Pot may be illegal at the federal level but corporate giants and K Street are preparing for the push to legalize
Altria, the tobacco giant better known for Marlboros, recently took a $1.8 billion stake in the cannabis company Cronos Group. Constellation Brands, which makes Corona beer, has spent money on cannabis lobbying after making a major investment in Canopy Growth, a Canadian marijuana company. On K Street, powerhouse firms like Holland & Knight — which has represented Comcast, Google and Dow Chemical — have taken on marijuana clients.
Cannabis companies spent $2.7 million on lobbying last year — a sixfold increase over just two years ago, according to the Center for Responsive Politics — and advocates believe the latest efforts could be enough to cement the burgeoning industry’s legal status, more than six years after Colorado and Washington launched the modern legalization movement by approving ballot initiatives authorizing recreational use.Get the latest on the health care fight, every weekday morning — in your inbox.
There are now five different industry groups working to liberalize cannabis laws, including three formed within the last year. One of those fledgling groups — the Cannabis Trade Federation — boasts that it's capable of mobilizing two dozen lobbyists to twist arms on Capitol Hill if needed. “It's definitely better than it was last year, it's better than two years ago, and I think we're going to be even stronger next year,” said Andrew Smith, senior vice president of external affairs for Surterra Wellness, which operates 23 medical marijuana dispensaries in Florida.
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