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RICHMOND, Virginia, July 19, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE—Governor Ralph Northam announced appointments to the three newly-created boards responsible for overseeing the legalization of recreational cannabis in the Commonwealth. This spring, Virginia became the first Southern state to pass adult-use cannabis legislation, with changes going into effect on July 1, 2021. The new law legalizes simple possession and home cultivation for adults 21 and over, seals some marijuana-related records, and creates a new independent state entity, the Cannabis Control Authority (CCA), to regulate the cannabis market. In the coming years, the General Assembly must reenact sections of the bill, and the CCA must implement regulations before legal sales of cannabis can begin.

“Virginia is committed to legalizing cannabis the right way—by learning from other states, by listening to public health and safety experts and by centering social equity,” Northam said. “There is a tremendous amount of work ahead to establish an adult-use marijuana market in our Commonwealth, and I am proud to appoint these talented Virginians who will bring diverse backgrounds, an incredible depth of expertise, and a shared commitment to public service to this important effort.”

Information about each of the boards and the Governor’s appointments can be found below. Answers to frequently asked questions are available at cannabis.virginia.gov.

CANNABIS CONTROL AUTHORITY

The Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) is the regulatory agency for the legal cannabis market in Virginia. The CCA is led by a five-member Board of Directors responsible for the creation of the adult-use marketplace for cannabis and is statutorily vested with control of the regulated sale, transportation and distribution of cannabis and cannabis products in the Commonwealth. In the coming years, the Board will work to create a fair and equitable regulatory structure and provide critical guidance to the CCA’s staff as they work to develop a workforce, establish regulations, and ensure that marijuana legalization accomplishes the health, safety, and equity goals established by law. Board members cannot have financial interests in the cannabis industry. The enacted legislation authorizes the Governor to appoint all five members of the Board.

“The diverse range of backgrounds and expertise will provide critical perspectives to the Cannabis Control Authority and the important work that is ahead,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Brian J. Moran. “I look forward to working with the board members as we begin this process.”

Neil Amin of Henrico, Chief Executive Officer, Shamin Hotels
Neil Amin has been appointed to the Cannabis Control Authority Board of Directors and will serve as Chair. Neil started his career at Goldman Sachs & Co. where he advised public and private technology companies on merger and acquisition transactions and capital markets activities. Since 2008, he has served as Chief Executive Officer of Shamin Hotels, which owns and operates over 60 hotels under the Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental Hotels, and Hyatt brands. He has previously served on the Virginia Treasury Board, Virginia Small Business Financing Authority, and the Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates. Mr. Amin graduated summa cum laude from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and a Master of Business Administration.

Michael Jerome Massie, Esq. of Portsmouth, Owner, Michael Jerome Massie, PC
Michael Jerome Massie has been appointed to the Cannabis Control Authority Board of Directors and will serve a Vice Chair. Michael is a trial lawyer with experience at every level of Virginia’s courts and federal courts. He is currently the owner of Michael Jerome Massie, PC. He started his practice of law as a Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Portsmouth and has served as a Substitute Judge. Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Government from the University of Virginia, a Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado, and a Master of Divinity from Virginia Union University.

Bette Brand of Roanoke, Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Consulting LLC
Bette Brand has been appointed to the Cannabis Control Authority Board of Directors. Bette has served in several roles at the United States Department of Agriculture including Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development, Administrator of Rural Business Cooperative Service, and Acting Administrator of Rural Utility Service. Prior to her federal service, Bette held senior leadership positions at Farm Credit of the Virginias for more than 35 years. She is currently Founder and CEO of Strategic Consulting LLC. Bette earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from Virginia Tech and a Master of Business Administration from Virginia Tech.

Rasheeda N. Creighton of Richmond, Co-Founder, The Jackson Ward Collective
Rasheeda N. Creighton has been appointed to the Cannabis Control Authority Board of Directors. Rasheeda is the co-founder of The Jackson Ward Collective and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The 3Fifty Group. She previously served as the Executive Director of Capital One’s 1717 Innovation Center. Rasheeda received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Spelman College and her Juris Doctor from The University of Michigan Law School.

Shane Emmett of Midlothian, Co-Founder and Former Chief Executive Officer, Health Warrior
Shane Emmett has been appointed to the Cannabis Control Authority Board of Directors. Shane served as an attorney in the Office of the Counselor to Governor Tim Kaine and then co-founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Health Warrior, a superfood brand recently acquired by PepsiCo. He is now an occasional advisor to PepsiCo and Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Richmond, while serving on a number of growth consumer brand boards, as an advisor to consumer-facing venture and private equity firms, and working on a book about the American state of food. He has law degrees from Oxford University and Wake Forest University.

