Cannacapitalism
While patients, caregivers, and small business owners wait with baited breath for Federal Decriminalization, the stock market is not. Cannabis corporations are swooping in, eating up the mom & pop shops, to mass market their earthly wares. The media may be focusing on the excitement around alternative currencies like Bitcoin, Doge, etc., cannabis stocks are soaring.
The billion-dollar industry is only poised to expand worldwide, becoming a staple commodity that the United States must get in on now or be left behind. Considering how many families have been torn apart because a loved one is incarcerated for cannabis-related crimes, criminal justice reform is key.
But instead of focusing research efforts on restorative social justice, the performative hysterics we call partisan politics is allowed to continue over bare bones basic efforts like descheduling so universities can study the cannabis plant, as if there aren’t enough studies that have been conducted for decades elsewhere and we actively fund a country who is #6 in the Top 10 of nations of medical cannabis research?
“If universities are allowed to engage in cannabis growing and research without any safeguards, who is to say that this provision would not permit universities to offer a class called Pot Smoking 101, dedicated to smoking pot under the false pretense of research. Pushing for marijuana research in universities also fails to account for the fact that because marijuana is a schedule I drug, Federal law requires certain safeguards, including a limited-access room and a specific storage safe for the drug. My amendment allows for the withholding of Federal funds if universities fail to implement these necessary safeguards. An appropriations package is, quite simply, not the place for debate on a legalization of or looser restrictions for marijuana,” plead Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) in a House Hearing last week.
Yet again we have government officials offering false equivalency strawman theories into Congressional record, with little regard to the nonsensical fear mongering bullshit politics demands. Unfortunately, such pearl clutching willful ignorance is effective. While the vast majority of Americans have no problems with cannabis usage for either medical or recreational -- a whopping 91% according to Pew Research -- the odds are that Congress will continue to play hardball along partisan lines, exploiting pressing issues like they’re trading baseball cards, deciding who, what, when, where, and how one can seek whole body wellness from a plant. Yet another interesting factoid on how often those that espouse small government seem to be controlling EVERY. ASPECT.OF.OUR.LIVES.
You know there’s a problem when George Bush appointed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas acknowledges the disconnect. ”The Federal Government’s current approach is a half-in, half-out regime that simultaneously tolerates and forbids local use of marijuana. This contradictory and unstable state of affairs strains basic principles of federalism and conceals traps for the unwary.”
It doesn’t seem like the industry is waiting for the politicians to get their ducks in a row. Over a decade ago, cannabis businesses joined together to form the National Cannabis Industry Association, which offers resources such as webinars, events, and comprehensive policy reports and best practices in the various sectors within the growing industry.
“As an industry, we need to prove our actions are aligned with our conduct. Having a code on paper or simply voicing support for marketing restrictions isn’t enough. All of us need to actually take the steps necessary to live up to these commitments,” acknowledged Cronos Group CEO Kurt Schmidt in an op-ed for Fortune Magazine.
With the government trailing far behind, industry has taken lead, working to combat the tired and (un)true arguments surrounding cannabis and getting ahead of the laws, with a shared mission towards responsibility and stewardship. A consistent core value amongst those invested in this industry seems to be one of social equity, although healthy skepticism coupled with provable data is still necessary before placing too much faith in any industry.
Schmidt, who took over as Cronos Group CEO last September amidst the global pandemic, also stated, “As we grow as an industry, we cannot let consumer demand lead to bad marketing decisions. Keeping responsibility at the core of our industry’s mandate will set us up for long-term success. We’re calling on others to join us by embracing similar standards. Let’s work together to be responsible industry leaders and keep cannabis only in the hands of adults.”