- Emily Drayton, Staff Writer
Gaetz Gets It: Buy American Cannabis
About a year ago we felt the earth shift when Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval threw hands with the alcohol industry. Though it ended up in court, by then the legal cannabis industry was on its feet and cranking out revenues that are now 140% of the estimates. Total victory.
Notable in the fight: an American elected official boldly and loudly sided with the state's cannabis industry, and acknowledged its ability to contribute to the state. Historic.
Adjust your lens outward a few clicks to the "international level." This week the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) approved the importation of CBD and THC from cannabis behemoth Tilray in Canada (whose legal market opens in about a month).
From MarketWatch: "Tilray announced early Tuesday that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration signed off on the company’s plan to import a marijuana product from Canada in order to test its effectiveness in treating essential tremor. In an interview with MarketWatch on Thursday, (US Representative Matt) Gaetz said the U.S. has the opportunity to build its own cannabis industry and he sees little reason to divert potential wealth to Canada."
Now ask yourself in what other industry would the American government only allow product from another country? Especially when that product is readily available, in bountiful amounts, grown by Americans, manufactured by Americans... Any others? Cars? Computers? Soy Beans?
And especially when there are more than 25 applications from American companies to do the job.
"The lack of action is squarely the DEA’s fault, Gaetz said, pointing a finger at former acting head Robert Patterson and calling his lack of knowledge about the industry “embarrassing.” Following Patterson’s testimony earlier this year, Gaetz said it was “easy” to see why the DEA hadn’t approved more American companies for medical cannabis production.", explained in the MarketWatch article.
What the federal government is doing to American cannabis is an abomination against American workers and American consumers. The passion Rep. Gaetz brought yesterday speaks volumes:
"We just have to be not so stupid as to impair our own progress,” Gaetz said in a phone interview. “There is no reason for us to be creating wealth in Canada for cannabis companies by importing Canadian weed.”