CANNABIS EQUITY REINVESTMENT BOARD

Virginia’s adult-use cannabis law dedicates 30 percent of tax revenue from cannabis sales—a predicted $7.8 to 12.9 million in 2024 and $38.4 to 63.9 million in 2028—to a Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund. The Fund will be managed by the 20-person Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Board and used to provide resources to communities that have experienced disproportionate enforcement of drug laws and economic disinvestment. Specifically, it will support locally designed and community-based responses to such impacts, including grants for workforce development, apprenticeship, and reentry programs, and scholarships for historically marginalized individuals. 

“We are intentionally constructing an equitable blueprint that will embed equity and inclusion at every stage and every level of the marijuana legalization process,” said Dr. Janice Underwood, chief diversity officer to Governor Northam, who will chair the Board. “The Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Board will serve as an important voice for Virginians and help elevate resources to the persons, communities and families most negatively impacted by the disparate enforcement of marijuana laws and ensure that equity remains at the forefront of legalization in Virginia.”

The enacted legislation authorizes the Governor to make five appointments to the Board, including one representative from the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission and four representatives of a community-based provider or community development organization. The General Assembly will make eight additional appointments, including someone who has been previously incarcerated or convicted of a marijuana-related crime, a veteran, a representative from one of Virginia’s historically Black colleges and universities, an entrepreneur, and experts in public health with experience in trauma-informed care, education with a focus on access to opportunities for youth in underserved communities, Virginia’s foster care system, and workforce development. Additional information on this Board, including the seven ex-officio members, is available here.

• Jorge Figueredo, MPP of Falls Church, Executive Director, Edu-Futuro
• Amari Harris of Richmond, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Attorney, Virginia Indigent Defense Commission
• W. Anthony West of Roanoke, Chief Operations Officer, Virginia CARES (Community Action Re-Entry System)
• Sheba Williams of Richmond, Executive Director, Nolef Turns, Inc.
• Vickie R. Williams-Cullins of Hampton, Executive Director, OPN-Door Communications LLC

CANNABIS PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD

The 21-person Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council is an expert advisory council to the CCA Board of Directors. It will assess and monitor public health issues, trends, and impacts related to cannabis and cannabis legalization and make recommendations regarding health warnings, retail cannabis and product safety and composition, and public health awareness, programming, and related resources. Additionally, the Council must approve any health-related regulations before the CCA can finalize them. 

“The Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council will ensure that health experts have a seat at the table as Virginia establishes a legal cannabis market,” said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Daniel Carey, MD, MHCM, who will chair the Council. “I am pleased to serve alongside these dedicated and knowledgeable council members.” 

The enacted legislation authorizes the Governor to make four appointments to the Council, which must include a representative of a local health district, someone from the cannabis industry, an academic researcher knowledgeable about cannabis and a registered medical cannabis patient. The General Assembly will make 10 additional appointments, including a representative from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, experts in substance use disorder treatment and prevention, a person with experience in disability rights advocacy, a person with a social or health equity background, a member of the Medical Society of Virginia and a representative from the Virginia Pharmacists Association. Additional information on this Board, including the seven ex-officio members, is available here.

• Ngiste Abebe of Richmond, Vice President of Public Policy, Columbia Care
• Larry Keen II of Petersburg, Associate Professor, College of Health and Natural Sciences, Department of Psychology, Virginia State University
• Cynthia Morrow, MD, MPH, of Roanoke, Health Director, Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts
• Marcus Treiber of Leesburg, Chief Executive Officer, EMT Holdings LLC

In the March 2019 Cannabis Business Times cover story, Dr. Andrea Small-Howard, co-founder and chief science officer of GB Sciences, said, “My personal mission is to take cannabis-based therapies to the U.S. FDA.”

Just over two years later, Small-Howard, who was promoted to president of the Las-Vegas company in June, is close to her goal.

GB Sciences has completed animal studies on a treatment for Parkinson’s disease and is finalizing another animal trial of a slow-release, cannabis-based pain medication that Small-Howard calls a “game-changer” for people suffering from chronic pain. The next step is to get FDA approval on human trials, which Small-Howard hopes will be in 2022 for the Parkinson’s formulation and shortly thereafter for the pain management drug.

RELATED: Clinical Cannabis: How GB Sciences is Redefining the Industry Through Research

She also co-invented a “drug discovery platform” using artificial intelligence (AI) that is programmed to identify novel, plant-based formulations to treat multiple symptoms of conditions. The company is using the proprietary technology, known as “Phytomedical Analytics for Research Optimization at Scale,” or PhAROS, to expedite plant-based medicines that contain a combination of active ingredients and get them to market sooner. 

