One of the nation\u2019s leading marijuana reform organizations is undergoing some major changes as it fights to restore a level of funding that has enabled it to help end cannabis criminalization in states across the U.S. And as that philanthropic support has gradually dissipated amid an increasingly challenging political and economic environment, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is now considering a variety of paths forward\u2014including a possible merger with NORML\u2014Marijuana Moment has learned.<\/p>\n
MPP hasn\u2019t publicized the fact that its executive director, Toi Hutchinson, recently stepped down and has been temporarily replaced by longtime senior staffer Matthew Schweich. But part of the reason for that silence is because the organization is still reconciling with the restructuring. MPP staffers revealed in interviews that the organization, at least for now, is suspending its ballot campaign arm, meaning it will be exclusively focusing on state legislatures due to financial restraints.<\/p>\n
As the organization considers next steps and seeks a permanent executive director, officials have also been engaging in preliminary talks between MPP and NORML about a potential merger, though nothing has been finalized.<\/p>\n
MPP was founded in 1995, before any state had even legalized medical cannabis. In the nearly three decades since its founding, the organization has helped put marijuana on the ballot and enacted legalization through diverse legislatures in numerous jurisdictions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do believe that we were victims of our own success,\u201d Schweich told Marijuana Moment. \u201cWe\u2019re highly effective. We passed so many laws through so many states and so many ballot initiatives. And people just got used to our success.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said MPP is still in \u201ca strong position long-term to maintain its current operations,\u201d and the rationale behind the restructuring \u201cis to ensure that we can operate effectively for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that\u2019s important to know\u2014but if people want there to be a stronger MPP like we saw in the past, we\u2019re going to need philanthropic donors to return to the fold,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is just not sustainable to maintain the type of scale that we should have without philanthropic donors returning to help our costs.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the early days of MPP, those philanthropic donors were key to funding often expensive ballot campaigns. As the group put wins on the board\u2014and businesses emerged in a seemingly lucrative new industry\u2014that philanthropic support started to dry up. Schweich said that charitable donors asked the question: shouldn\u2019t operators in the newly legal cannabis industry \u201cstep up and fill that gap?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn certain situations, that has happened. There are certain cannabis companies that have been tremendous allies over the years in different states at different times,\u201d the MPP interim executive director said. \u201cBut for the most part, it\u2019s proving to be very difficult to maintain the scale of MPP with a whole-on ballot initiative team given the fundraising landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s another factor behind the shakeup. While most Americans live in a state where there\u2019s some form of regulated access to cannabis\u2014often thanks to the work of MPP and other advocacy organizations like NORML\u2014grassroots funding to continue their work is not at a sustainable level. And convincing the everyday marijuana consumer that their small-dollar donations could make the difference for people living under prohibition in other states has been challenging.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of the hardest positions to be in\u2014when all the people that you need funding and resources from look at everybody else like, \u2018Why should I have to do it?’\u201d Hutchinson told Marijuana Moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, we still have an industry that is not as inclusive to Black and brown folks as it should be. We still have people who are living every single day with the remnants of the war on drugs\u2014both on their own personal records and what it did to communities, whole swaths of communities,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd we have a reality right now where the benefit of stigma coming down is not translating into an increased understanding of how we need to continue this work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hutchinson is no longer executive director of MPP\u2014but she says that its \u201cmission is so wrapped around my heart, there\u2019s no way I could let go of that.\u201d She said she had to make an ethical calculation: continue to take a paycheck to represent the organization, or depart so that the team she admires and previously worked with as an Illinois state legislator fighting for reform could continue its operations, even in a more limited capacity.<\/p>\n
In conversations with Marijuana Moment, MPP staff expressed serious appreciation and respect for Hutchinson, who they would like to see come back to lead the group if the currently tumultuous funding conditions allow for it. Hutchinson returned the praise to the team, and emphasized that \u201cthe door is never going to be closed for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
