The American Council of Cannabis Medicine (ACCM) has launched a comprehensive toolkit and support program to help policymakers understand the medical cannabis landscape and develop responsible public policy. The Legislative Medical Cannabis Toolkit provides trusted information, expert guidance, and direct access to medical cannabis specialists, covering topics such as patient access, physician participation, and industry standards.
The toolkit is designed for federal, state, and local policymakers, as well as congressional staff, government agencies, and regulatory officials. It addresses key issues, including whole-plant and whole-flower protections, insurance integration, scientific research, and small-business protections, as well as the continued role of state medical cannabis programs.
ACCM’s Executive Committee Chair, Doug Benns, emphasized the importance of reliable information for policymakers, stating that the toolkit provides a practical starting point and direct access to experts in the field. The organization is also making its Legislative Response Team available to legislative offices and government agencies, offering policy briefings, proposed-bill reviews, and technical assistance.
The team can provide qualified experts who can provide testimony or answer policy questions, as well as assemble specialized response teams based on the needs of an individual office, committee, or agency. Participants may include healthcare professionals, patient advocates, researchers, insurance experts, compliance specialists, technology providers, legal and regulatory professionals, dispensary operators, and representatives of medical cannabis businesses of every size.
ACCM’s Chair of the Patient First Coalition Medical Cannabis Committee, Dan Rush, emphasized the importance of responsible policy that begins with patients and preserves access to the medicines and delivery methods upon which they currently depend. He noted that policymakers need access to a broad range of informed voices before making decisions that could affect millions of patients, caregivers, and families.