“The PhAROS platform is a new version of the software that we developed earlier when we were exclusively studying cannabis-derived mixtures,” Small-Howard said. 

Small-Howard spoke with Cannabis Business Times to share more details about GB Sciences research, how the AI technology works, and what’s next for the biopharma drug development company.

Michelle Simakis: Congratulations on your promotion to president of GB Sciences. What direction do you hope to take the company in?
Dr. Andrea Small-Howard: There was a time when producing cannabis-based products through state-run programs was the majority of what we were doing. Now, the majority of our effort is being spent on preparing cannabis-based formulations for the U.S. FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and other prescription drug markets, which is different. But we used to be a cannabis-based company that did some science. Now we’re a science company that uses cannabis. We really feel there are certainly lots of responsible players that are allowing patients to have access to cannabis-based products through state programs. But where we can add something where other people aren’t is by taking that next step, and saying, “OK, how can we get these into a prescription drug format that everybody’s going to feel is approachable?” It’s got a lot more hoops to jump through, but we’re hoping for patients it makes it more approachable and that physicians have less of an issue with it. I’ve been in the business for more than seven years, and it’s great to see that the industry is becoming more and more destigmatized. But there are still folks [delivering] patient care who are still saying that a cannabis-based product would not be first-line medicine. 

“How can we get these into a prescription drug format that everybody’s going to feel is approachable?” 

MS: Of all the research you are working on, which project excites you most?
ASH: Our Parkinson’s formulations are getting closer to human trial. So are we have a real push on that to finalize all the [requirements] needed to get it into a human trial. We’re also really excited about the promise of our pain formulation, which you take as an oral nanoparticle – [meaning] it has time-release properties. Folks with pain, one of the things that they always complain about is that they’re popping pills or they’re hitting the pipe all day. In order to control their symptoms, they usually have to dose multiple times a day. These time-release formulations in a rodent model–granted, which is not humans, but it’s that next step before a human trial–a single dose gave 11 days of continuous pain relief. And that is a game-changer for folks who are suffering with chronic pain. And so by bringing these plant-based compounds into novel delivery, we think that is going to really change the way people can use them to manage their pain.

MS: What would the timeline look like to get the Parkinson’s and time-release pain management formulations into human trials?ASH: We are hoping to get in a human trial for Parkinson’s next year. The pain one should be a little bit beyond that. It’s hard because right now it’s in animal studies. We had an animal study going, COVID happened, and we lost a year’s worth of work because of that. Luckily, our Parkinson’s animal trials were already done before COVID happened.

MS: GB Sciences recently announced it is using AI technology to help identify individual plant compounds that could become active ingredients in medicine to in tandem to treat many different conditions. Can you explain what “drug discovery research” looks like and how the Phytomedical Analytics for Research Optimization at Scale (PhAROS) platform works?
ASH: Not only does it look at plants like cannabis and help guide us to figure out which ingredients would be the best therapeutic mixtures for different human diseases, it can do it for all plants. We created a database that contains plants from traditional medicine from different areas in the world, like Chinese medicine, Japanese medicine, Indian medicine, from Europe, from South America, from Africa. And our program is able to look within all of these plant-based sources for new therapeutic formulations. We still believe that plants are the answer, but by adding this new AI-enabled technology, we can start to look within plants and more efficiently find new solutions to treat human diseases.

Traditional medicines have been helping people for thousands of years. But they do it in a way that’s fundamentally different than the kind of drugs that you’d get from the pharmacy. Those were made with one ingredient, and as they call it, “the magic bullet approach.” But what we’ve found is that those magic bullets are very rare. What usually happens is you take one single ingredient drug, and then you need three more single ingredient drugs to deal with the side effects. Whereas what we’re trying to do is think about the consequences of all of the ingredients in there at the same time, so that you’re not really having a single ingredient that causes all kinds of side effects—you’ve already factored that in. We believe that the future of medicine will be multi-ingredient drugs, and we believe that the plant-based medicines are the place to go find those solutions.

“We believe that the future of medicine will be multi-ingredient drugs, and we believe that the plant-based medicines are the place to go find those solutions.”

MS: When you say you’re looking at the different plant components and how they work together in medicine to treat different conditions, it reminds me of the entourage effect in cannabis. Is that essentially what you’re trying to do in creating these combinations that could be used as active ingredients in medicines?
ASH: That’s exactly it, but I don’t call it that because the “entourage effect” term has been used disparagingly. We call it synergy. We find evidence of molecular synergy, meaning when we put more than one ingredient in there at the same time, the effects of the mixture are greater than the sum of the individual effects. We’ve got a whole patent portfolio where we did that with cannabis and the ingredients inside cannabis. Now we’ve turned our attention to looking at other plants, [such as] the kava kava, that have a thousand-year history in traditional medicine for being used to treat different conditions, but that seem to also work better when you’re using mixtures.

