Committee Activity

The Committee on Small Business will meet for a hearing titled, “Unlocked Potential? Small Businesses in the Cannabis Industry.” The hearing is scheduled to begin at 11:30 A.M. on Wednesday, June 19, 2019 in Room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

While still illegal under Federal law, over a majority of states have legalized medical cannabis use and nearly a dozen with legalized adult recreational use. As the debate about legalizing cannabis strengthens, so does its economic impact with spending in the industry projected to increase to over $20 billion by 2022. The hearing will focus on the opportunities the legitimate cannabis industry presents for small businesses in states with legal cannabis, as well as entrepreneurs from traditionally underserved communities. The hearing will also enable Members to explore the challenges currently faced by those businesses, and also those of “ancillary” or “indirect” cannabis businesses who may not be directly involved in the production or distribution of cannabis products.

Ms. Shanita Penny
President of the Board of Directors
Minority Cannabis Business Association
Portland, OR
Testimony 

Mr. Eric Goepel
Founder & CEO
Veterans Cannabis Coalition
Walnut, CA
Testimony 

Ms. Dana Chaves
Senior Vice President and Director of Specialty Banking
First Federal Bank
Lake City, FL
Testimony

Mr. Paul Larkin
John, Barbara, and Victoria Rumpel Senior Legal Research Fellow in the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies
The Heritage Foundation
Washington, DC
Testimony