Maximum Yield Cannabis USA February/March 2018 | Page 61

THE US
CONTINUES TO
FACE ITS OWN
CHALLENGES ON
THE FEDERAL
LEVEL AS
IT MOVES
INTO 2018.”
However, the provinces and territories
can alter the limits set by the federal
government. Sales and distribution li-
censes need to be obtained through the
provincial government, not the federal.
The US continues to face its own challen-
ges on the federal level as it moves into 2018.
“The problem with the legislation so far is
we’ve not been able to pass any stand-alone
legislation that continues from one congress
to another. We’ve only been able to get amend-
ments to appropriations bills,” says Congress-
woman Dina Titus, who serves the First Congres-
sional District of Nevada and is currently in her
fourth term in the US House of Representatives.
“If we were to bring this [bill] up now, we would
easily have 250-300 votes in Congress,” Michael
Correia, National Cannabis Industry Association’s
(NCIA) director of government relations, says. “There
are more co-sponsors for bills than there’s ever been
in this Congress… they’re just not allowing the process
to work. So, you’re not able to see a result to show all the
work we’ve done.”
When asked what we could expect from Congress in the
next 18-24 months, Michael Liszewski, principal of the Enact
Group, was very forthcoming about the challenge that lies
within Congress. While recent polls among all political affili-
ations showed support for medical marijuana, within the five
per cent who oppose medical cannabis, there is disproportion-
ate representation among congressional committee leadership.
“That’s who controls the hearings,” he says. “We need different
committee chairs on the Senate side.” Iowa Senator Chuck Grass-
ley currently serves as the chairman of the Senate Committee on
the Judiciary. “It’s going to be very, very hard to bring up any pro-ma-
rijuana bill in senate judiciary as long as he’s the chair,” Liszewski
says. “Until we change that chair dynamic, we’re really stuck in this
place where the most we can do is in the appropriations process.”
myhydrolife.com
If re-elected, Congressman Dana
Rohrabacher, who is serving his
thirteenth term and represents
California’s 48th District, states that
he has a good chance to become the
chairman of the science committee. “I
can tell you right now, there are going
to be hearings about subjects these
people haven’t even dreamed about,” he
says. Rohrabacher further states that if
cannabis hearings were to happen, both
sides would get an opportunity to speak
and get it on record. “The choice is not
whether or not people are using cannabis,
but whether or not you are going to put
this multi-billion-dollar industry in the
public sector,” he says. Back in February,
Rohrabacher introduced H.R.975-Respect
State Marijuana Laws Act of 2017, which
would amend the current Controlled
Substance Act so that it cannot apply to
those who are compliant in accordance
with state marijuana laws.
Each year, attendees know that they will
leave MJBizCon with more knowledge,
more insight, more connections, and an
experience that was worth whatever it
took to get them there. The event embod-
ied the very things that former Tesla Motor
and Apple executive George Blanken-
ship shared in his keynote speech. It has
homed in on understanding that the “why”
matters and is able to identify and utilize
data to create “something good, some-
thing that improves” each year. MJBizCon
continues to deliver solid content and
ample opportunities for its attendees to
“be observant” and figure out “what isn’t
connected that could be,” making it an
experience that people look forward to.
Speaking of which, Marijuana Business
Daily will now hit New Orleans on May
9-11, 2018, for the MJBizCon Next confer-
ence, which is geared toward industry
professionals who want to learn more
about emerging markets and technology
in the cannabis industry. Another con-
ference will be held in Toronto in August
2018, which will be the publication’s first
international show. To register or learn
more about these upcoming events,
visit mjbizconference.com.
grow. heal. learn. enjoy.
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