NOVEMBER 20248GOVBUSINESS REVIEWGOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY: NAVIGATING THE COMPLEX WEB OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAWSAnyone reading this publication has a good understanding of how government relations professionals do their jobs. From behind-the-scenes relationship-building to public advocacy or the use of earned media and grassroots campaigns to generate support, it's a non-stop grind; sometimes frustrating, often rewarding, and never dull.Now, consider all the above items, put them in the proverbial blender, and add in a new ingredient: due to arcane laws, what your client or employer does is technically considered illegal by the federal government. The reality is that the cannabis space is not precisely `illegal,' but under the current complex mix of laws, selling cannabis is against federal law, despite a majority of U.S. States having created some sort of cannabis reform. Each of the 50 states has varying laws ­ from complete bans to a near-complete laissez-faire Lauren NiehausAs the nation continues to steadily move forward to full `legalization,' the truth is that we are not quite there yetIN MY OPINIONLauren Niehaus, Executive Director of Government Relations, TrulieveBy
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