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Gretchen Gailey Shares Truth Behind SAFE Banking’s Lack Of Vote

By Shadd Dales On Oct 1, 2024

On this Monday episode of the Trade To Black podcast, hosts Shadd Dales and Anthony Varrell welcome special guest Gretchen Gailey to the show. Gailey is founder of Panoptic Strategies, a Public Relations and Strategic Communications consulting firm that specializes in working with cannabis clients to help lobby policy makers. This episode, we take at some of the most recent activity from the Democrats on cannabis legislation. Gretchen Gailey also explains the challenges being faced by cannabis on the Hill – specifically with the SAFE Banking Act, and why it still hasn’t been brought to a Senate vote.

Gailey has spent twenty years working in DC and the last seven years working in communications and government affairs for the cannabis industry. Prior to this, she was a field producer and a journalist for a number of the larger news networks including NBC, ABC and Fox. She describes how politicians have treated cannabis since her entry in the scene, right before states began to legalize.

Do politicians care about cannabis, however, or does Washington truly never change, and change has to go to Washington? Gailey argues where medical is part of state legislation “…they have to care. They have to start caring about what their constituents want.”

We’ll examine some of the recent comments that Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris has made on why she wants to legalize cannabis. Does she seem genuine about this stance after spending so many years prosecuting the people she now says no longer should be jailed for possession?

And why exactly hasn’t cannabis banking legislation been brought to a Senate vote? Gailey shares her thoughts on who is standing in the way of SAFE, and what are the motivations in delaying the action? Gretchen Gailey shares insights on the political perspective and why both parties are reluctant to engage with what seems to be a topic with popular support from the rest of the US.

You’ll also learn more about Project Champion and the importance of advocacy from business owners and stakeholders in this episode of Trade to Black.

Shadd Dales is the Founder and President of The Dales Report and has an extensive background in the business media industry.

His work translates into over 15 years in mainstream media that included roles with BNN Bloomberg, CTV Properties and the iHeart Radio Network.

Shadd is considered one of the leading on air talents in both the cannabis and psychedelic space and has interviewed some of the most notable CEO names in the industry.

Shadd’s vision is to establish a content platform that is equivalent to a mainstream broadcast produced in a format that is relevant for today’s investor.