Leading Marijuana Industry Groups Merge To Unite Push For Federal Reform And Stock Market Access Under Trump Administration

Two leading marijuana industry associations have announced a merger to consolidate their advocacy work toward the new Congress and the incoming Trump administration.

The U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC) and National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR) will now be unified, combining their resources under a new name: the U.S. Cannabis Roundtable (USCR).

“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,” Charlie Bachtell, CEO of the multi-state operator Cresco Labs who served as a chairperson of both NCR and USCC, said in a press release on Thursday.

“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,” he said.

The organizations said in their joint statement that unnamed former members of Congress, as well as a former advisor to President-elect Donald Trump, will be involved in the “unprecedented” push for reform in the new year.

USCR will be focusing on key administrative and legislative priorities for the industry, including ensuring that the ongoing effort to reschedule marijuana is completed and getting legislation passed to codify states’ rights to set their own cannabis laws.

Additionally, the association says it will work to advance bipartisan marijuana banking legislation and “end 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.”

This is a pivotal time for the cannabis industry, and it’s critical that we speak w/a single voice. That’s why the leading cannabis industry orgs @CannaRoundtable & @USCannabisCncl are combining efforts to advance reforms in DC. @BusinessWire ➡️https://t.co/1RpYVIRDVt

— National Cannabis Roundtable (@CannaRoundtable) January 16, 2025

To what extent the merged organizations will be able to move the needle in Congress with GOP majorities in both chambers is unclear, but some stakeholders remain optimistic—especially given Trump’s endorsement of a Florida marijuana legalization ballot initiative, rescheduling and banking reform while he was on the campaign trail last year.

Kim Rivers, CEO of the major marijuana company Trulieve and vice chair of NCR, said the endorsement “represents a sea change in cannabis policy and advocacy.”

“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,” Rivers, whose company contributed tens of millions to the Florida initiative that ultimately fell short and met with Trump ahead of his endorsements, said.

While USCR declined to identify the former members of Congress or Trump advisor who will assist in their advocacy, former Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) and former Sen. Cory Gardner (D-CO) have served as federal policy advisors for NCR.

Additionally, Bryan Lanza, a lobbyist who represents USCC, previously worked for Trump’s transition team after the 2016 election, as well as his for his 2024 campaign. And last month he previewed a potential merger of two key cannabis associations.

“As of today, NCR and USCC will officially coordinate all political activities, lobbying efforts, and public facing communications,” the groups said in the new announcement. “The collaboration of these organizations establishes a singular, powerful voice for cannabis research, policy, safety, and standards.”

While there are some hopes among certain stakeholders that the incoming Congress and administration could achieve reforms such as banking access for the industry, that possibility hinges on multiple factors beyond the president’s direct control.

With Republicans controlling both the House and Senate, leadership will need to get on board and break with a longstanding tradition of conservative lawmakers resisting even modest cannabis reform.

For example, Senate Republicans elected a new majority leader, Sen. John Thune (R-SD), who not only opposes legalizing marijuana but has also called for a reversal of the Biden administration’s plan to reschedule cannabis and has criticized Democrats for working to increase the industry’s access to banking services.

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA), meanwhile, is another opponent of marijuana reform.

That is to say, while USCR appears confident about its newly combined abilities to affect change in the 119th Congress and under a president who’s voiced support for their core priorities, they will likely still have their work cut out for them.

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Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.