FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 17, 2019

Contact: Violet Cavendish
vcavendish@mpp.org

Statements below from Akerna CEO Jessica Billingsley and MPP Executive Director Steven Hawkins

Washington, D.C. — The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), the nation’s largest cannabis policy reform organization, is pleased to welcome Akerna as the newest member of the MPP Policy Council. As the convening member of the council, MPP works with cannabis business leaders who share MPP’s mission to create successful regulatory cannabis programs in the U.S.

Akerna incorporates emerging technology to create transparent and efficient seed-to-sale tracking for governments and businesses and is the first cannabis technology company to be listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. “At Akerna, we believe in giving back to the advocacy organizations that made this industry possible. We have MPP to thank for spearheading cannabis legalization efforts across many U.S. states,” said Jessica Billingsley, Akerna CEO. “We are delighted to join the MPP Policy Council and support its mission to drive more states to enact legal, regulated cannabis programs — a safer, more transparent solution for giving the public access to cannabis medicine.”

“We are excited to welcome Akerna to the MPP Policy Council,” said MPP Executive Director Steven Hawkins. “As one of the leading track-and-trace companies in the U.S., we value the expertise and perspective Akerna brings to the table.” 

The MPP Policy Council consists of leaders in the cannabis industry who share MPP’s vision and dedicate themselves to ending harmful prohibition policies. Members invest in the long-term success of adult-use legalization and medical cannabis programs, find ways to improve them, and help ensure MPP continues its work. Akerna joins eight other policy council members, including Acreage Holdings, Cresco Labs, Eaze, 4Front Holdings, Greenlane Ventures, Hawthorne Gardening Supply, PAX Labs, and Vicente Sederberg.

MPP is the leading organization in the country dedicated to ending cannabis prohibition and harmful cannabis policies. Its mission is to replace cannabis prohibition with a system that will benefit all — including adults, patients, businesses, and the communities in which they live and work. 

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Founded in 1995, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization. MPP has played a central role in passing dozens of cannabis policy reforms in states across the country, including 14 successful cannabis legalization campaigns, and also works to advance federal reforms.

Visit www.mpp.org for more information.