most politically active members. Additionally, you will receive even more benefits all throughout the year, such as complimentary registration for our annual conferences, prominent listing and link to your company website featured on NCIA’s PAC page, customized branding opportunities at NCIA’s Cannabis Business Summit & Expo, and much more. If you are interested in attending VIP Day or hearing more about the NCIA-PAC, please fill out an interest form here or contact Maddy Grant at Madeline@TheCannabisIndustry.org.
by Madeline Grant, NCIA Government Relations Manager
With all the action in the 116th Congress so far, NCIA strives to support as many cannabis champions on Capitol Hill as possible. It is key to keep Members of Congress that support cannabis reform in the halls of Congress, as they will continue to push the momentum forward through legislation, committee activity, and education. Our NCIA-PAC Leadership Circle members make this support possible, as their contributions go straight towards Members of Congress. Below are a few events and fundraisers where we utilized PAC funds to support our issues and Members on the Hill.
NCIA staff attended Congressman Ed Perlmutter’s fundraiser in celebration of the passage of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act on the House side. Rep. Perlmutter is the lead sponsor of the SAFE Banking Act and because of his leadership and hard work over the years, we are seeing more success this congress than ever before!
As we are approaching the Holiday season, Members of Congress are getting festive. NCIA hosted Congressman McNerny’s Holiday Party. Our D.C. staff is making use of our new office, as we’ve hosted a handful of holiday parties this year full of conversations, hot chocolate, and cookies for all.
Another festive holiday party hosted at our D.C. office with Congressman Earl Blumenauer. The Congressman gave everyone a mini fruit cake, a famous annual tradition in the Blumenauer office. With all the momentum this congress, Congressman Blumenauer has been one of our biggest champions in cannabis reform.
Mike and I attended Rep. Porter’s lunch fundraiser this year. It is always a pleasure discussing policy issues with the congresswoman. As a freshman Member of Congress, Rep. Porter has been fighting for the cannabis industry since day 1. We had the pleasure of meeting the Congresswoman when she entered into California’s 45th district race and continue to support her with NCIA’s PAC funds.
Our Director of Government Relations, Michael Correia, attended Rep. Lee’s birthday this past July. He was able to spend some time with Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Lee while discussing cannabis reform. As you know, the momentum in the 116th congress has been momentous so it’s important to thank the Members of Congress that helped make it happen.
How do we support our champions?
NCIA’s Political Action Committee (PAC) supports our champions on Capitol Hill. With NCIA-PAC funds we are able to contribute PAC dollars to the Members of Congress above and many more. These funds go to their campaigns to help them get reelected and stay to fight for us on Capitol Hill. If you are interested in learning more or getting involved with the NCIA-PAC, please send an email to Madeline@TheCannabisIndustry.org. Thank you to our PAC Leadership Circle members that help support cannabis reform on Capitol Hill- without you, we would not be able to support our champions.
NCIA-PAC: Elect And Keep Our Champions On Capitol Hill
by Maddy Grant, NCIA Government Relations Manager
How does NCIA keep the momentum going on Capitol Hill? In the 116th Congress we’ve seen progress and support on cannabis issues unlike any Congress before – this is a historic time for cannabis reform!
The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2019, which is now up to 206 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, up from 95 cosponsors in the 115th Congress, is expected to have a House vote at some point in in July.
The McClintock-Blumenauer-Norton amendment, which would protect ALL cannabis businesses from federal interference, passed the House with a vote of 267-165.
Our very own NCIA member, Dana Chaves, testified in front of the Small Business House Committee and expressed the urgency for our cannabis businesses to get access to financial institutions. These are just a few of the monumental successes we have reached this year – and it’s only June. We see the momentum growing and we need to keep the pressure on.
So what does this have to do with the NCIA-PAC?
Through our NCIA-PAC we are able to fiscally aid supporters of the cannabis industry, not only elected officials, but people running for congressional office. For example, leading up to the midterm election, the NCIA Government Relations team made sure we supported close races where cannabis-friendly candidates were running against cannabis opponents. One race I distinctly recall, Nevada’s third congressional district. Susie Lee, who is a supporter of cannabis, was running against incumbent Congressman Danny Tarkanian, an opponent of cannabis. Michael Correia, NCIA’s Director of Government Relations, and I met with Susie Lee in Las Vegas and we began to discuss how close her race had come and how every single PAC dollar would help her win. At that point, we contributed $1,000 of NCIA-PAC dollars to Susie Lee’s campaign and she beat incumbent Danny Tarkarnian. This is just one race where our contributions made a difference.
Congresswoman Susie Lee from Nevada has been a supporter of cannabis issues and with NCIA-PAC dollars she can continue to represent our industry on Capitol Hill.
This wasn’t the only race that was close in 2016. The NCIA-PAC supported and helped elect 45 cannabis champions to Congress, including 15 Democratic challengers who successfully unseated incumbents who opposed reforming our outdated federal marijuana laws. Many of these races were won on razor-thin margins, which proves how far this support goes to enact change on the Hill. The NCIA-PAC aided to grow our support on Capitol Hill while establishing good relationships and educating Members of Congress.
