The NCF Advocacy Committee: Driving the National Conversation on Cannabis & Criminal Justice Reform

Since forming in 2016, the NCF Advocacy Committee has included local and national organizations which are focused on issues related to cannabis and the effects that various forms of cannabis prohibition and criminalization have on society. These organizations have overlapping missions ranging from criminal justice reform, harm reduction social equity, workforce development, and civil and human rights.

In addition to their individual work, Advocacy Committee members are crucial advisors to NCF. They help curate the festival experience by creating educational programming and sharing opportunities for attendees to get involved with policy reform and activism in their local community. You can meet the activists who work and volunteer for Advocacy Committee member organizations in the Exhibitor Village and many of them will be speaking on panels in the educational pavilions. 

The work of these organizations spans many different areas of the movement to end cannabis prohibition and the disastrous war on drugs, including voting rights, cannabis culture, nightlife harm reduction, cannabis industry workers’ rights, sex workers’ safety, law enforcement reform, prison/jail/cash bail reform, expungement, and so much more!

Two days before NCF, on April 20th, many Advocacy Committee members will gather inside the United States Capitol Building for the National Cannabis Policy Summit’sCongressional Forum. These organizations truly are leading the conversation on federal, state, and local cannabis policy reform and criminal justice reform. The festival itself is an opportunity for them to celebrate their achievements driving that work forward in Congress this year and to share their work with festival attendees.

Another bonus for stopping by and meeting the Advocacy Committee members….they will have tons of educational materials and some sweet SWAG, for you to take home. Don’t miss out! Visit these awesome partners and learn more about how you can get involved in their work.

2023 ADVOCACY COMMITTEE

ACLU of DC

Americans for Safe Access

Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition

BOWL PAC

Capital Ballroom Council

Cannabis Cultural Association

Cannabis Voter Project

Dance Safe

DC Justice Lab

DC Vote

Doctors for Cannabis Regulation

Drug Policy Alliance

Head Count

HIPS

The Hood Incubator

Last Prisoner Project

Law Enforcement Action Partnership

Marijuana Matters

Marijuana Policy Project

Maryland NORML

Minorities for Medical Marijuana

Minority Cannabis Business Association

Cannabis Industry Association

NORML

Old Pros

Pittsburgh NORML

Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Supernova Women

Unjust

Virginia NORML