Ulterior motives are certainly behind the lobbying efforts
Cannabis companies aren’t the only ones looking for cannabis reform. Big Tobacco and Big Alcohol are also now working with lobbyists to try and push efforts to legalize cannabis on the federal level, and the reasons are certainly obvious. As both have seen dips in revenue, deals they’re making with cannabis companies will see new growth explosions that could rival all their past efforts.
For example, tobacco is a dying crop in the US, as well as across the globe. Where it used to be found in over 85% of homes in the country, it is now in less than 15%. That’s a huge drop in revenue and Altria, which is behind Marlboro cigarettes, is looking for a way to stop the financial hemorrhaging. It hooked up with Cronos Group, injecting $1.8 billion in the company, in preparation of a new, international cannabis market that is going to dominate within a few years.
Constellation Brands, the company behind Corona beer, is also looking to the future and has partnered with Canopy Growth. The two are exploring non-alcoholic beverages infused with cannabidiol (CBD) in anticipation of the $30 billion CBD beverage industry that is about to come.
The die has been cast and cannabis is here to stay. Big corporations want to make sure that they can capitalize on the industry as much as possible and have the experience and power to help influence decisions on Capitol Hill. These relationships are going to prove to be vital and could be the catalyst to help propel the federal government into making decisions on cannabis sooner, rather than later.