Opponents of marijuana legalization are habitually dishonest and wrong about all sorts of things, but one of their most recklessly fraudulent claims is that legal marijuana won't generate significant tax revenue. This isn't even a matter of speculation. It's already happening.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 23, 2010
Business Leaders Roll Out National Trade Association for Legal Marijuana Industry
Organization is the first of its kind in United States
CONTACT: Aaron Smith, NCIA executive director at (707) 291-0076 or [email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) stepped forward today as the first national trade group representing the interests of the cannabis industry and its consumers. More than twenty professionals from various sectors of the cannabis industry comprise the initial board of directors of NCIA, which was formed with the express purpose of improving business conditions for the industry.
The association’s formation comes at the heels of the decision by Arizona voters to become the 15th state to legalize medical marijuana. “The ever-expanding list of state-sanctioned medical cannabis providers and ancillary businesses have easily become a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States, generating thousands of good jobs and paying tens – if not hundreds – of millions in taxes,” said NCIA executive director Aaron Smith. “These businesses have clearly earned the right to strong representation on the national stage and recognition as a true force for economic growth.”
As reported by the New York Times today, the NCIA board of directors includes some of the most preeminent figures in the cannabis industry. Collectively, they have already been featured in Fortune magazine, The New York Times, Business Week, CNBC, Fox Business News and countless other media outlets.
Becky DeKeuster is CEO of Northeast Patients Group, which will operate four state-licensed, non-profit medical cannabis dispensaries in Maine. DeKeuster joined the NCIA board of directors and hopes to encourage others in the medical cannabis community to support the fledgling trade association. “I’m proud to be one of NCIA’s founding members,” DeKeuster said. “This organization will be a great step forward not only for the medical cannabis industry, but also for the interests of the countless patients nationwide who rely on us to provide safe and effective natural medicine.”
Another NCIA board member, Kush Magazine CEO Bob Selan, says that the trade association will be the force that finally unifies an extremely diverse industry. “In my years working for a top cannabis culture publication, I’ve met an astonishing number of talented individuals who are experts in their particular field. From cannabis cultivators to pipe manufacturers to crop insurance brokers, all will benefit from being collectively represented by the national industry association,” stated Selan.
The trade association will ensure that the interests of the burgeoning cannabis industry are represented in the halls of Congress and in the national media. In addition to working to repeal the federal prohibition of marijuana, NCIA is already focusing on more immediate policy goals for the industry such as ensuring that the nation’s revenue and banking policies are not out of step with state laws allowing medical cannabis sales.
For more information, please visit TheCannabisIndustry.org.
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This post at PoliceOne.com epitomizes the narrow-minded satisfaction with Prop 19's failure that we knew to expect from drug war supporters.
[image:1 align:right]Geraldo Rivera isn’t a big fan of the latest TSA procedures, which resulted in this rather surprising comparison:
For Immediate Release: November,19 2010
Contact: Hiedi Handford at 406-594-7932 or Irv Rosenfeld at 954-536-9011
Patient Starts 29th Year in Federal Medical Cannabis Program (11/20/2010)
{Fort Lauderdale, FL} -- Irvin Rosenfeld is one of only four medical cannabis patients in the country that receive cannabis legally from the federal government. Irv will celebrate his 28th anniversary in this unique program on Saturday, November 20, 2010.
Irv is a 57 year-old successful stockbroker from South Florida. Irv uses medical cannabis to relieve chronic pain and muscle spasms caused by a rare bone disease. When he was 10, doctors discovered that his skeleton was riddled with more than 200 tumors, due to a condition known as Multiple Congenital Cartilaginous Exostosis. Despite six operations, he still lives with scores of tumors in his bones.
After a long struggle with the federal government, Irv Rosenfeld won the right to access medical cannabis in 1982. Thirteen people with debilitating conditions were allowed into the Compassionate Investigative New Drug (IND) Program to receive federally-grown medical cannabis. In 1992, President George Bush discontinued the program, but Irv still receives 9 ounces of cannabis rolled into cigarettes every 25 days from the federal government. The cannabis is grown by NIDA at the University of Mississippi. Over the 29 years in the program, Irv has received more than 120,000 medical cannabis cigarettes and is in good health because of it.
Irv will be speaking about the federal program and his participation in it at KushCon2 in Denver, CO December 17-19, 2010.
Irv's book is called "My Medicine: How I Convinced the Federal Government to Provide My Marijuana and Helped Launch a National Movement". Copies of the book may be purchased by visiting www.mymedicinethebook.com. Proceeds from the book help to cover expenses while traveling to educate people about medical cannabis.
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*MORE INFORMATION ON IRV ROSENFELD*
http://www.mymedicinethebook.com/
*MEDIA CONTACT*
Irv is available for press interviews. Please contact Hiedi Handford: [email protected]