MS: Although the goal is to create mixtures of active ingredients, the technology singles out those individual components, then discovers what the synergies are among them? How is it programed to find and then mix those ingredients?
ASH: Exactly. One of the things [the AI technology] is thinking about is a holistic view of humans. One of the things that we’ve done with our program is we’ve trained it to think about medicine in the way that traditional medicine does, where it’s not looking at a single aspect of a disease. For example, if you’ve got cancer, it’s not just controlling the growth of the cancer that’s important to you. It’s also pain. It’s also inflammation. It’s also all these other aspects. So the AI program has been taught how to think about what are the multiple kinds of issues you’re going to have with any one condition.

I think this is going to change the way people think about medicine, and 10 years from now, people are going to start asking for a multicomponent drug, not a single component drug.

In the March 2019 Cannabis Business Times cover story, Dr. Andrea Small-Howard, co-founder and chief science officer of GB Sciences, said, “My personal mission is to take cannabis-based therapies to the U.S. FDA.”

Just over two years later, Small-Howard, who was promoted to president of the Las-Vegas company in June, is close to her goal.

GB Sciences has completed animal studies on a treatment for Parkinson’s disease and is finalizing another animal trial of a slow-release, cannabis-based pain medication that Small-Howard calls a “game-changer” for people suffering from chronic pain. The next step is to get FDA approval on human trials, which Small-Howard hopes will be in 2022 for the Parkinson’s formulation and shortly thereafter for the pain management drug.

RELATED: Clinical Cannabis: How GB Sciences is Redefining the Industry Through Research

She also co-invented a “drug discovery platform” using artificial intelligence (AI) that is programmed to identify novel, plant-based formulations to treat multiple symptoms of conditions. The company is using the proprietary technology, known as “Phytomedical Analytics for Research Optimization at Scale,” or PhAROS, to expedite plant-based medicines that contain a combination of active ingredients and get them to market sooner. 

“The PhAROS platform is a new version of the software that we developed earlier when we were exclusively studying cannabis-derived mixtures,” Small-Howard said. 

Small-Howard spoke with Cannabis Business Times to share more details about GB Sciences research, how the AI technology works, and what’s next for the biopharma drug development company.

Michelle Simakis: Congratulations on your promotion to president of GB Sciences. What direction do you hope to take the company in?
Dr. Andrea Small-Howard: There was a time when producing cannabis-based products through state-run programs was the majority of what we were doing. Now, the majority of our effort is being spent on preparing cannabis-based formulations for the U.S. FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and other prescription drug markets, which is different. But we used to be a cannabis-based company that did some science. Now we’re a science company that uses cannabis. We really feel there are certainly lots of responsible players that are allowing patients to have access to cannabis-based products through state programs. But where we can add something where other people aren’t is by taking that next step, and saying, “OK, how can we get these into a prescription drug format that everybody’s going to feel is approachable?” It’s got a lot more hoops to jump through, but we’re hoping for patients it makes it more approachable and that physicians have less of an issue with it. I’ve been in the business for more than seven years, and it’s great to see that the industry is becoming more and more destigmatized. But there are still folks [delivering] patient care who are still saying that a cannabis-based product would not be first-line medicine. 

“How can we get these into a prescription drug format that everybody’s going to feel is approachable?” 

MS: Of all the research you are working on, which project excites you most?
ASH: Our Parkinson’s formulations are getting closer to human trial. So are we have a real push on that to finalize all the [requirements] needed to get it into a human trial. We’re also really excited about the promise of our pain formulation, which you take as an oral nanoparticle – [meaning] it has time-release properties. Folks with pain, one of the things that they always complain about is that they’re popping pills or they’re hitting the pipe all day. In order to control their symptoms, they usually have to dose multiple times a day. These time-release formulations in a rodent model–granted, which is not humans, but it’s that next step before a human trial–a single dose gave 11 days of continuous pain relief. And that is a game-changer for folks who are suffering with chronic pain. And so by bringing these plant-based compounds into novel delivery, we think that is going to really change the way people can use them to manage their pain.

MS: What would the timeline look like to get the Parkinson’s and time-release pain management formulations into human trials?ASH: We are hoping to get in a human trial for Parkinson’s next year. The pain one should be a little bit beyond that. It’s hard because right now it’s in animal studies. We had an animal study going, COVID happened, and we lost a year’s worth of work because of that. Luckily, our Parkinson’s animal trials were already done before COVID happened.

