Effective today, the National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR) and the U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC) will combine, bringing together two organizations representing multi-state and single-state cannabis operators, retailers, ancillary businesses and advocacy organizations on Capitol Hill. The combined organization, to be known as the U.S. Cannabis Roundtable, will represent operators across 38 states and a substantial number of the 13,000 retail locations and nearly 450,000 full-time employees working in the state-licensed cannabis industry.
“This is a pivotal time for the regulated cannabis industry with a newly elected Congress and an incoming President who has publicly supported and pledged to advance commonsense cannabis reform,” said Charlie Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs and Chairperson of both NCR and USCC.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump endorsed a states’ rights legislative approach to cannabis as well as reclassifying cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the federal Controlled Substances Act along with support for the SAFE Banking Act, all of which are priorities of the cannabis advocacy organizations. The newly combined group will deploy lobbyists that include influential former members of Congress and a former senior Trump advisor.
“President Trump’s endorsement represents a sea change in cannabis policy and advocacy,” said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve and Vice Chair of NCR. “For the first time in history, a Republican President endorsed these initiatives, and our new combined organization will best position the industry to help the President get them over the finish line.”
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