Marijuana Moment: Multi-State Marijuana Regulators Association Expands And Sets Policy Priorities

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An independent coalition of marijuana regulators from across the U.S. announced on Tuesday that representatives from five more states will be joining its efforts to develop and share best practices for enacting reform.

Additionally, the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) said it is establishing 15 special committees that will be tasked with collecting information and creating policy recommendations on a variety of issues related to marijuana.

Regulators from Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia and Montana will join members from the original 19 states that formed CANNRA last month.

CANNRA Vice President Andrew Brisbo, who also serves as the executive director of the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency, said in a press release that the new member states’ “experiences regulating cannabis will significantly contribute to CANNRA’s work identifying and developing best practices that safeguard public health and safety, and promote regulatory certainty for industry participants.”

We are proud to welcome state #cannabisindustry regulators from AZ, CT, FL, GA, & MT as our newest members and to announce our regulatory and policy priorities. See the full list of subcommittees that will be leading our work in these areas here: https://t.co/qpNcPoKKOs

— Cannabis Regulators Association (@CannRegulators) December 29, 2020

The organization also detailed its regulatory priorities, which correspond with new special committees that it’s setting up. Here’s a list of those panels, which range focus on issues such as social equity, local regulations, medical cannabis and banking:

Special Committee on Social and Economic Equity

Special Committee on Analytical Testing and Product Safety

Special Committee on Public Education, Awareness, and Youth Prevention

Special Committee on Public Health and Safety Monitoring and Surveillance

Special Committee on Packaging, Labeling, Advertising, and Marketing

Special Committee on Energy and Environmental Policy

Special Committee on Medical Use and Clinical Research

Special Committee on Cannabinoid Hemp

Special Committee on Municipal and County Regulation and Coordination

Special Committee on Licensing, Inspections, Compliance, and Enforcement

Special Committee on Banking, Finance, and Insurance

Special Committee on Market Structure and Taxation

Special Committee on Impaired Driving and Workplace Safety

Special Committee on Federal Policy and Engagement

Special Committee on Interstate Coordination

“CANNRA’s committee structure will leverage our member’s specific expertise and unique experiences tackling common issues,” CANNRA President Norman Birenbaum said. “Each committee will engage with relevant subject matter experts and regulatory partners to further policy development and data collection for each committee’s area of focus.”

This group’s founding is timely, as voters in five more states approved ballot measures to legalize marijuana for medical or recreational purposes on Election Day.

When CANNRA announced its plans last month, it emphasized that the group is not taking a position on whether states should legalize cannabis. Rather its purpose is to provide “unbiased information to help make informed decisions when considering whether or how to legalize or expand regulated cannabis.”

Members of the organization will also be able to join ‘Regulator Roundtable’ conferences and receive “legislative analyses, policy tracking data and bulletins on current issues and events in the cannabis industry and regulatory arena.”

The formation of CANNRA came weeks after a separate informal coalition of marijuana regulators sent a letter to leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, demanding that they prioritize a cannabis legalization bill. Lawmakers later approved the cannabis legislaiton, earlier this month.

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Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.

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