April 23, 2018
By Lori Sharn

Two tax-exempt organizations for the marijuana industry—a trade association and a group focused on lobbying—announced a new federation to advance shared objectives.

Under a memorandum of understanding announced April 20, the two organizations created the Cannabis Trade Federation as a vehicle for pooling resources and working collaboratively.

The founding partners are the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH), a 501(c)(6) trade group, and the New Federalism Fund, which organized as a 501(c)(4) "social welfare" organization in 2017 to advocate for state-first regulation of state-based marijuana businesses.

The federation's objectives include maintaining the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment, which prohibits using federal funds to prosecute state-legal medical marijuana operations, and expanding those protections to recreational use in states where it is legal for adults.

"The story is about unifying the industry and making sure people are working hand in hand," ATACH founder and lead consultant Michael Bronstein told Marijuana Business Daily.

Meanwhile, another trade group, the National Cannabis Industry Association, is working to cooperate more with state and local trade groups through its new Allied Association Program.

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