Cannabis Advocates Hold Policy Forum in Capitol Hill to Discuss Critical Challenges and Opportunities

LOS ANGELES– On April 20, a group of cannabis advocates will gather at the Capitol Visitors Center of the Congressional Auditorium for a policy forum. The event, which is symbolically scheduled on the unofficial cannabis holiday, will bring together activists and leaders from government, business, healthcare, veterans groups, and civil rights organizations to discuss the most pressing challenges and opportunities in cannabis policy.

According to Marijuana Moment, the National Cannabis Policy Summit is “Washington, D.C.’s premier celebration of cannabis advocacy and a call to action for American leadership in defense of state’s rights and the will of the voters, in Washington, D.C. and around the country.”

Among the speakers are members of Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator John Hickenlooper, Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Dave Joyce, Barbara Lee, Nancy Mace, and Brian Mast. Many of the speakers are known for their efforts in cannabis reform.

For instance, Congressman Dave Joyce of Ohio, who is one of the featured speakers at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Miami on April 11-12, has been a staunch advocate of sensible cannabis reform and has worked to normalize the issue among conservatives since coming to Congress. As a Republican co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, Joyce has introduced numerous pieces of cannabis reform legislation, including H.R.3105 – Common Sense Cannabis Reform (117th Congress), the first GOP bill to end federal prohibition and the first and only bipartisan measure, along with Rep. Alexandria Ocaso-Cortez, calling for federal regulation, H.R.6129 – the HOPE Act (117th Congress) and H.R.6043 the STATES Act (115th Congress).

Schumer is also known for sponsoring Senate legislation that would decriminalize and deschedule cannabis on the federal level while promoting social equity, known as the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), which was introduced last year.

During the event, participants will discuss topics such as expungement, banking, social equity, and paths to federal legalization. Caroline Phillips, the founder of the National Cannabis Policy Summit, stated, “We are thrilled to bring the National Cannabis Policy Summit’s Congressional Forum to the Capitol Building during this critical time for cannabis policy reform. To sit inside the Capitol Building and hear directly from the members of Congress making the policy decisions shows just how far we’ve come as a country in reimagining drug policy, and on April 20th, we’ll have a chance to discuss how much farther we need to go.”