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How can the cannabis industry and community help, and why is your fight for veterans also their fight?
The cannabis industry can assist by being more diverse; including more minorities in panel discussions, and ensuring decisions are made from a collective point of view. With their political clout and economic power, big corporations and lobbyists are pushing the little guys out of the cannabis marketplace. Consider the reality of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act—Proposition 64. What proponents and opponents claim AUMA will do bears little relation to how it will affect the industry as a whole. In reality, the act is a farcical attempt to micro-manage via taxation and control.
The Compassionate Care Act, Prop. 215, helps more patients—disabled veterans, the elderly, and many who are gravely ill—by allowing them to take care of themselves. Most individuals coming into the industry now during the “green rush” do not approach the issues with a green heart and a sincere desire to help others, as they claim. Instead, they are in it for the financial gain—period. I heard very little about helping others during the events I attended this year, but I heard a lot about how individuals and corporations want to make money by investing in cannabis stock, opening new dispensaries and positioning themselves using the concept of monopoly as their means to an end.