For now, however, Schweich has found himself in a familiar position\u2014taking the helm of MPP amid a leadership changeup. MPP was founded in the mid-90s by Rob Kampia, a former NORML staffer, but he stepped down in 2017, after which point Schweich took over in an interim executive role for nearly a year before the position was filled by Steve Hawkins. Then Hawkins left in 2021, and the organization hired Hutchinson later that year<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the same time, Schweich is also leading South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML), which is actively signature gathering to put legalization on that red state\u2019s 2024 ballot.<\/p>\n Schweich has repeatedly said that he would not run a full-fledged South Dakota campaign again if he wasn\u2019t sure the funding would be there. That hasn\u2019t changed. If it doesn\u2019t ultimately make sense for MPP to back the campaign, \u201cI\u2019m not making an exception\u201d for the state, he said. Marijuana reform will be further delayed in South Dakota without the right financing\u2014and that\u2019s just one example of the plight that states across the country that continue to live under prohibition could face if the top national cannabis group doesn\u2019t find a way to restore adequate funding.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really a shame that we\u2019re no longer able to play a leading role in initiatives,\u201d Karen O\u2019Keefe, MPP\u201ds director of state polices who focuses on state legislatures, told Marijuana Moment. \u201cThere are states where cannabis consumers will have to suffer under prohibition for a decade or more longer probably because there\u2019s just not the funding there to get voters there, per se.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy not having the funding to put this issue on the ballot, it delays progress in those states considerably,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd it also doesn\u2019t have that message [to state legislatures]\u2014especially in this high turnout election year, when we would presumably see a lot better results that can help spur quicker action in all of their neighboring states and in Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you know, our team, as a state legislative team, we know how to stretch a dollar. It\u2019s much cheaper to do state legislation. But frankly, there are only so many states where it\u2019s ripe,\u201d she said. \u201cIt takes time to build the support for states.\u201d<\/p>\n The situation at present is not ideal for reform advocates. Supporters are excited about the prospects of congressional reform on marijuana banking. There are hopes for federal rescheduling after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) advised the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). But the ability of groups like MPP to do the hard work of changing policy at the state level is being undermined, and the organization is unsure how to effectively communicate to its base and consumers in legal states the necessity of stepping up.<\/p>\n \u201cThe need for direct grassroots involvement at the consumer level is critical,\u201d Hutchinson said. \u201cBut breaking through the noise to tap into that possibility is harder than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you get the point across?\u201d she said. \u201cThe need for grassroots consumers is significant. And you want to balance that with, \u2018Yes, you want money from industry. Yes, you want the industry to step up and invest in advocacy change,\u2019 because that\u2019s what created them in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n But as the industry is increasingly consolidated\u2014with businesses struggling against their own challenges such as major barriers to financial services like banking and capital under federal prohibition, along with the 280E tax penalty\u2014part of the problem is that even much of the marijuana market is finding itself financially strained. And MPP recognizes that.<\/p>\n The stakes are high, but the organization has also made clear that the difficult decisions it\u2019s made are strategic. They\u2019re meant to ensure that MPP not only survives the current tumult, but continues to secure wins with its limited resources.<\/p>\n In addition to Hutchinson, at least two key MPP staffers have recently left. Jared Moffat used to serve as state campaigns manager at the organization. And while part of the reasoning was that he wanted to focus on his separate work with New Approach enacting psychedelics reform in states like California and Massachusetts, he also acknowledges that \u201cthe ballot initiative landscape for MPP and the broader movement has changed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019s the reality is that we used to be in a position where we were able to raise resources and basically run campaigns\u2014and nowadays that\u2019s changed a lot,\u201d Moffat told Marijuana Moment. \u201cI think there was a lot of discussion around my role and whether the sort of ballot initiative work could continue the way it has. So in that way, I felt like it was not disruptive for me to leave MPP because the ballot landscape has changed.\u201d<\/p>\n DeVaughn Ward also recently departed the organization after three years serving as senior legislative counsel.