Aaron Smith

As cannabis consumption becomes increasingly common across the U.S., a federal advisory panel is calling for a major shift in how the government handles marijuana policy. Moving away from the “Just Say No” campaigns of the past, Thursday's report from the National Academies of Sciences...

The cannabis industry is scaling back its lobbying presence in Washington, facing financial woes due to marijuana's ongoing status of federal illegality. Major players like Curaleaf Holdings Inc (OTCQX: CURLF) have been compelled to slash their lobbying budgets by 40% in the first...

Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer is taking another shot at passing the Small Business Tax Equity Act, a bill that aims to amend an IRS code to allow state-legal cannabis businesses to take federal tax deductions. Blumenauer, a House member who founded the Congressional Cannabis Caucus,...

Members of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), the oldest and largest trade association serving the industry, spent two days lobbying on behalf of the SAFE Banking Act, which would provide cannabis companies access to traditional banking services, reported the...

With cannabis being legal in some form in 47 states and with federal legalization just around the corner, the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) has released a summary of scientific, historical and medical uses of cannabis designed to inform policymakers and medical...

Senators Reintroduce SAFE Banking Act While last week, the SAFE Banking Act was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, while a parallel bipartisan measure was also represented, reports Marijuana Business Daily. Sens. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, and Steve Daines, a...

Democrats in the House of Representatives introduced a bill this week that would allow cannabis businesses to benefit from emergency stimulus packages related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon, and Ed Perlmutter, a Democrat from Colorado,  ...

In a pioneering vote on marijuana legislation, the House of Representatives passed the SAFE Banking Act Wednesday.  What Happened  The vote was 321-103 in favor of the bill. The bill needed a two-thirds majority to pass the House.  If passed by the Senate and signed by President...

On Wednesday, U.S. Congress held a landmark hearing regarding cannabis legalization and the need to reform. Despite a lot of effort to legalize cannabis, the hearing highlighted that progress is still moving slow, at least on a federal level. What Happened The hearing, titled "Marijuana Laws...