The following statement was issued by the CEOs of Akerna, Anacostia Organics, Bridge City Collective, Canopy Growth, Central Coast Agriculture, Columbia Care, Cresco Labs, Cronos Group, Curaleaf, Flower One, Flowhub, Forian, Holistic Industries, HOUSEPLANT, NuProject, PAX Labs, PharmaCann, Schwazze, TGIG and Wana Brands, which are members of the U.S. Cannabis Council:

“We are leaders in America's rapidly-growing regulated cannabis industry. With over 300,000 employees and $18 billion in revenue last year, our industry generates substantial local and state tax revenue and fuels economic growth. It is frankly unconscionable that countless Americans are in prison or struggling to overcome criminal records because they bought or sold the product at the very core of our business.

“Advocates for cannabis reform cheered when President Biden pledged on the campaign trail to decriminalize cannabis and grant a blanket pardon. 'Anyone who has a record should be let out of jail, their records expunged,' he pledged. We are now many months into the Biden presidency, and there has been no action on this front.

“Cannabis prohibition has negatively impacted millions of Americans -- Black Americans most severely of all. Ending cannabis prohibition and expunging records for non-violent offenses is vital to criminal justice reform and racial equity. What's more, over two-thirds of Americans support legalization, and 36 states have legalized medical and/or adult-use cannabis. Cannabis should be a signature issue for a president looking to unite the nation, strengthen the economy and address historic wrongs.

“As leaders in the cannabis industry, we urgently call on President Biden to meet this historic moment by issuing a blanket pardon for non-violent cannabis offenses. We stand ready to meet with the Administration and work together with Congress to advance a broad range of criminal justice and social equity initiatives as we bring a close to the cannabis prohibition era.”

The statement was signed by the following cannabis industry CEOs (alphabetical by last name):

David Alport, CEO of Bridge City CollectiveCharlie Bachtell, CEO of Cresco LabsDan Barton, CEO of Forian, Inc.Joe Bayern, CEO of CuraleafJessica Billingsley, CEO of AkernaAdam Cahan, CEO of PAX LabsJohn De Friel, CEO of Central Coast AgricultureJustin Dye, CEO of SchwazzeJosh Genderson, CEO of Holistic IndustriesLinda Mercado Greene, CEO of Anacostia OrganicsJeannette Ward Horton, CEO of NuProjectDavid Klein, CEO of Canopy GrowthDemetri Kouretas, CEO of TGIG, LLCMikey Mohr, CEO of HOUSEPLANTBrett Novey, CEO of PharmaCann Inc.Kellen O'Keefe, CEO of Flower OneKurt Schmidt, CEO of Cronos GroupKyle Sherman, CEO of FlowhubNick Vita, CEO of Columbia CareNancy Whiteman, CEO of Wana Brands]]>