'President Trump's Endorsement Represents A Sea Change In Cannabis Policy,' Says Trulieve CEO As Advocacy Groups Join Forces

The National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR) and U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC) announced a merger, uniting their efforts to represent leading multi-state and single-state cannabis operators, retailers, ancillary businesses and advocacy organizations on Capitol Hill.

The U.S. Cannabis Roundtable, the result of this merger, will serve as a unified voice for the cannabis industry, addressing the newly sworn-in 119th Congress and the incoming Trump administration. This consolidated organization will represent businesses operating in 38 states, as well as a significant portion of the 13,000 retail locations and nearly 450,000 full-time employees within the state-licensed cannabis sector.

"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," said Charlie Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs Inc CRLBF and chairperson of both NCR and USCC.

"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."

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump supported a states' rights legislative approach to cannabis, including reclassifying it from Schedule I to Schedule III and backing the SAFE Banking Act — key priorities for NCR and USCC.

"President Trump's endorsement represents a sea change in cannabis policy and advocacy," said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve Cannabis Corp TCNNF and vice chair of NCR. "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."

NCR and USCC will deploy an advocacy team including former members of Congress and a former Trump senior advisor, among others. The cannabis priorities of the organization and its advocates focus on reform initiatives and will include:

●     Rescheduling cannabis to Schedule III

●     Passing states' rights legislation that allows each state to make its own decision on cannabis policy

●     Enacting cannabis Banking Legislation (the SAFE/SAFER Banking Act)

●     Ending the scenario that allows foreign cannabis companies to list on the NASDAQ and NYSE while prohibiting state-licensed U.S. cannabis companies from doing the same. 

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