For an industry that has spent the better part of a decade winning local battles for legitimacy, it is easy to assume the momentum is on our side.
Public opinion has shifted, markets have expanded, and cannabis is no longer a fringe issue in the way it once was. However, opposition groups like Smart Approaches to Marijuana have remained focused and consistent. They are active in Washington, active in statehouses across the country, and increasingly active internationally. Their position is clear, and they continue to organize around it.
In some cases, they are still actively working to roll back progress. We have seen prohibitionist efforts tied to groups like SAM surface in markets like Massachusetts, Maine, and Arizona - reminders that even in states with established adult-use cannabis markets, nothing is fully settled.
The cannabis industry has learned over time that progress is rarely permanent. Every step forward, whether it is a new market, a regulatory win, or a shift in public perception, requires continued engagement to protect and build on it.
It is also worth recognizing what that progress has meant. As legalization has expanded, it has helped reduce the disproportionate enforcement of cannabis laws that impacted minority communities for decades. That reality was a driving force behind much of the early advocacy that brought this industry to where it is today.
As markets have matured and legalization has become more normalized, some of those original coalitions have understandably shifted their focus. That makes it even more important for today’s industry to stay engaged and aligned, because the work of protecting that progress is far from over.
The challenge is that cannabis, by its nature, represents a wide range of stakeholders.
It is a broad and evolving ecosystem. Plant-touching operators, ancillary businesses, investors, scientists, and advocates are all part of the same industry, but they often approach it from different angles and with different priorities. That diversity can help fuel growth and innovation when channeled appropriately.
Today, that ecosystem increasingly includes both state-regulated cannabis and the rapidly evolving cannabinoid market. These segments do not always move in lockstep, and at times they have operated in parallel or even in tension. However, from a policy and public perception standpoint, they are more connected than ever.
At this stage, the industry has an opportunity, and a responsibility, to find common ground across these segments. The conversations happening in Washington and in statehouses are not neatly separated. They are shaping the future of cannabis and its derivatives together.
Policy is still being shaped in real time at the federal level and across the states. Issues like banking access, taxation, and regulatory clarity are unsettled questions. They are active conversations, influenced every day by the people and organizations who show up to participate in them.
Organizations like the National Cannabis Industry Association, along with a wide range of partners and state-based associations, play an important role in helping to bring the industry together around shared priorities. They provide a forum for coordination, a platform for advocacy, and a way to translate the needs of businesses into policy conversations that lawmakers can understand.
That work is often behind the scenes and does not always come with immediate or visible returns. However, it is foundational to how this industry continues to move forward, and it only works if the industry participates in it.
No single company or segment of the industry is going to drive change on its own. Progress requires a level of coordination and consistency that extends beyond any one business or market. It requires people to show up not just when it is convenient, but when it counts.
That is something the opposition understands well. They are organized, persistent, and approach this as a long-term effort. Their influence comes from sustained engagement over time.
With midterm elections on the horizon, many of the policymakers who will shape the next phase of cannabis policy are about to be decided. That makes industry engagement now even more important — not just in Washington, but in states across the country where the future of these markets will continue to be defined.
Cannabis has the opportunity to meet the moment in its own way by leaning into what has always made it work: a broad, engaged community willing to come together around shared goals. While total agreement on every issue is unrealistic in such a multifaceted industry, we can continue to make progress by identifying where alignment exists and showing up to support it.
This industry has come as far as it has through collective effort, and what comes next will depend on whether that collective effort continues.
Adam Rosenberg is Chairman of the Board of the National Cannabis Industry Association, focused on bringing together cannabis stakeholders to advance coordinated policy and long-term industry growth.