Podcast Interview - That's the Angle
On July 10, I attended an historic cannabis hearing on Capitol Hill. When I got back I ran into my friend Bruce, who had just wrapped up a podcast interview. We started talking about scheduling an interview, and I jumped in said, "why not right now"? Totally impromptu, we sat down and talked about the hearing that had just happened.
The hearing was historic because it was the first time that a Congressional Committee had a stand-alone hearing on cannabis reform. The hearing pushed the conversation further than if or when cannabis reform would occur, but how. Specifically, the focus on building equity into law.
The war on drugs has disproportionately affected minorities. Yet some states have laws that bar entrepreneurs from participating in the industry if they have a previous drug conviction. The cannabis industry is brand new, so there is no 'old boys club' yet. By writing equity provisions into state and federal laws, we can build an industry that benefits communities, not just shareholders. If we don't we run the risk of the cannabis industry becoming like just about every other major industry - dominated by old, white, rich people, who care more about profits than people.
Specifically, the debate in the committee looked at the interplay between two bills - the STATES Act, and the Marijuana Justice Act. The day before the hearing, the Marijuana Justice Coalition published a "Statement of Principles".
To give a little context on the podcast, "That's The Angle" is not a cannabis specific, and the hearing was not hemp specific, and I am not an expert in Marijuana Justice policy specifically. The interview was totally spontaneous and impromptu, which made it more fun.
Available anywhere you listen to podcasts.
