MJBizMag October 2020 - 12

HempNotebook | Kristen Nichols
Eternal Campaign Season
I
Think hemp isn't on the ballot this year? Think again
t might seem as if hemp isn't on the
ballot this election cycle.
Hemp policy is not much of
a talking point in the presidential
debate. And in the hard-fought battle
for control of the U.S. Senate, hemp
entrepreneurs can rest assured that
the top-ranking members of both
parties-Kentucky Republican Mitch
McConnell and New York Democrat
Chuck Schumer-are both staunch
advocates for the industry.
After decades of fighting for legality,
hemp activists might feel that the
toughest work is done and they can
now concentrate on unlocking hemp's
potential.
Wrong. The tough political work has
just begun. And it's harder and less
glamorous than the work that makes
national headlines.
New Laws, New Political Game
It used to be illegal to grow hemp
in the United States. That made life
pretty simple for would-be hemp
entrepreneurs: Either work in the illicit
market or push to change the law and
wait.
Now, hemp is legal but highly
regulated. That's great news and a
real credit to those who pushed to
change federal law.
But in some ways, it takes more
political finesse to navigate an industry
with reams of regulations than it does
to navigate an industry without any.
And success or failure for the hemp
industry isn't going to come from the
pioneers who changed federal law.
Instead, political success comes
from activism by the smallest hemp
entrepreneurs-from the farmer looking
to try a new crop on a single acre to
hobbyist herbal healers looking to sell
their products.
So it doesn't matter that hemp isn't
going to come up at the presidential
debates or star in any ads in senatorial
battlegrounds. Working in a highly
regulated industry means your
livelihood is always on the ballot.
All Politics is Local
When I say hemp is always on the
ballot, I'm not talking about the
contests they talk about on the news.
I'm talking about hyper-local activism.
Local activism means reaching
out to your city councils and county
commissions. It means finding out
who leads political parties in the
areas where you do business. Meet
the leaders from both parties, and
offer your services if they have any
questions about hemp or what you do.
Next, reach out to your local
chamber of commerce. Some don't
accept cannabis members, but many
do. Join the chamber and go to their
(usually boring) meetings. Meet your
fellow entrepreneurs and hear about
your community's business landscape.
There's a reason entrepreneurs
in other industries make time for
networking at chamber of commercestyle
coffee meetings.
The reason is that face-to-face
hobnobbing makes a world of
difference when local officials consider
things such as zoning and taxes.
Local officials who know the business
owners affected by their decisions act
differently than those who don't.
In some ways, it takes more political
finesse to navigate an industry with
reams of regulations than it does to
navigate an industry without any. "
12 Marijuana Business Magazine | October 2020
MJBizMag October 2020

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