For immediate release: February 16, 2018
STATE'S LARGEST ASSOCIATION OF CANNABIS BUSINESSES WARNS OF AN EMERGING CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA
Sacramento – A forthcoming report to be published on Monday provides a concerning perspective on the emerging regulated cannabis marketplace. Prepared by the California Growers Association, the states largest association of cannabis businesses,
the report finds that less than 1 percent of the states growers have been licensed. The report provides summaries of dozens of specific barriers to entry and provides a robust list of potential solutions.
The key conclusion of the report is that “the current system will not achieve its goals without fundamental and structural changes that allow small and independent businesses to enter into compliance.” As noted in the report “there is no shortage of actions that policy makers can take to reduce barriers and improve the situation for thousands of local businesses. In fact, there are so many things that could be done, it can be hard to determine where to start.”
According to Hezekiah Allen, Executive Director of the California Growers Association: “The specific challenges may be varied across the state, but the takeaway is the same: from Oakland to Humboldt, from Los Angeles to Gold Country, from cultivation to delivery service, many of the hardworking pioneers of our cannabis marketplace are being left behind, primarily because they are unable to afford one time costs of regulation. This report lays out an initial road map, but it will take a sustained multi-year coalition effort to correct course.”
“We look forward to working with policy makers and stakeholders at the state and local levels,” Allen continued. “We must develop a regulatory framework that will effectively curb the environmental and public safety impacts of cannabis by providing pathways to compliance for businesses currently operating in the unregulated market. If they are unable to comply, the unregulated market is likely to persist and their will be an unnecessary strain on law enforcement resources. Ultimately, without broad participation, legalization will look a lot like prohibition."
California Growers Association
http://www.calgrowersassociation.org/
Connect With Us