How Recent Policy Updates are Shifting Cannabis-Related Businesses
Every year thousands of new cannabis-related products are introduced into the market from new dispensaries, cultivators, and complimentary companies like custom printed packaging for marketing and shipping. As these businesses grow and become fixtures in their communities, more awareness for the peaceful and beneficial use of cannabis among the general population. So much so, that the overwhelming belief of the voting public is that marijuana-related products should be legal and available.
While that should mean the removal of classifying marijuana as a controlled substance, change loves to move in painstakingly small steps. Over the past decade alone, 22 new states have adopted recreational or medical cannabis-related products that are fully legal within their borders.
The point is, change got a kick in the pants along the way. Now, the momentum for allowing the open sale and use of marijuana is becoming normalized. What does this mean for your business, and how are government policies shifting the national mood?
Thanks for the Pardon, Uncle Joe
Let’s get our CTA (call to action) out of the way now and say we are a state-compliant packaging company that offers custom-printed solutions for cannabis-related products. Why does that matter? It means we are just as interested in the public policy related to marijuana as any grower, cultivator, and dispensary around the nation. When they are legal, both our profit margins skyrocket.
So when President Joe Biden suddenly announced on live TV that his administration would be pardoning anyone with a federal marijuana charge, we paid attention! Not only is that a massive benefit for the roughly 6,500 people convicted of simple possession from 1992 to 2021, but it is a green light indicator that future business prospects may be available to new states. We still have a lot todo though, there are approximately 29 million Americans with state convictions we still need to over turn and get pardons for them.
It was the next move that made a more significant impact. The president then said he would be directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to reconsider the current classification of marijuana as a controlled substance.
For everyone like us who wasn’t paying attention in Civics class, this means the government could shift cannabis from a Schedule 1 narcotic to no designation at all. Suddenly, all those dispensaries, farms, and secondary businesses like our cannabis packaging facility would get access to FDIC-backed banking and significant tax deductions.
Making it Family Friendly
Another key indicator that marijuana will soon become far more available across the country is the parallel public policy initiatives that control how and where it can be sold. In most cases, this is a bad sign. Take cigarettes, for example. Even though they are widely available, new policies restrict their distribution and sale all the time.
However, with marijuana, introducing parameters is a good sign because it smooths the pathway for them to be accepted in states that may have never considered them before. Providing the compliance of Child Resistant Packaging is clear and available.
The state of Maine is a great example. In 2016, voters passed an initiative legalizing the possession and cultivation of cannabis. That led to recreational use and sale in 2020. For all lawmakers concerned about endangering the youth of America, caveats were introduced into the law. These related directly to child-resistant packaging and ensuring nothing looked like toys, candy or represented a celebrity.
This is the best signal for other states. It demonstrates that, with compromise, the mass sale of cannabis is possible and lucrative. What’s the result? In 2020 alone, Maine brought in $266 million in medical cannabis sales. That is more than both potatoes and blueberries combined – two critical crops to the state.
The Non-Profits Have Joined In
The people celebrating this gradual change are the hardworking non-profits pushing policy change. Groups that were once maligned to the “extreme” magazines and online forums by lawmakers are now leading the charge for mass legalization.
A great example is the NORML Foundation. This group was established in 1997 to educate the public on how valuable marijuana is as a legal crop and to alleviate the pains and social implications of victims of the current laws and legal system.
More and more of these non-profits are popping up all the time, and that is another good sign. It demonstrates that the public sentiment toward making marijuana legal, from cannabis-infused spaghetti sauce to child-resistant balm applicators, has progressed from idea to action.
Organizations like NORML actively lobby lawmakers by producing facts, figures, and demonstrated proof of the financial, medical, and social benefits of changing the classification of marijuana. The simple goal? Flip the dialogue and hate speech made popular by the so-called war on drugs on its head and show the reality instead. When marijuana is used by consented adults in balanced amounts, it is significantly less dangerous than cigarettes or alcohol – both of which are legal.
Where Do We Go Next?
What do all these policy shifts mean for the future? Hopefully, businesses and individuals will be given more freedom to buy, sell, grow, and cultivate their cannabis and related products. The free market will once again thrive under the infusion of much-needed cash crops related to hemp, jute, cannabis, and anything else wrapped into the marijuana debate.
As for us at MSN Packaging, we can only continue to provide the premium custom cannabis packaging our clients require. This way, we help elevate these businesses with the materials needed to remain compliant with state laws while having vibrant marketing opportunities to expand and grow into the future. Visit our shop today to discover some of our more popular packaging designs, then give us a call so we can address your needs.
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