Here's what Marijuana experts are saying...

Detroit native and marijuana policy expert Dan Anglin, a 9-year veteran of the legal cannabis space and CEO of CannAmerica Brands, currently selling marijuana-infused products in Colorado, Nevada and Maryland:

On Michigan: “As we celebrated the world’s first adult-use cannabis marketplace in Colorado in 2012, I distinctly remember hoping the same day would eventually come for my beloved home state of Michigan. And so today is not only a celebration of sensible drug policy in the Wolverine State—it’s a celebration of personal freedom.”

Patrick Vo, CEO, BioTrackTHC:

  • On Election Day results: “In the modern cannabis market, sensible regulation should be synonymous with legalization. In order to create an industry that the general public can support, implementing tools for supply chain oversight in this emerging industry is essential. That oversight enables product safety for consumers, eliminates potential diversion, and enforces accountability to all parties involved. By continuing to bring cannabis into the light, we are slowly eroding the long-standing stigma associated with cannabis. In states whose citizens have just approved adult-use cannabis, it’s a new era. In states whose citizens have just approved medical cannabis, they’re joining a growing majority. The clock is ticking for the federal government to develop a coherent and uniform approach that will allow cannabis businesses to operate transparently and protect public safety, as in any other industry.”

  • On Missouri Results: “With Missouri joining a majority of states that have approved the medical use of cannabis, it’s critical that clear-cut guidelines are put in place to ensure products are not being diverted to the illicit market and that all parties involved are being held accountable. As we’ve seen in other emerging markets, successful programs rely on collaboration from all parties involved. Collaborative regulatory frameworks ensure patients have access to safe, lab-tested medical cannabis and that businesses are able to thrive.”

  • On Michigan Results: “We welcome Michigan to the growing number of states that are moving the cannabis industry into a more structured environment where the rules for businesses and consumers are better defined, ensuring the sustainability of the industry. Regulated sales in the adult-use market need guardrails to protect public health and prevent diversion to illicit markets, while also giving businesses the regulatory environments which allow them to thrive. At BioTrackTHC, we know firsthand that proper regulatory frameworks benefit the general public and the industry by maintaining consumer product safety, providing oversight to the regulated supply chain, and creating a transparent and accountable program.”

  • On Utah Results: “Congratulations to the voters of Utah. Even though Prop 2 passed, the preemptive action by Gov. Gary Herbert and lawmakers to create medical cannabis legislation shows Utah’s top officials have recognized the real need to create a commonsense regulatory system for medical cannabis. Tight regulations that include tracking products from seed to sale are paramount to patient safety, to ensuring products aren’t diverted to illicit markets, and that only patients who are part of the state program receive the medicine they need.”Joline Rivera, a legalization advocate and publisher of Stack Awards-shortlisted Kitchen Toke magazine.

  • Michigan: “It’s a new dawn in Michigan, the home of America’s next great adult-use cannabis market and the Midwest’s first recreational marketplace. Legalization paves the way for adults to have safer access to cannabis for health and wellness, whether they cook with it, vaporize or smoke it. That Michigan is modernizing its drug policy sends a clear message to the rest of the world that marijuana prohibition was an unjust, failed experiment that ruined untold lives and demonized a plant that is safer than most other substances available recreationally, including alcohol and nicotine.”

  • Utah: “That patients in Utah will soon be able to access medical cannabis is a significant win for modern medicine and compassionate access. We continue to expand our knowledge on the health benefits of cannabis. While legalization is no longer unique to this country, it’s still encouraging to see more and more states joining the mix by modernizing their outdated drug policy.”
  • Missouri: “Missouri’s many medical cannabis patients will soon be able to access the previously prohibited medicine, and this is a victory for compassionate access and modern medicine. In recent years we’ve greatly expanded our knowledge on the health benefits of cannabis. While legalization is no longer unique to this country, it’s still encouraging to see more states changing their outdated drug policy.”

We hope you will consider using these quotes for any election night reporting.

Kim@MyGrasslands.com

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