Congress: Stop putting up roadblocks on the path to DC cannabis legalization

Congress continues to thwart the will of the voters and the District’s ability to self-govern. District voters overwhelmingly approved Initiative 71 in November, which decriminalized possession, smoking and growing cannabis for personal use. However, Congress thinks it knows better than 70 percent of Washington, DC, residents and is working to effectively nullify the will of the voters.

Despite federal lawmakers’ strong-arm tactics, DC residents last year proved something that more and more Americans are vocalizing— legal cannabis is here to stay.  According to Gallup polling, a majority of the country thinks cannabis prohibition is outdated. Twenty-four states and the District have legalized medical cannabis in some form, with four states legalizing adult cannabis retail sales and enjoying the tax benefits.  More localities will soon follow.

{mosads}Enforcing anti-cannabis laws costs the nation at least $3.6 billion each year, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. However, the same study shows that the country has no less cannabis availability despite all of the criminalization and cost. The debate no longer hinges on legalization, but rather the best way to govern cannabis sales. We must go beyond decriminalization, with the promise of new green jobs and an economic boom for Americans.

DC officials estimate that the local cannabis economy could become a $130 million market annually. The legal cannabis industry offers entrepreneurs and workers tremendous growth potential. It will create more than 200,000 jobs nationally this year, according to CannaInsider. Positions include customer service, cultivation, production, dispensary management and product couriering.  Pay often starts in the $40,000 range and extends into six figures, according to Simply Hired. The legal cannabis market grew from $1.5 billion in 2013 to $2.7 billion in 2014, according to the ArcView Group. Greenwave Advisors recently predicted that the industry could generate $35 billion by 2020 if the federal government would drop the failed policy of cannabis prohibition.

In fact, as the nation’s only recognized cannabis college, Oaksterdam University is so confident the District will have a booming cannabis industry, we are considering the area for a potential headquarters for our East Coast campus – building on our success in Oakland, California. As part of our introduction into the local market, we have partnered with MD Canna-Care & Cultivation, House of Jane and Jane’s Brew, to launch a first-of-its kind cannabis career training event and certification program in Washington on June 27-28 for job candidates seeking to enter the legal cannabis industry. We believe quality training and certification is essential to growing this industry, and we are committed to ensuring a workforce that embraces high standards, established procedures and best practices. Job seekers will learn about these critical steps from the experts who created them.

The cannabis industry can and should promote responsibility in every facet of business. Testing for product consistency and quality is essential, and is a hallmark of House of Jane’s commitment to patients and consumers. Equally important is safety – from patients and consumers to the growers, distributors and vendors. As academics and entrepreneurs, we take this responsibility seriously, and we seek to instill this commitment into every graduate who completes our program.

Congress may try to prevent District residents from buying legal cannabis and realizing the economic and social benefits, but the industry is legitimate and here to stay. Throwing roadblocks into DC’s path towards establishing a responsible, marketable and profitable cannabis industry not only hurts local citizens and patients, it also limits the city’s ability to generate tax revenue and create jobs.  Cannabis will be bought and sold regardless; the question is who benefits?  We have the choice to permit the seller, ID the purchaser, and send the profits to schools and public safety programs, rather than gangs and violent drug cartels.  Do you want cannabis sales going towards books…or guns?  We have an opportunity to have safer communities if we control, tax and regulate cannabis for adults.  Based on recent examples including Washington State and Colorado, society can not afford to maintain the failed policy of prohibition.

Jones is the executive chancellor of Oaksterdam University and chairwoman of the Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform. Sheppard has a portfolio of cannabis companies including MD Canna-Care & Cultivation, Mother Ship Holdings, LLC and House of Jane.