Technology

Cannabis Association Introduces Interactive Policy Map

For anyone looking for state-specific marijuana policy or market estimates, the National Cannabis Industry Association's interactive map will be a helpful resource.

A new interactive policy map from the National Cannabis Industry Association will make it easier to find up-to-date information on marijuana laws and regulations across the 50 states.

“The cannabis industry is highly regulated and incredibly complicated, but our new map hits some of the most critical categories to give cannabis entrepreneurs and policymakers a valuable primer on markets across the nation,” NCIA Executive Director Aaron Smith said in a statement.

The map, which will be hosted and updated regularly by NCIA member CannaRegs, will present the current status of marijuana regulations and markets state by state, including medical- and adult-use laws, fee structures for applications and licenses, residency requirements, and qualifications for medical marijuana cards, as well as counts for cannabis cultivation licenses, dispensaries, manufacturers, and testing labs. New Frontier will provide the financial information and sales estimates based on its annual report covering legal marijuana markets in the U.S.

NCIA wanted to compile this information in a digestible way for people who access its website as an introduction to the cannabis industry. “It is laid out in a clean visual format, it is all in one place, and it’s staying up-to-date in something close to real time,” NCIA Deputy Director Taylor West told Associations Now.

She explained that the information will be particularly helpful for entrepreneurs breaking into the cannabis industry, those already in the industry wanting to expand to a new state, and members of the media looking to compare marijuana regulations across states.

“This is information that we know people come to us and ask for, so it’s exciting that we can now make it accessible in such an easy way,” West said.

Though NCIA wants to continue to increase the information available online, West said it also wants to be careful not to complicate the map too much. “We want it to be informative for people, but we also want to make sure it is a resource designed for everyone, that it doesn’t go so far into the weeds and the details that some of the baseline information gets lost.”

CannaRegs demonstrated the interactive map earlier this month at NCIA’s Cannabis Business Summit & Expo. The subscription service company will also offer NCIA members who sign up for the full marijuana information service a 15 percent discount.

“We are thrilled to help facilitate a service that will enable NCIA members to acquaint themselves with the regulatory landscapes of all 50 states,” CannaRegs Founder Amanda Ostrowitz said in the release. “As the industry continues to evolve, it will become increasingly apparent that regulatory compliance is the foundation of successful businesses, and that easy access to all the law and regulation will be increasingly critical. As the laws continue to evolve the map will too, so check back in often.”

(iStock/Thinkstock)

Alex Beall

By Alex Beall

Alex Beall is an associate editor for Associations Now with a masters in journalism and a penchant for Instagram. MORE

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