New Organization, the US Cannabis Roundtable, Formed to Present United Voice of the Cannabis Industry

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In a January 16, 2025, press release, the National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR) and the US Cannabis Council (USCC) announced they were joining together to form a new organization, the US Cannabis Roundtable (1).

The US Cannabis Roundtable will serve as a unified voice representing several significant stakeholders in the industry, including operators, retailers, ancillary businesses, and advocacy organizations.

“This is a pivotal time for the regulated cannabis industry with a newly elected Congress and an incoming President who has publicly supported and pledged to advance commonsense cannabis reform,” stated Charlie Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs and Chairperson of both NCR and USCC, in the press release. “As the Chairman of both groups, I have seen first-hand the incredible talent of each organization and know that the combined group will be the unified authority advocating on behalf of the legal cannabis industry and a resource on all things cannabis for members of the Trump Administration and Congress.”

The new organization will represent a significant number of retail locations and employees of state-licensed businesses in the industry, noting that those numbers totaled 13,000 locations and almost 450,000 employees across several states.

As stated in the press release, the some of the goals of the US Cannabis Roundtable are (1):

• Rescheduling cannabis to Schedule III
• Passing states’ rights legislation that allows each state to make its own decision on cannabis policy
• Enacting cannabis Banking Legislation (the SAFE/SAFER Banking Act)
• Ending the un-American scenario that allows foreign cannabis companies to list on the NASDAQ and NYSE while prohibiting state-licensed US cannabis companies from doing the same

“President Trump’s endorsement represents a sea change in cannabis policy and advocacy,” added Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve and Vice Chair of NCR. “For the first time in history, a Republican President endorsed these initiatives, and our new combined organization will best position the industry to help the President get them over the finish line.”

According to their website, the NCR is a collaboration of cannabis companies with the aim of promoting cannabis reform and the evolving national cannabis industry, while also keeping consumers safe and advancing social equity (2). Their Federal Policy Leadership Team includes John Boehner, honorary co-chair and former Speaker; Kathleen Sebelius, honorary co-chair and former United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary; James Cole, former US Deputy Attorney General; Cory Gardner, former US Senator (R-CO); and Ed Perlmutter, former US Congressman (D-CO). Similarly, the USCC, an alliance several of the nation’s largest cannabis companies and individuals, lists cannabis scheduling reform, social justice and equity, and a sound regulatory environment as its priorities (1,3).

References

1. National Cannabis Roundtable. The Two Largest Cannabis Industry Groups Combine Policy Advocacy Efforts to Form Singular, Leading Authority Representing Industry in Washington https://nationalcannabisroundtable.org/the-two-largest-cannabis-industry-groups-combine-policy-advocacy-efforts-to-form-singular-leading-authority-representing-industry-in-washington/ (accessed Jan 24, 2025).
2. National Cannabis Roundtable. https://nationalcannabisroundtable.org/ (accessed Jan 24, 2025).
3. US Cannabis Council. https://www.uscc.org/ (accessed Jan 24, 2025).