MS: GB Sciences recently announced it is using AI technology to help identify individual plant compounds that could become active ingredients in medicine to in tandem to treat many different conditions. Can you explain what “drug discovery research” looks like and how the Phytomedical Analytics for Research Optimization at Scale (PhAROS) platform works?
ASH: Not only does it look at plants like cannabis and help guide us to figure out which ingredients would be the best therapeutic mixtures for different human diseases, it can do it for all plants. We created a database that contains plants from traditional medicine from different areas in the world, like Chinese medicine, Japanese medicine, Indian medicine, from Europe, from South America, from Africa. And our program is able to look within all of these plant-based sources for new therapeutic formulations. We still believe that plants are the answer, but by adding this new AI-enabled technology, we can start to look within plants and more efficiently find new solutions to treat human diseases.

Traditional medicines have been helping people for thousands of years. But they do it in a way that’s fundamentally different than the kind of drugs that you’d get from the pharmacy. Those were made with one ingredient, and as they call it, “the magic bullet approach.” But what we’ve found is that those magic bullets are very rare. What usually happens is you take one single ingredient drug, and then you need three more single ingredient drugs to deal with the side effects. Whereas what we’re trying to do is think about the consequences of all of the ingredients in there at the same time, so that you’re not really having a single ingredient that causes all kinds of side effects—you’ve already factored that in. We believe that the future of medicine will be multi-ingredient drugs, and we believe that the plant-based medicines are the place to go find those solutions.

“We believe that the future of medicine will be multi-ingredient drugs, and we believe that the plant-based medicines are the place to go find those solutions.”

MS: When you say you’re looking at the different plant components and how they work together in medicine to treat different conditions, it reminds me of the entourage effect in cannabis. Is that essentially what you’re trying to do in creating these combinations that could be used as active ingredients in medicines?
ASH: That’s exactly it, but I don’t call it that because the “entourage effect” term has been used disparagingly. We call it synergy. We find evidence of molecular synergy, meaning when we put more than one ingredient in there at the same time, the effects of the mixture are greater than the sum of the individual effects. We’ve got a whole patent portfolio where we did that with cannabis and the ingredients inside cannabis. Now we’ve turned our attention to looking at other plants, [such as] the kava kava, that have a thousand-year history in traditional medicine for being used to treat different conditions, but that seem to also work better when you’re using mixtures.

MS: Although the goal is to create mixtures of active ingredients, the technology singles out those individual components, then discovers what the synergies are among them? How is it programed to find and then mix those ingredients?
ASH: Exactly. One of the things [the AI technology] is thinking about is a holistic view of humans. One of the things that we’ve done with our program is we’ve trained it to think about medicine in the way that traditional medicine does, where it’s not looking at a single aspect of a disease. For example, if you’ve got cancer, it’s not just controlling the growth of the cancer that’s important to you. It’s also pain. It’s also inflammation. It’s also all these other aspects. So the AI program has been taught how to think about what are the multiple kinds of issues you’re going to have with any one condition.

I think this is going to change the way people think about medicine, and 10 years from now, people are going to start asking for a multicomponent drug, not a single component drug.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 13, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – HERBL, California’s largest cannabis supply chain company, announced its exclusive distribution partnership with Henry’s Original, a vertically integrated craft cannabis brand. HERBL will aid Henry’s Original in scaling its current collection of products, including craft flower and pre-rolls throughout California.

Henry’s Original was launched by co-founders Jamie Warm and Joshua Keats, two farmers who have cultivated cannabis in the Emerald Triangle for over two decades each. Henry’s Original grows its own flower across multiple farms in Mendocino County to bring small-batch, craft cannabis to the California market. All Henry’s Original flower is sun-grown using sustainable, organic methods and is Clean Green Certified.

With this partnership, the HERBL catalog will now feature a full line of Henry’s Original craft and value-priced flower and pre-rolls in a variety of convenient offerings. This includes flower available in eighths, half ounce and 1-gram jars as well as eighths and half-ounce mylar pouches. Pre-rolls come in 1-gram singles and 2-gram multipacks with four half gram pre-rolls.  

“Henry’s Original’s handcrafted and premium-quality products will be met with high demand as more conscious consumers gravitate toward sustainable brands,” HERBL founder and CEO Mike Beaudry said. “Henry’s Original is a welcome addition to our portfolio of unique and thoughtfully cultivated brands, and we are excited to offer products that honor Mendocino County’s strong cannabis heritage.”

