By national craft cannabis Unionis made up of state-level advocacy groups in Oregon, California, Washington, Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts, and began with the SHIP Act introduced by Rep. was formed to promote the policy of Huffman (D-CA).
of transport The (Small and Homestead Independent Producers) Act allows craft growers to ship and sell weed directly to consumers when marijuana is federally legalized. If passed, the bill will take effect when marijuana is removed from its current Schedule 1 status and all criminal penalties under federal law on marijuana are removed.
“The federal government often lags behind, and the wheels of Congress are too slow to keep up with the changing pace of the economy,” said Rep. Huffman.
“Under my bill, when the outdated federal cannabis ban is finally repealed, people in our state will be able to ship products directly to consumers. This law is critical for farmers to survive and scale their small businesses, as businesses keep local producers out of the market.”
Under the SHIP Act, a qualified cannabis grower is someone who grows:
- Canopy of 18 mature flowering marijuana plants under 1 acre using outdoor cultivation
- 22,000 square feet or less of canopy for marijuana plants using greenhouse cultivation
- Canopy of mature flowering marijuana plants of 5,000 square feet or less using indoor cultivation
Smaller and craft producers, especially when the final product needs to be packaged and sold through a third party, sees large multistate operators that can expand exponentially more canopy space at a fraction of the cost. We lament the lack of opportunity in the markets we dominate. party business. As a result, many large, vertically integrated companies are essentially buying and running their own pharmacies, growing facilities, and setting prices for small people who can’t afford to run packaging facilities. increase.
“These growers operate on a much smaller scale than traditional farms, many growing less than an acre of total canopy,” said Amanda Meztler of FARMS Inc Oregon.
“With federal legalization on the horizon, craft producers are organizing across state lines and federal policies are creating a level playing field for small, independent businesses. It’s important to make sure it’s included.”
Therefore, NCCC members collectively propose that the only way for small producers to survive is to allow them to sell directly to customers.
“The direct-to-consumer model is a necessary resource for small craft-producing communities that are deeply connected to the land where they produce, whether they produce wine, whiskey, cheese, beer, cannabis or honey. Genine Coleman, executive director of the Origins Council, said in a prepared statement:
“Traditional cannabis communities that have long operated in the shadows should have the opportunity to join other artisanal growers across the United States and enjoy the privilege of connecting personally with their adult customers.”
To date, the NCCC has grown to more than 1,000 small farms through state-level organizations such as the Origins Council (CA), FARMS Inc (OR), Washington Sun & Craft Growers Association (WA), Vermont Growers Association (VT) and Maine. We represent independent commercial cannabis growers in. Craft Cannabis Association (ME), and Farm Bug Co-Op (MA).
