• 1. SAFE Banking Act; 2. The CLIMB Act To amend any applicable federal law to permit access to community development, small business, minority development, and any other public or private financial capital sources for investment in and financing of cannabis-related legitimate businesses, and to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to create a safe harbor for national securities exchanges to list the securities of issuers that are cannabis-related legitimate businesses. 3. Amending 2014 FINCEN Treasury guidelines for banking Marijuana-related businesses and 2015 Federal Reserve depository guidelines for Marijuana-related businesses - M4MMs proposed amendments to Department of Treasury and Commerce rules and Fed Reserve depository rules for marijuana related business banking to provide regulatory financial resources for MDIs and CDFIs to provide compliant Marijuana-related banking and open Cross-Border jurisdiction depository rules for MDIs, CDFIs and Marijuana-related businesses.
• 1.Tribal Cannabis Legalization Independent of State regulations options 2.Guaranteed Hemp Revenue for Farmers Act - Allowing Hemp that tests above the 0.3 THC level, produces a Delta variant that is ruled illegal via the DEA and FDA and Hemp harvested via plant crops in the EPAs Ecological reuse programs to be repurposed for Industrial Hemp Product production, non-Consumable products or foods (increasing revenue opportunities for Minority Hemp farmers specifically). 3.Creating 420 Industrial Hemp Processors in four years Act - Currently, there are only 20 operating Hemp Processors in America, which doesnt the support the development of Industrial Hemp products for domestic usage and exporting opportunities. Providing investment and regulatory support to increase the number of Hemp licensed Processors for the Industrial Hemp Sector and creating new Hemp exporting opportunities (working with the Department of Commerce Global Export Diversity coordinator). Provide funding allocations for lending vehicle through MDIs and CDFIs for capital access for interested Hemp Processors.
• We are advocating for the passage of the following Medical Marijuana research bills: 1. H.R.2431 - Veterans Equal Access Act Sponsor: Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-21] - authorizes physicians and other health care providers employed by the VA to provide recommendations and opinions to veterans who are residents of States with State marijuana programs regarding the participation of veterans in such State marijuana programs. 2. Rep. Dina Tituss Higher Education Marijuana Research Act of 2023 Directs the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), to issue between five to 25 Schedule 1 manufacturing licenses to institutions of higher education (IHE) seeking to manufacture and distribute marijuana for research projects approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Creates a working group housed within the Department of Education to produce recommendations on how to streamline and simplify the registration process for studying marijuana at IHEs. Orders the National Institutes of Health to establish a grant program within the National Institute of Drug Abuse to study marijuana for biological, chemical, or public health research and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a grant program for the agricultural research of marijuana. M4MM recommends the following amendments. 3. S.326 - 118th Congress (2023-2024) VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2023. Sponsor: Tester, Jon [Sen.-D-MT] and H.R.1003 - 118th Congress (2023-2024) VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2023 Sponsor: Correa, J. Luis [Rep.-D-CA-46]- both bills direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a study and clinical trials on the effects of cannabis on certain health outcomes of veterans with chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes.
• We are advocating for the following amendments for the 2023 Farm Bill and Marijuana policy: 1. Hemp for American Made Biofuel Production Act - Adding Hemp to the US Biofuel production programs as a strategy to for increasing Hemp licensed Producers and diversifying our clean energy sources for ethanol/auto fuel, blended biofuel, aviation fuel, home heating, commercial heating and other fuel based applications. 2. Rep. David Trones Free to Grow Act - H.R.1428 - To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to repeal the prohibition for certain individuals convicted of a felony offense to participate in hemp production - Removing the 10-year felony ban for employment or becoming a licensee in the Hemp industry. 3. Add statutory language via the 2023 Farm Bill and Environmental Protection Agency regulatory rule to add Hemp as an EPA defined Native Plant to the Environmental Protection Agencys: oSuperfund Redevelopment Program Ecological reuse oEcological restoration and revegetation of contaminated sites oEcosystem services (ES) oGreen Remediation oRevegetating Landfills and oWaste Containment Areas as a plant crop that can be incorporated into site remediation plans for Superfund and Legacy toxic landfill sites. 4. Crop Insurance reform legislation and State implementation of Hemp programs - making Crop Insurance more accessible and cost effective to minority farmers and providing relief for failed Hemp crop production and/or loss valuation. 