“This partnership with HERBL is a tremendous opportunity to put a spotlight on Mendocino County, which has played an instrumental role in the American cannabis story,” Henry’s Original co-CEO Joshua Keats said. “Our team is dedicated to showcasing the region’s exceptional flower to the wider legal market.”

As it stands, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act does not have enough votes to pass the Senate. That’s part of the reason why a final version of the legislation to end cannabis prohibition has yet to be formally filed in Congress.

In unveiling a preliminary draft of the federal cannabis bill on July 14, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.—the sponsors—are hoping to receive feedback from industry stakeholders between now and Sept. 1 as they fight to gain broader support among their colleagues in the upper chamber.

“This is going to be a process,” Schumer said during a joint press conference with Wyden and Booker on Wednesday, shortly after releasing their 163-page legislation.

RELATED: Senate Trio Unveils Federal Cannabis Legalization Draft With Provisions to Deschedule, Tax and Regulate

“This is a draft bill,” Schumer said. “We intend to show it to all of the stakeholders. We don’t have the votes necessary at this point. But we have a large majority of our caucus for it. We’re going to show it to the others and say, ‘Well, what don’t you like? What do you like?’ And we’ll see if we can get the support. We’re going to put our muscle behind it, our effort behind it, and we are going to get this done ASAP.”

Stakeholders aren’t shying away. By and large, early comments have been cautiously supportive—with much of the reaction underscoring the importance of social equity provisions in the proposal. 

Notably, restorative justice measures in the bill include the expungement of non-violent federal cannabis offense convictions, as well as restorative justice and opportunity trust funds reserved for certain reinvestment programs.

The social equity measures seen in states that have recently passed adult-use legislation—like New York, Virginia, New Mexico and Connecticut—aim to deliver a scale of justice to people who deserve it that goes unparalleled in American history.

Below are comments from various stakeholders and policy experts regarding the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act:

Hawkins

“It is time for cannabis prohibition to end, and we applaud the efforts of Senators Cory Booker, Ron Wyden and Senate Leader Chuck Schumer for their bold and necessary bill, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. The war on cannabis was engineered to target people of color when it launched in 1937, and we live with the disproportionate impact today. We view this historic bill as an essential step toward righting decades of inequitable wrongs. We implore Congress to consider the importance of this moment; in looking at the eight states that have legalized cannabis since the election last November, it’s clear that ending federal cannabis prohibition is the will of the American people. We should no longer delay. The United States Cannabis Council (USCC) stays committed to its mission of federal legalization that prioritizes access, removes barriers to an equitable industry and provides restorative justice to communities harmed by cannabis prohibition.” –Steve Hawkins, CEO of U.S. Cannabis Council, Executive Director of Marijuana Policy Project

Littlejohn

“This thoughtful and comprehensive draft represents an historic step on the path to federal cannabis legalization. Through this draft, Leader Schumer and Senators Booker and Wyden maintain their commitment to economic justice through cannabis reform by providing for reinvestment into the communities most impacted by cannabis prohibition and by creating pathways for or impacted individuals to participate in this burgeoning industry.” –Amber Littlejohn, Executive Director, Minority Cannabis Business Association

Altieri

“The days of federal prohibition are numbered. These actions by Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senators Booker and Wyden reflect the fact that the supermajority of Americans are demanding that Congress take action to end the cruel and senseless policy of federal prohibition. It is time for legislators to comport federal law with the laws of the growing number of states that have legalized the plant, and it is time for lawmakers to facilitate a federal structure that allows for cannabis commerce so that responsible consumers can obtain high-quality, low-cost cannabis grown right here in America without fear of arrest and incarceration.” –Erik Altieri, Executive Director, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)

Havens

“While the bill would direct the attorney general to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, it wouldn’t legalize cannabis everywhere. Thus, it’s more appropriate to say that the bill would end the federal prohibition on cannabis, rather than legalize it. States would still be able to prohibit cannabis growing, manufacturing, distribution, sale and consumption within their borders. However, they wouldn’t be able to stop transportation of cannabis through their states (e.g., from one legal state to another legal state, via a state where it’s illegal). Schumer, Booker and Wyden know the bill is a longshot. My view is that they are introducing it to let the caucus know where they stand, and more importantly, to start the conversation and hopefully pave the way for incremental reform. Given the current makeup of the Senate, incremental reform is much more likely than a sweeping proposal like this.” –Jonathan Havens, Co-chair of the Cannabis Law Practice and Chair of the Food and Beverage Practice, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr

