“CPEAR’s poll is a thinly veiled attempt to persuade policymakers to take a broadly popular issue in a less popular direction.”

By Damian Fagon, Parabola Center

In 1994, R.J. Reynolds quietly pumped millions into a flag-waving coalition called “Get Government Off Our Back.” The mission was simple: pose as a grassroots movement with an anti-regulation agenda to prevent the Food and Drug Administration from touching cigarettes. Three decades later, a similar playbook has found its way to cannabis, and the fingerprints are unmistakable.

Today’s vehicle is the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education and Regulation (CPEAR), bankrolled in part by Altria, the Marlboro parent that sank $1.8 billion into the cannabis firm Cronos Group. Earlier this month, CPEAR released a poll trumpeting a popular “mandate” for the STATES 2.0 Act, a bill that would take a “states’ rights” approach to marijuana. Set aside the patriotic headlines and the math tells another story. This poll functions not to record public opinion, but to manufacture it.

The Messenger Is The Message

CPEAR is not a neutral think tank. It is a front group financed by Altria and other tobacco and alcohol giants.

The polling firm, Forbes Tate Partners, also happens to be a public affairs firm and a registered lobbyist for Altria. Sponsor and pollster are, quite literally, on the same team.

Accepting the findings at face value asks us to forget that the data and the desired outcome share the same business address.

A Framework For Consolidation

The cynical design of CPEAR’s favored bill, STATES 2.0, lies in what it doesn’t do: expunge criminal records, protect cannabis workers’ rights, prevent marijuana-related deportations or take any accountability for the harms caused by the war on drugs. Instead, 50 states will compete for investment on the most lenient, “business-friendly” terms they can devise.

The deepest-pocketed operators and conglomerates will flock to low-tax, low-oversight jurisdictions, monopolize supply chains and absorb smaller competitors. We have seen this playbook before in alcohol and tobacco, and the economic logic with cannabis will be no different.

Every law we pass shapes the economy Americans will inherit. Adopting the STATES 2.0 Act would codify consolidation and leave mom-and-pop operators scrambling for scraps.

Congress can choose a better course by insisting on a legalization framework that clears records, protects state regulation and channels investment to the very communities that paid the highest price under prohibition. Anything less turns legalization into prohibition by another name.

Persuasion By Design

CPEAR’s poll is a thinly veiled attempt to persuade policymakers to take a broadly popular issue in a less popular direction. It frames STATES 2.0 in the language of states’ rights, a tested appeal to conservative voters, while staying silent on relevant questions related to record expungement, equity and small business access.

By excluding legislative alternatives such as the MORE Act, which pairs legalization with the justice reforms that a majority of Americans do support, the poll reduces a complex debate to a loaded yes-or-no test.

And by asking how a person would feel about a congressional candidate or the Trump administration if they supported marijuana reform, the final question seeks to make CPEAR’s chosen bill look like a winning political decision. And yet, it isn’t.

What The Numbers Really Say

The poll’s own data reveal a critical weakness. Despite general support for federal legalization standing steady at 70 percent, respondent enthusiasm drops to the low 60s when presented within the STATES 2.0 framework.

Wouldn’t we expect a federal marijuana bill to garner at least as much support as marijuana legalization generally? But even in a poll framed by the bill’s own advocates, STATES 2.0 is less popular than the cause it claims to represent.

And the news for their favored politicians is even worse—despite CPEAR’s creative description of a “near majority” being more likely to support a pro-cannabis candidate, the big takeaway is that the actual majority would not be more likely to support a pro-cannabis candidate. With tobacco and alcohol conglomerates leading the lobbying charge, can we blame them?

We don’t know what else the numbers showed.

The report relies on a low-transparency online poll of 2,051 respondents and omits key disclosures that make it impossible to verify or replicate. Without information on respondent demographics, such as age, gender identity, race and income or a nuanced look at their political philosophy instead of just party labels, one could easily “cook the books” by oversampling favorable groups and pretending it happened organically.

By withholding these data, along with the weighting methods that the American Association for Public Opinion Research considers basic requirements, the pollsters tell Congress and the voting public to simply trust them. Given their blatant conflict of interest, why should anyone?

Damian Fagon is a former New York cannabis regulator and the executive leadership fellow at Parabola Center for Law and Policy.

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This iconic company has survived war, Covid, grunge – but worries Gen Z and cannabis may hit it hard!