5. Increase access for Hemp in the USDA BioPreferred Program designates categories for federal purchasing as well as identifies certification categories for the voluntary labeling initiative. Unique biobased content minimums have been established as part of the process of designating categories for federal purchasing preference. Categories that only fall under the voluntary labeling initiative have a minimum biobased content of 25%. 6. Ensure the applicability of Hemp as an eligible environmental Construction product for the Environmental Product Information Program. This program provides $250 million to support the development and enhanced standardization and transparency of environmental product declaration for construction materials and products. 7. Harnessing Opportunities by Pursuing Expungement Act of 2023 (HOPE Act) - Rep. David Joyce and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez Bill Summary: This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make grants to states and local governments to reduce the financial and administrative burden of expunging convictions for state cannabis offenses. The bill also requires DOJ to study and report on (1) the effects on an individual of a criminal record report of a conviction for a criminal offense related to cannabis, and (2) the costs incurred for incarcerating an individual for a criminal offense related to cannabis. 12. Clean Slate Act - Rep. Lisa Blount-Rochester D-DE-At Larges Bill Summary: Establishes a framework for sealing records related to certain federal criminal offenses. Courts must automatically seal records related to (1) a conviction for simple possession of a controlled substance or for any nonviolent offense involving marijuana, or (2) an arrest for an offense that does not result in a conviction. Additionally, an individual who meets certain criteria may petition to seal records related to a conviction for other nonviolent offenses.
• Increasing economic opportunities for Minority Depository Institutions and Minority owned Media businesses with the Cannabis and Hemp Industry 1. Amending 2014 FINCEN Treasury guidelines for banking Marijuana-related businesses and 2015 Federal Reserve depository guidelines for Marijuana-related businesses - M4MMs proposed amendments to Department of Treasury and Commerce rules and Fed Reserve depository rules for marijuana related business banking to provide regulatory financial resources for MDIs and CDFIs to provide compliant Marijuana-related banking and open Cross-Border jurisdiction depository rules for MDIs, CDFIs and Marijuana-related businesses. 2. Safe Advertising Act - Senator Ben Ray Lujans Bill - Summary: The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Advertising Act, which will permit radio and television stations to accept advertising for legal cannabis products if the station is licensed in states that permit the advertising of medical or adult-use cannabis. The SAFE Advertising Act removes the risk that stations could lose their licenses if they accept ads for legal cannabis products. For stations in states that have not legalized cannabis advertising, the legislation would leave the law as it is today and would not interfere with state regulation of cannabis advertising. Legislation to protect broadcasters from penalty and provide advertising services on-air for Cannabis Companies, which opens up advertising opportunities for Black and Minority Media organizations with the Cannabis Industry. 3. Creating 420 Industrial Hemp Processors in four years Act - Currently, there are only 20 operating Hemp Processors in America, which doesnt the support the development of Industrial Hemp products for domestic usage and exporting opportunities. Providing investment and regulatory support to increase the number of Hemp licensed Processors for the Industrial Hemp Sector and creating new Hemp exporting opportunities (working with the Department of Commerce Global Export Diversity coordinator). Provide funding allocations for lending vehicle through MDIs and CDFIs for capital access for interested Hemp Processors.

Duration: February 1, 2022 to January 1, 2024

General Issues: Banking, Economics/Economic Development, Medical/Disease Research/Clinical Labs, Government Issues, Small Business, Health Issues, Veterans, Trade (Domestic & Foreign), Urban Development/Municipalities, Indian/Native American Affairs, Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities

Spending: about $71,250 (But it's complicated. Here's why.)

It can be tricky to figure out how much an organization spent on a particular lobbying engagement. The law only requires lobbyists to report the amount they were paid for federal lobbying each quarter rounded to the nearest $10,000—and if it's less than $3,000 in a given quarter (or less than $13,000 for organizations with in-house lobbyists), they don't have to disclose it at all. Plus, some organizations include spending that doesn’t belong in the report—for instance, money spent lobbying state governments or other legal work.

Agencies lobbied since 2022: House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, Agriculture - Dept of (USDA), Treasury - Dept of, Commerce - Dept of (DOC), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Interior - Dept of (DOI), Minority Business Development Agency