Steven Hawkins is President and CEO of the US Cannabis Council, a first-of-its-kind strategic alliance that combines the collective resources of leading cannabis companies and prominent advocacy organizations to speak in one voice to end federal cannabis prohibition and create an equitable and values-driven cannabis industry. Until December, he also served as Executive Director of the Marijuana Policy Project, a leading national organization advancing legalization of cannabis for adult use and medical treatment.

Hawkins began his career as a civil rights attorney and has served in national leadership roles at organizations advancing civil and human rights and criminal justice reform. He was previously Executive Vice President of the NAACP, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, President of the Coalition for Public Safety and Executive Director of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. He is a graduate of Harvard College and NYU School of Law.