Castille

“Today’s press conference was historic and is yet another sign that cannabis prohibition is on its way out the door—but it is critical that this bill and other federal cannabis legislation start to connect the dots between social justice and economic justice. It’s not enough to stop arresting folx. We must provide a pathway to economic liberation and a chance to build generational wealth. Without an equitably functioning cannabis industry, we risk perpetuating the same racial wealth gaps that already exist.” –Kaliko Castille, President, Minority Cannabis Business Association

Perez

“We have been clear from day one that any federal marijuana reform bill must be equally comprehensive to the devastation that has been caused by prohibition, particularly in Black, Latinx and Indigenous communities. And we are grateful to see Senators Booker, Wyden and Schumer heeding that call by including language directly from the MORE Act—centering social equity, reparative justice and reinvestment—that we championed in the House, in the Senate bill, and we look forward to working with them to make marijuana justice a reality this session.” –Maritza Perez, Director of the Office of National Affairs, Drug Policy Alliance

Strekal

“Our main priority is to ensure that Americans who choose to responsibly consume cannabis are no longer discriminated against under the law. With one in eight Americans choosing to consume on a semi-regular basis, including nearly one in four veterans, we must end the practice of arresting over 500,000 Americans every year and denying countless others employment, housing and other civic rights if we are truly to be the ‘Land of the Free.’ The federal government can take great strides toward rectifying this situation by advancing the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act through the legislative process.” –Justin Strekal, Political Director, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)

Kovler

“Cannabis continues to be disproportionately weaponized against communities of color, and we are thrilled that the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act has proposed expungement and community reinvestment measures to address the damage perpetuated by the failed war on drugs. While the bill leaves some questions unanswered, we believe it provides a tangible pathway to true federal legalization.” –Ben Kovler, Founder/CEO, Green Thumb Industries

Whiteman

“We applaud the introduction of legislation that would federally decriminalize cannabis. The introduction of legislation that would federally decriminalize cannabis would have implications far beyond banking. For starters, it will expand the opportunities for minority populations that have been disproportionately targeted during the war on drugs. Federal decriminalization would also enable manufacturing and then shipping across state lines, which would greatly benefit brands like Wana. Supply chains will become more efficient and cost-effective as plants would be grown in appropriate outdoor climates and other materials could be sourced across markets. For a company like Wana, it means that we would be able to manufacture and ship out of regional or national facilities instead of recreating the wheel in every market.” –Nancy Whiteman, CEO, Wana Brands

Perrone

“Today’s new cannabis legalization plan from Senators Schumer, Wyden and Booker is an important first step, but more must be done to address the challenges cannabis workers face and the need to make sure the industry supports good-paying union jobs our families need. Cannabis worker safety and apprenticeships must be a top priority and any federal legislation needs to dedicate funding to further research for these priorities. Congress must also ensure this cannabis legislation respects current state laws while also preventing the industry from moving high-wage union jobs from one state to low-wage agricultural jobs in another state. As America’s largest cannabis workers union, UFCW welcomes this new proposal and urges members of Congress—both Republicans and Democrats—to build on this framework and pass a strong bipartisan bill that establishes a national cannabis policy that ends outdated approaches holding so many communities back.” –Marc Perrone, President, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International

Caltabiano

“The introduction of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act is imperative to address the disparate impact of the war on drugs and right the wrongs created by decades of injustices perpetrated by disproportionate enforcement against minorities. In addition, the opportunity to address safe access to cannabis and robust reforms needed for cannabis banking and tax policy is long overdue. While this bill is an essential step in the right direction, it is a big ask and I’m a realist. It will take a lot to get this bill through Congress and signed by the president. I remain hopeful and enthusiastic for the passage of the Act, but I believe that even incremental actions such as the passage of the SAFE Banking Act would be a tremendous accomplishment for this Congress and the current administration.” –Joe Caltabiano, CEO of Choice Consolidation Corp., Co-founder of Cresco Labs

Archos

“This is a strong step forward to leverage the potential of American cannabis companies to boost our economy, facilitate a more socially equitable landscape, create durable and good-paying jobs, unlock essential banking streams and raise needed tax revenue. Americans strongly support legalization, and Congress needs to address this issue and shape it so the power of this industry can have the most positive impact as it continues to become mainstream.” –George Archos, Founder/CEO, Verano Holdings

Jarrous

“The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act’s draft legislation is designed to jumpstart bipartisan negotiations that have been building momentum in Congress since the first states chose to regulate cannabis for adults. While it’s still a long and uphill climb going forward, this is a great step in moving forward towards ultimately achieving true federal cannabis legalization and ending prohibition.” –Narmin Jarrous, Chief Development Officer, Exclusive Brands

