Congressman Earl Blumenauer To Speak At International Cannabis Business Conference

The International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC), taking place Saturday, September 13th and Sunday, September 14th at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon, will include a presentation by US Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), one of the biggest congressional allies of the cannabis industry. Representative Blumenauer’s pragmatic and sensible approach to pursuing common sense reform has elevated our national discourse regarding the need to treat licensed and regulated cannabis businesses as any other business.

Recently, the congressman launched a campaign ad stressing the need for the federal government to allow states to implement cannabis regulations. ”Our marijuana laws don’t work and cost the government billions,” Rep. Blumenauer states in the ad. “Let states set their own laws — tax it, use the money to fund education and let the police focus on real drug abuse.”

As a state legislator, Earl Blumenauer supported the Oregon Decriminalization Bill of 1973, which abolished criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana becoming the first state in the nation to do so. After serving as Multnomah County commissioner and Portland City Commissioner he was elected to the US Congress in 1996. He currently serves on the Ways and Means Committee and the Budget Committee and works to improve cannabis laws across the board at the federal level. He has championed several legislative efforts to improve our nation’s marijuana policy and is at the forefront trying to amend the IRS code provision 280E to allow standard deductions for businesses operating within state law. Representative Blumenauer will give an update on his work at the federal level, focusing on this very important tax issue.

“I’ve been working with my colleagues in Congress to acknowledge what a majority of the American public already knows: that our marijuana policies have failed and that it’s time to find a new way forward,” Blumenauer said. “That means fixing things like the 280E tax provision that prohibits small, legal marijuana businesses from deducting the same expenses as other businesses, forcing them to close their doors, or driving them underground and encouraging evasion.”

“As a constituent of Representative Blumenauer, I am proud to cast my vote for an elected official that understands the importance of ending the harmful consequences of cannabis prohibition. Not only does he support sensible cannabis regulations, but he also takes great care in learning about important issues. And when he finds an important cause to fight for, he does so with strong facts and a sensible approach that increases support for the cause,” stated Anthony Johnson, Executive Director of the Oregon Cannabis Industry Association and co-organizer of the International Cannabis Business Conference.

“His Portland-area constituents have known about Representative Blumenauer’s important reform work for a long time. It is great that his message has gone mainstream across the nation. We know that conference attendees will be informed and entertained by his presentation and we only hope that we add to the momentum,” remarked Alex Rogers, CEO of Ashland Alternative Health and Northwest Alternative Health and lead producer of the ICBC.