Can the legal cannabis industry send one of their own to Congress?

Wanda James sings a familiar song that fans of reggae star Peter Tosh know well: “Let it be legal.”

But will that be enough for America’s $32 billion marijuana industry to join other business sectors and send their own to Washington?

James, a cannabis industry entrepreneur and CEO of Simply Pure, a licensed distributor based in Denver and who sits on the University of Colorado’s Board of Regents, is running for Congress in Colorado’s first district on a clear platform: to bring cannabis legalization forward and ensure that the industry is treated with the fairness and respect it deserves.

He is one of seven challengers so far in the race to unseat the incumbent Democratic US Rep. Diana DeGette, who has represented the Denver area in Washington since 1997, ahead of the June 30 primary.

For James, “make it legal” isn’t just a campaign slogan – it’s a personal and professional calling. President Donald Trump’s executive order signed Dec. 18 marijuana reform is a good step, but it doesn’t go far enough.

“Full legalization is the only real answer,” he said. “One thing that solves all problems – 280E, SAFE banking, landlord robbery and access to money.”

The cannabis industry’s biggest voice in Congress

With over a decade and a half of experience running dispensaries, grow facilities and an edibles company, James knows the ins and outs of the business better than most – and what cannabis practitioners need from lawmakers.

“When sessions are closed, even well-intentioned politicians who support us often don’t know how to get around cannabis policy,” he said. “I’m alive. I’ve been.”

Marijuana businesses should be treated like any other legal industry, he said.

“The average consumer thinks we are already legal, but they don’t know the truth,” he said. “Denver dispensaries can’t get to the bank. Business owners are taxed like Pablo Escobar, profits are taken away by wrong policies.

“We deserve the right to be treated like every other business that put their hearts, souls – and homes – on the line.”

The marijuana industry supports Wanda James

While Colorado’s representatives in Congress aren’t blocking progress in the cannabis industry, they’re not doing much to encourage it, said Joe Hodas, an industry veteran who was president of Boulder-based Wana Brands until April.

That creates a natural environment for James’ campaign, he said: the $32 billion marijuana industry.

“They don’t understand the industry — they don’t promote the work,” said Hodas, one of several marijuana industry figures who have contributed nearly $100,000 to Wanda’s campaign so far, according to state election documents.

“Wanda is not backing down from the fight – that’s what we need,” he added. “We don’t need self-control.”

“We want someone who says it’s the right thing to do as a country, the right thing to do for black and black people, the right thing to do in the criminal justice system and the right thing to do for people who want access and need access.”

Jamie Pearson, president of Montana-based global drug consulting firm New Holland Group, said James understands the challenges of running a compliant business under state prohibition and navigating conflicting laws.

“Having Wanda in Congress would mean having someone who deeply understands our realities, who has served his country with military honors and is currently serving in elected office representing his constituents,” said Pearson, who also contributed to James’ campaign.

“That combination of service, leadership and practical experience is rare, and it’s exactly what we need in the cannabis policy debate in Washington.”

The CEO of the National Holistic Healing Center in Washington, DC, Chanda Macias, said that James can create change without resetting, calling it a “useless burger.”

“If the cannabis industry had a voice in Congress, we would have proper education and the introduction of decent laws and a finger on what’s going on in that branch of law,” Macias said.

“We need the cannabis industry to get behind him so we can get to Congress, so we can get meaningful legislation so we can get someone who can make a difference.”

No one is new to politics, but a tough battle ahead

James is not the first to come to politics. He managed the first Congressional campaign of Gov. Jared Polis was later appointed to the National Finance Committee by former President Barack Obama.

And recently he’s been in a political pickle related to cannabis. Earlier this year, the CU Board of Regents censured him — for speaking out against a state-sponsored public service campaign that used images of black people to warn about the dangers of high-potency marijuana, which he denounced as racist.

The photos were released after James told CU President Todd Saliman that they are not racist.

Although James has experience and money behind him, Colorado political analyst Mike Dino, a Democrat, said he is unlikely to defeat DeGette.

“Wanda is scary, but voters are supporting incumbent Democrats like Congresswoman DeGette because they’ve pushed back against Trump,” Dino said.

While the legalization of cannabis is central to his campaign, James’ platform goes beyond the industry.

The political blog Colorado Pols estimates that James has a 20% chance of winning the general election, giving the test that James “may be one of the better DeGette Primary contenders in recent years, but it’s not a very high bar.”

James sees his appointment as a step to normalize the business of cannabis and break the stigma surrounding the industry not only in his home state of Colorado, but also in states where it is illegal.

“I don’t think there is anyone who lives in Congressional District 1 who feels that dispensaries, gummies and pre-rolls are not normal,” he said. “I look forward to seeing that happen across the United States.”

Margaret Jackson can be reached at margaret.jackson@mjbizdaily.com.