News & Insights

FOCUS President Lezli Engelking this week published a letter to the industry in an attempt to educate the cannabis community about the various organizations seeking to establish national standards, including the NACB. We were highlighted among an esteemed group of organizations on the heels of the publishing of a draft of our first NACB National Standard, focused on Packaging and Labeling. We commend Lezli for taking the time to publish her letter. We agree that the topic of standards can be confusing, particularly in an industry wrought with uncertainty. To that end, we wanted to ensure the cannabis community has as clear a picture as possible about how the NACB is approaching National Standards development, as well as our perspective about working with others in the industry, including FOCUS. You can read our full process here, but in a nutshell:

This week marks a major milestone for the NACB and the cannabis industry-at-large: the release of a DRAFT of the NACB’s first-ever National Standard, addressing packaging and labeling rules. It is available here for review as we commence a Notice and Comment period that will conclude on February 21st. Until that time, anyone can provide feedback, which NACB Members will consider before voting on a final standard shortly after that date.

As part of its mission to bring its members valuable thought leadership and tools to help Be Ready™ for the regulatory uncertainty facing the cannabis industry, on January 22nd the NACB will conduct the NACB Legal Symposium: Preparing for 2018 and Beyond, an event to focus on the critical issues of banking, finance and regulation in the cannabis industry.  

Usually the first week of January is about shaking off the cobwebs from Holiday Season parties and family vacations. Thanks to Mr. Sessions and creative regulators in the great state of California, that was hardly the case for the cannabis industry and the NACB.

Our team hopes this note finds you enjoying the Holiday Season and looking forward to a wonderful New Year’s celebration, wherever you are. 

It will be my family's first as Coloradans, having just moved to Denver from our home of the past 25 years, Washington, DC. I have immensely enjoyed my visits to the Centennial State during my first year as President of the NACB, particularly as I came to know so many wonderful members of the vibrant cannabis community. I welcome meeting more of you; please reach out to Andrew@NACB.com.

This move was certainly an important personal and family milestone, but it was just a small part of what made 2017 especially inspiring. Looking back, all of us at the NACB are enormously proud of the relationships we have begun with you and our collective progress toward helping the industry Be Ready and take control of its future. Notably, we:

NACB member and Aunt Zelda’s Co-founder Mara Gordon shares thoughts on the measures that must be taken to ensure cannabis product safety.

THE INFORMATION THEY SEEK

GeekTek CEO and data security expert Eric Schlissel discusses the critical need for cannabis businesses to protect customer data.

CREATED FALL 2017

When asked about marijuana legalization as a candidate for president, Donald Trump responded positively. At a campaign rally in Nevada on October 29, 2015, for example, he said, “I think medical should happen… I know people that are very, very sick and for whatever reason the marijuana really, really helps them.” He added, concerning recreational use, “I really believe you should leave it up to the states – it should be a state situation.”