Marijuana Moment
Colorado’s governor says that while federal marijuana legalization is the ultimate goal, incremental rescheduling and cannabis banking reform are important “dominoes” that could help pave the way. And he said his state continues to have “very strong conversations with the White House” about the need for policy change.
During a keynote speech at a National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) event in Denver on Thursday, Gov. Jared Polis (D) touted Colorado’s leadership in the cannabis legalization movement, adding that “we’ve been making continual progress” in the decade since its market launched.
“Through all of that, of course, we put equity at the center of our work,” he said. “We want to make sure that people who have been at the short end of the drug war for decades are first in line for the kinds of opportunities that come out of a rational, regulated structure.”
To that end, Polis announced at an earlier event organized by the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) on Thursday that the state’s Cannabis Business Office (CBO) is launching a pilot program called “Access to Experts” that will provide technical assistance, compliance guidance and more to social equity marijuana businesses.
He said that the services are especially necessary given the lack of cannabis industry access to such services from the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) that are available to other traditional markets.
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