Contrary to Sean Spicer’s Statements, Recreational Cannabis Legalization Can Bring More Regulation According to MJ Freeway

By Jason Owen

DENVER, Feb. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer made comments pertaining to the Administration’s cannabis policy that were unfavorable toward recreational marijuana, and suggested “greater enforcement” of Federal laws in recreational cannabis states.

Spicer said, “I think there’s a big difference between medical marijuana, which in states where it’s allowed…have set forth a process to administer and regulate that usage versus recreational marijuana, and that’s a very, very different subject.”

The sharp distinction Spicer draws between medical cannabis and recreational cannabis does not reflect the evolution of the industry or the realities of regulation.

In fact, on the whole, recreational, or adult-use states, often have stricter regulations, including seed-to-sale compliance tracking, product testing, and business licensing requirements, than medical-use-only states. Oregon, Washington, and Colorado — all states with operational adult-use cannabis programs — have strong regulation and compliance requirements aimed at increasing public, product, and patient safety, including:

State monitored seed-to-sale tracking along the entire chain of custody to prevent product diversion and facilitate swift product recalls
Stricter product testing requirements for pesticides, mold, and other harmful substances
Purchasing limits for adult-use customers
Licensing requirements that standardize business practices around safety and public protection

California, for example, the U.S.’s oldest legal medical-use cannabis state, will enact a recreational program in 2018 that will bring greater visibility and oversight to the industry, including a state-monitored seed-to-sale tracking system.

As MJ Freeway Chief Operating Officer, Jessica Billingsley explains, “If ‘regulation,’ as Spicer stated, is the Administration’s primary concern in medical versus recreational states then allowing more states to exercise states’ rights and pass recreational or adult-use laws has historically brought more regulation to the cannabis industry. MJ Freeway invented seed-to-sale tracking technology in 2010, and since then we have seen responsible regulation grow as the industry has grown.”

Enforcing tougher Federal regulation in adult-use states ignores the will of the people who voted to legalize adult use and rewinds the clock on the progress the cannabis industry has made to improve regulation, testing, and public safety. MJ Freeway strongly believes that with responsible regulation, tracking, and testing, adult use and medical cannabis legalization have positive benefits to communities, states, and our country as a whole.

“Letting states regulate legal cannabis use has led to much good for our nation from access to safe, uniquely beneficial medicine to the influx of millions of dollars in tax revenue that fixes roads and educates our children. The states’ rights cannabis legal states have exercised to govern according to their states’ needs has created the fastest growing industry in the U.S. To interfere with responsible regulation would be a mistake, and MJ Freeway will fight for continuing legalization and responsible regulation,” states Billingsley.

About MJ Freeway: MJ Freeway® is the industry-leading software solution for cannabis businesses having processed more than $5B in sales with clients in 23 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Europe, South America, and Australia. Founded in 2010 by technologists creating tech specifically for cannabis businesses, MJ Freeway’s tracking software includes patent-pending inventory control and grow management applications to streamline workflow and increase efficiency. MJ Freeway’s Leaf Data Systems software solution enables governments to track cannabis plants from seed-to-sale and ensure patient, public, and product safety. MJ Freeway also offers a complete suite of professional consulting services for cannabis businesses. For more information, call 888-932-6537 or visit mjfreeway.com.