<\/p>\n Sal Pace, chair of MPP\u2019s board of directors, told Marijuana Moment that the organization\u2019s changeup is about intentionally moving resources \u201cfrom the initiative team to the legislative team,\u201d though he noted they are actively playing a \u201csupportive role\u201d in a ballot campaign to legalize marijuana in Ohio, where voters will decide on the reform next month.<\/p>\n Pace said it\u2019s still possible that MPP may \u201cdecide to devote resources to initiatives in 2024 if the right situation arises,\u201d but for the time being, \u201cwe have moved staff resources from initiatives into legislative work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMPP has always been a pragmatic organization, funded fairly evenly from philanthropists, small donors and the industry. We\u2019re still a multi-million dollar entity, but with the challenges that the industry has faced in recent years, we\u2019ve seen industry support slip,\u201d he said. \u201cJust like any well-run business, we are moving around resources to ensure they do the most good. This will turn around eventually (eliminating the burdens of 280E with a rescheduling will help); and we will be a stronger and more efficient organization because of it.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s also an elephant in the room, although it\u2019s unclear just how big it is: Marijuana Moment has learned about talks between MPP and the nation\u2019s other leading cannabis reform group NORML about a potential merger.<\/p>\n These conversations have largely happened at the board level, and MPP officials have stressed that these talks are \u201cpreliminary.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are having very early discussions with NORML about various ways that we might partner with them to achieve our mutual cannabis reform goals,\u201d Pace said. \u201cWe\u2019re considering many options for potential collaboration, but there\u2019s nothing new to share right now.\u201d<\/p>\n On the one hand, combining the grassroots, consumer-focused appeal and sizable email list of NORML with the buttoned-up, politically connected approach that MPP specializes in could serve both groups well. But on the other hand, the simple fact that these talks have happened at all to some extent underscores the reality that the nonprofit marijuana policy reform sector is not what it used to be. All advocacy work is suffering in the new environment. NORML itself has not filled a vacant executive director position left by Erik Altieri in March as that group decides who should lead it through the dense policy terrain.<\/p>\n \u201cThe discussions are a preliminary stage,\u201d MPP\u2019s Schweich said. \u201cAnd they are discussions related to a possible merger\u2014but also deeper collaboration. And given the fundraising landscape of the cannabis reform community, I think it\u2019s prudent for the boards to be having those conversations. But they\u2019re still very early on in that process.\u201d<\/p>\n Members of the NORML board of directors declined to comment on the record for this story.<\/p>\n While MPP and NORML staff have historically had a productive and collaborative relationship, Kampia\u2019s transition from NORML staff to MPP founder was marked by controversy and resulting tension between leadership.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Hawkins also led the largely industry-focused U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC) at the same time he helmed MPP, and there were some concerns about whether the organizational overlap was undermining MPP as both groups worked to achieve similar, but not always identical, goals.<\/p>\n Hutchinson, for recently departed MPP executive director, stressed that \u201cwe need people to understand that we still need all hands on deck.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe still need engagement. We still we need grassroots donors, small donors, philanthropic donors, industry folks, people who are trying to get in the industry,\u201d she said. \u201cWe need people to understand that there are still markets to open. There are still laws to change. There\u2019s still lots to say. Cannabis is nowhere near done.\u201d<\/p>\n Key House Committee Again Blocks Amendments To End Marijuana Testing For Federal Job Applicants<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Top Marijuana Advocacy Groups Consider Merging Amid Fundraising Challenges And Leadership Transitions<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
One of the nation\u2019s leading marijuana reform organizations is undergoing some major changes as it fights to restore a level of funding that has enabled it to help end cannabis criminalization in states across the U.S. And as that philanthropic support has gradually dissipated amid an increasingly challenging political andContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69068"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69068"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69068\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69069,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69068\/revisions\/69069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The possibility of an MPP and NORML merger<\/h3>\n
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\nRead More: Top Marijuana Advocacy Groups Consider Merging Amid Fundraising Challenges And Leadership Transitions<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"