Merchan

“Flora Growth applauds the introduction of legislation that would end the federal prohibition on cannabis, especially the proposed expungement and community reinvestment measures to redress the harm caused by the failed war on drugs. While the bill leaves some questions unanswered, we believe it lays the groundwork towards true federal legalization and would remove many of the barriers that state-legal cannabis businesses currently face due to cannabis’ Schedule I status, such as tax deductions, banking, capital markets and intellectual property issues. While we remain optimistic and enthusiastic about the passage of the act, we feel that even small steps forward, such as the adoption of the SAFE Banking Act, would be a huge success for this Congress and administration.” –Luis Merchan, CEO, Flora Growth

Hale

“We see this as a very positive piece of legislation, addressing most of the major concerns for the legal cannabis market, which includes allowing regulated sales, allowing states to regulate their own markets and laying out guidelines for federal taxation. Even with regulatory and compliance changes at the federal level, transparency and accountability are going to be critical areas of focus to ensure the legal industry is able to thrive. More regulation will only lead to even more licensing and lending opportunities for entrepreneurs in the industry.” –Ryan Hale, Chief Sales Officer, Operational Security Solutions

Gillette

“If there’s anything I’m hoping that Democrats and Republicans can agree upon, it would be the legalization of cannabis at the federal level. … This is huge legislation that we’ve been waiting [on] for a very long time. I know other bills have been introduced, but this one really hits on so many important things that need to be addressed. One of the things that I think is really important is the fact that it allows states to determine their own laws. … Obviously, it’s going to have a tremendous impact should it pass, in that the descheduling of cannabis is going to remove the impact of things like 280E and banking restrictions on the industry. … Getting rid of that barrier, I think, is also going to give opportunities to cannabis businesses to increase wages and offer benefits, including things like 401Ks, that they can’t necessarily offer now because of the lack of banking and because cannabis is federally illegal. On the community side, I think it’s going to be very impactful, as well, because you’re looking at an immediate expungement of federal, nonviolent cannabis crimes, which have significantly impacted people’s lives. … Obviously, I think it’s the right thing to do [for] prisoners that are sitting in jail for nonviolent cannabis crimes while people in their state or people in states that surround their state are profiting from the sale of cannabis. … Then, it’s allowing reinvestment in those communities that have been the most impacted. … This is the right thing to do. It should’ve happened 10 years ago, but it’s the right thing to do, and my hope is that we can at least get support of people in the Senate to be able to pass something like this. Obviously, we can’t continue to live in a system where it’s legal under state law and illegal under federal law, but … I don’t think it’s going to be perfected the day the bill is signed into law. I think it’s going to be evolving over time, the same way many states’ regulatory programs evolved over time.” —Rachel Gillette, Partner & Leader of Cannabis Industry Group, Holland & Hart

Below are comments from Sens. Chuck Schumer, Ron Wyden and Cory Booker regarding their draft release of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act:

Schumer

“I will use my clout as majority leader to make this a priority in the Senate. As my colleagues and I have said before, the war on drugs has really been a war on people, particularly people of color. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would help put an end to the unfair targeting and treatment of communities of color by removing cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances. It’s not just an idea whose time has come; it’s long overdue. We have all seen the agony of a young person arrested with a small amount of marijuana in his or her pocket, and because of the historic overcriminalization of marijuana, they have a very severe criminal record they have to live with their whole lives. It’s tougher to get a job; tougher to get credit; tougher to live a normal life. The waste of human resources because of the historic overcriminalization has been one of the great historical wrongs for the last decades. We are going to change. We are going to fight hard to change.” –Sen. Chuck Schumer, Majority Leader

Wyden

“Cannabis prohibition, a key pillar of the failed war on drugs, has caused substantial harm to our communities and small businesses, and especially for communities of color. It’s as simple as this: Senators Booker, Schumer and I want to bring common sense to the federal government, end prohibition and restore the lives of those hurt most and set them up for opportunity.” –Sen. Ron Wyden, Chair, Senate Finance Committee

Booker

“For decades, our federal government has waged a war on drugs that has unfairly impacted low-income communities and communities of color. While red and blue states across the country continue to legalize marijuana, the federal government continues to lag woefully behind. It is time for Congress to end the federal marijuana prohibition and reinvest in communities most impacted by the failed war on drugs. I am proud to introduce this landmark piece of legislation with Senator Wyden and Majority Leader Schumer that will finally turn the page on this dark chapter in American history and begin righting these wrongs.” –Sen. Cory Booker

Digital Editor Eric Sandy, Senior Digital Editor Melissa Schiller, Associate Editor Tony Lange and Assistant Editor Andriana Ruscitto contributed to this report.