Freshman member, Congressman Gil Cisenors, has been supportive of cannabis issues on Capitol Hill.
Government Relations Director, Michael Correia, attending Congresswoman Dina Titus fundraiser. Thanks to NCIA-PAC dollars we could attend and thank the Congresswoman for all of her work.
At the 9th Annual Cannabis Industry Lobby Days in May, we had 21 Members of Congress attend our PAC fundraiser. Congressional members showed up and spoke to NCIA members about cannabis issues on Capitol Hill and how supporting their races are crucial to allow them to continue to fight for our issues. Over and over we heard from these members about the importance of getting the right people in office that will fight for what their constituents care about. The NCIA-PAC helps us do just this, and every single dollar helps. It is time to end marijuana prohibition and to hold our congressional leaders accountable to represent the will of their constituents. Help us keep our champions on Capitol Hill and continue to add more! Whether it’s $5 or $5,000, every single dollar counts.
NCIA’s 9th Annual Lobby Days – Strength in Numbers, Power in Progress
Just two short weeks ago, NCIA hosted our 9th Annual Cannabis Industry Lobby Days. This impactful event brought over 250 NCIA members to our nation’s capital to advocate and lobby on important issues facing our industry like access to financial services, amending IRC Section 280E, and addressing social equity.
Over the course of 48 hours, attendees met with nearly 300 congressional offices to share their stories and experiences, and dropped off informational materials to 200 offices that we did not schedule meetings with. In addition to these meetings, we had two briefings, held a PAC fundraiser, and hosted our first-ever VIP Day for members of our Leadership Circle. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from this important event:
To kick off our first-ever VIP Day, we held a briefing at the House of Representatives entitled “SAFE Banking: Where We Are, and Where We’re Going,” where Congressman Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), the lead sponsor of HR 1595, the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, kicked off the day. On the panel was Tanner Daniel of the American Bankers Association, Becky Dansky of SARBA, and Gail Rand of ForwardGro, while attendees included NCIA members, congressional staff, and members of the press.
Following the briefing on banking, VIP Day attendees were shuttled to a luncheon featuring Reps. Joe Neguse (D-CO), Katie Porter (D-CA), Gil Cisneros (D-CA), and Steven Horsford (D-NV). All of these members of Congress are freshman who support cannabis reform, and talked about the importance of advocacy and the use of political action committees like the NCIA-PAC that they rely on.
After lunch, VIP Day attendees were shuttled back to Capitol Hill, where teams met personally with members of Congress, committees of jurisdiction, and congressional leadership.
Our first ever VIP Day was a huge success, and we thank the members of NCIA’s PAC Leadership Circle for their dedication to advocacy.
Lobby Days then officially started with a Welcome Reception attended by other advocates in Washington, D.C., NCIA members, and even congressional staff!
The following day, the work really began at our breakfast training. There, attendees met with the groups that they would be in for the day, were taught talking points on various bills and issues, and learned about how to use the app that housed all of their meeting information.
Washington, D.C. is full of great photo ops, so after our breakfast training, all of our attendees shuttled over to the Capitol… and snapped a few selfies, of course!
Meetings on Capitol Hill went from 12pm to 4pm. Each of NCIA’s 54 lobbying teams had at least four meetings over that course of time. Some groups were even lucky enough to sit down with members of Congress to talk about the issues that affect them and their businesses the most.
The day concluded with a fundraiser for the NCIA-PAC. This year’s event was wildly successful, as we had 15 members of the House of Representatives (Reps. Porter (D-CA), Charlie Crist (D-FL), Josh Harder (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Denny Heck (D-WA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Susie Lee (D-NV), Matt Gaetz (R-FL)) attend and speak, as well as Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR).
The final day of Lobby Days began with a standing-room-only briefing that focused on NCIA’s new white paper titled “Increasing Equity in the Cannabis Industry” that our Policy Council worked on with the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA). Opening remarks were given by MCBA’s President, Shanita Penny along with the Principal of Greenbridge Corporate Counsel, Board Vice-Chair of the National Cannabis Industry Association, and Co-Chair of the Minority Cannabis Business Association Policy Committee, Khurshid Khoja. We were also joined by two members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA), and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
Lobby Days wrapped up with small groups dropping off folders with informational materials to congressional offices that we were unable to schedule meetings with. While some may think these drop-ins are ineffective, they actually prove to be incredibly helpful long after our attendees go home.
The dates for NCIA’s 10th Annual Cannabis Industry Lobby Days have already been chosen, so mark your calendars for our biggest year yet, happening May 19-21, 2020!
Be sure to check out the full photo album from this year’s Lobby Days!
Announcing NCIA’s January – June 2016 Events Calendar
Do you have questions regarding any upcoming events in your area or others across the country? Reach out to events@thecannabisindustry.org any time with your questions, comments, or concerns.
Interested in sponsoring one or a series of events in a particular region throughout the year in order to gain valuable exposure for your company to our nationwide network of established business owners? Please contact Brian Gilbert at brian@thecannabisindustry.org for more information on series rates and associated discounts for packages.
Interested in speaking at the upcoming Cannabis Business Summit? Please contact brooke@thecannabisindustry.org for more information on remaining opportunities.
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