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Cannabis & Community: The Industry Gives Back to Medical Research and the Arts

The National Cannabis Industry Association was founded in order to foster a legitimate, responsible, and socially-engaged cannabis industry. We continue to advocate for these values both within the industry and to the outside. As part of this ongoing message, we encourage our members to engage with their communities and support charities in addition to the marijuana policy reform efforts that advance the industry directly. Cannabis businesses that engage in philanthropy are not only helping important causes and earning a tax deduction — they are demonstrating tangible benefits of legally regulating cannabis businesses to policymakers and the public. After all, criminal drug dealers don’t usually give back to their communities.

Voter support for legal marijuana is at an all-time high but a lot of work still needs to be done before public perception and the legal environment reach the point where the cannabis industry is treated like any other legitimate American business sector. Successful cannabis businesses can help move us in the right direction by publicly supporting mainstream causes that resonate with the general public in addition to helping lay the foundation for a culture of corporate responsibility within the emerging industry.

Colorado’s burgeoning legal cannabis industry is leading the charge on this front with two great examples of philanthropic activity this summer.

NCIA director of education and events Brooke Gilbert (left) poses with director of government relations Michael Correia (right) at this year's Clinic Charity Classic.
NCIA director of education and events Brooke Gilbert (left) poses with director of government relations Michael Correia (right) at this year’s Clinic Charity Classic.

On August 16 the Clinic Marijuana Center held its 5th Annual Clinic Charity Classic, a golf tournament benefitting the Multiple Sclerosis Society. The sold-out tournament was sponsored by dozens of cannabis businesses — including NCIA — and raised over $80,000 for the M.S. Society’s Colorado-Wyoming Chapter.

The cannabis industry is also supporting the arts through our sponsorship of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra’s “Classically Cannabis: A High Note Series,” a run of private, cannabis-friendly summer concerts in Denver. The series is leading up to a September 13 concert at the nationally-renowned Red Rocks Amphitheater sponsored by NCIA and our members Bhang Chocolate, Gaia Plant Based Medicine, Leafly, The Farm, Terrapin Care Station, Walking Raven Marijuana Center, Cannapages.com, Julie’s Baked Goods, Vicente Sederberg, and Northern Lights Cannabis Co. 

Our support for these important community benefits strengthens our relationship with those who may not have any direct experience with cannabis or the industry and generates positive news coverage across the nation.

Let us know how your business is engaging with your community in the comments below or tell us if you have an idea for new ways to get philanthropically involved.

NCIA Board Candidate Statement – Luke Ramirez

By Luke Ramirez, Walking Raven Retail and Medical Marijuana Center (CO)

As a board member of the NCIA I will advance the image of business people in the cannabis industry. Through activism and relentless networking with canna-business professionals of Denver, I was introduced to Aaron Smith and the NCIA three years ago. I knew that both of my companies would be joining a short time later. It was an easy decision after observing the organization’s commitment to professionalism and positive media image; they reflected the ideals my companies follow.

I have leveraged my company’s platform to further cannabis advocacy for business professionals, and I’ll use the board seat as further leverage to help our industry gain respect with mainstream businesses and government officials. Last year, my business, Cannabusiness School and Consulting, worked with the NCIA team, traveling to their symposiums in Chicago and Las Vegas, recording the symposium speakers and making their presentations available in an online format for those who could not attend. (http://cannabusinessschoolandconsulting.com/nevada/ and http://cannabusinessschoolandconsulting.com/midwest-symposium-ncia/)

My time spent traveling to cannabis events nationwide gives me the perspective of what our industry needs on a national level; not just the needs of my peers locally.  I have been a contributor to charities such as The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Harm Reduction Action Center; I’ve also contributed to groups such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), and the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol (Amendment 64). These activities are an effort to elevate the perception of the cannabis professional. My track record shows that I’m committed to elevating the image of the cannabis community, willing to volunteer my time and resources.

The reputation I’ve earned in our community as a dispensary owner comes from my ability to build relationships and get involved with multiple trade groups, both locally with groups such as the Marijuana Industry Group and nationally with the National Cannabis Industry Association. I am very much a team player, and interested in the image and longevity of our industry; you can count on me to make decisions based off our needs as a whole and not my business’s agenda. Don’t hesitate to ask folks in our industry!

See the full Board of Directors Voter Guide here.

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