Gen Z and cannabis blamed for this companies troubles. Yes, Jack Daniel’s, the iconic Tennessee whiskey brand owned by Brown-Forman, is grappling with a sobering sales slump. They state Gen Z and cannabis blamed for the company’s troubles. They recently reported lower-than-expected earnings, citing a significant drop in U.S. whiskey consumption. In a candid earnings call, executives noted a generational shift in drinking habits and the growing popularity of marijuana as key factors behind the downturn.

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Jack Daniel’s, established in the 1830s and officially registered in 1866 in Lynchburg, Tennessee, is America’s first registered distillery and a National Historic Place. Owned by Brown-Forman since 1956, it became a global whiskey leader, selling over 12 million cases annually at its peak.Recently, sales have softened, declining in 2024.

According to Brown-Forman CEO Lawson Whiting, younger consumers are simply not drinking whiskey like previous generations. “The Gen Z consumer is more health-conscious, more selective, and less loyal to traditional spirits brands,” Whiting said. “We’re seeing that whiskey, and brown spirits in general, don’t resonate with them the way they did with millennials or Gen X.”

Indeed, multiple studies have shown that Gen Z is drinking less alcohol than previous generations at the same age. Many are opting for low-ABV beverages, mocktails, or skipping alcohol altogether. This cultural shift has put legacy alcohol brands on edge, as they struggle to evolve in an era where wellness trends often run counter to heavy drinking.

Adding to the industry’s woes is the steady normalization and legalization of cannabis across the U.S. With legal weed now available in dozens of states, consumers have more options for how to relax — and many are turning to THC instead of alcohol. For a brand like Jack Daniel’s, built on the ritual of drinking, this presents a formidable competitor.

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Brown-Forman isn’t alone. Other major alcohol producers have also flagged these demographic and behavioral changes as challenges to growth. While some have pivoted toward ready-to-drink products or invested in cannabis-adjacent ventures, Jack Daniel’s remains tethered to its heritage as a whiskey brand.

The company’s concern isn’t just about quarterly losses — it’s about long-term relevance. If Gen Z continues to move away from traditional spirits, and cannabis captures more market share in the relaxation and recreation space, Jack Daniel’s may find itself facing more than just a sales dip — it could be confronting a generational identity crisis.

As the brand looks to the future, it must decide whether to double down on tradition or adapt to a culture that’s increasingly turning the page on old-school drinking habits.

[PRESS RELEASE] – DOWNEY, Calif., July 3, 2025 – Blüm Holdings Inc., a California-based publicly traded holding company and cannabis operator, announced that it has signed a binding agreement to acquire the majority of the membership interests in another licensed adult-use and medical cannabis dispensary in Northern California.

This marks Blüm’s latest strategic acquisition as it continues to scale its retail platform across California. The new dispensary will join Blüm’s growing portfolio, which includes three other Northern California stores and a recently acquired Bay Area location.

The transaction is structured as an all-stock deal, valuing the business at up to $5 million, including performance-based earn-outs tied to revenue and EBITDA benchmarks. Under a management services agreement (MSA), Blüm is set to begin integration on July 1, 2025, assuming key centralized functions such as compliance, accounting, marketing and finance.

“We are deeply honored that this group of seasoned operators chose to entrust their business to Blüm,” Blüm Holdings CEO Sabas Carrillo said. “This deal reflects our ongoing commitment to partnering with strong operators who share our values and performance standards, while we provide the support and infrastructure to unlock further growth.”

The dispensary has established a strong presence in its local community, supported by consistent financial performance and an experienced, customer-focused leadership team. The earn-out structure is designed to align incentives and reward continued success.

Blüm Holdings has made meaningful progress in executing its turnaround strategy and positioning itself for long-term growth through disciplined acquisitions, operational excellence, and brand-forward retail execution. The company continues to identify and partner with operators who bring local expertise, cultural alignment and a proven track record.

“We didn’t get here alone,” Carrillo said. “This transaction reflects not just a business milestone, but a collective win for everyone who believed in us—our shareholders, advisers, teammates and partners. We’re just getting started.”

The transaction is expected to close upon the completion of definitive agreements and customary closing conditions. Closing is targeted for Q3 2025. No assurances can be provided that definitive agreements will be successfully negotiated, executed or closed, or that necessary regulatory approvals will be obtained.