At first glance, you might be shocked to hear the Altria Group (a gigantic cigarette company best known for its Marlboro brand) recently dropped a $2.4 billion investment into the Cronos Group, Canadian dispensary. However, in some ways, this is not too shocking. After all, cigarettes are one of the most profitable legal (and addictive) substances currently on the market, so you may have guessed that a big player wanted to take part in the marijuana industry. However, did you know that cigarette companies aren’t the only groups to have interest in pot? Accordingly, some members of the alcohol industry have also taken the marijuana effort to heart and, in a surprising twist, are demanding the prohibition of the little green plant to be put to a stop. Sow what has fueled this bizarre decision? Let’s take a look at what exactly happened.
Big Players and Pot
Interestingly, the little green plant has gotten huge support from a massive member of the alcohol industry. As part of the movement, the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) participated in a briefing on Capitol Hill to urge the government to legalize marijuana on the federal level. Based on a report from Marijuana Movement, WSWA became the first renowned alcohol producer to show full support for the legalization of weed in the United States in July 2018. Now, the group is begging the federal government to use existing restrictions on alcohol as a framework for future marijuana laws.
What the WSWA Has Suggested
Ultimately, the WSWA has urged the regulation of cannabis to ensure security for the drug and for the people who use it. As part of its proposed program, the group has suggested:
- Age requirement of 21 years (no exceptions)
- Tight standards for drug-impaired driving
- Rigorous restrictions on common carrier deliveries
- Hours of sale for marijuana that reflect existing hours of sale for alcohol
Likewise, the WSWA has not recommended any practices of vertical integration (when one company oversees multiple production stages that are typically monitored by other groups) or rules for tax collection, license penalties, and additional elements.
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