Ep. 464: Grover Norquist

August 26, 2019

Grover Norquist, Founder and President of Americans for Tax Reform, describes the inconsistencies of taxes imposed by the federal government. For Norquist, this is more than just a cannabis issue; this is an issue of federalism and states’ rights: “You wouldn’t want the federal government to go in and use federal tax policy to interfere with federalism on education policy.” Norquist believes that when the STATES Act passes, it will help to solve the federalism question for tax policy and banking policy.

Transcript:

Seth Adler:
Grover Norquist joins us. Welcome to Cannabis Economy. I'm your host Seth Adler. Download episodes on CannEconomy.com. That's two N's and the word economy. First, a word from MedMen and then Grover Norquist.

Seth Adler:
MedMen is the most recognizable cannabis retailer in the U.S. with operations across the country and flagship stores in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York. Recently, MedMen entered Florida for the first time. The third largest medical cannabis market where the company is licensed for 35 total stores. It's all part of MedMen's impressive footprint which currently spans 86 licenses including pending acquisitions. Learn more about how MedMen is creating a safer, happier, and healthier world at MedMen.com.

Seth Adler:
I have been looking forward to this.

Grover Norquist:
Good.

Seth Adler:
You think I think, is that fair to say?

Grover Norquist:
We try.

Seth Adler:
Right. So I have been seeing you on my television for as long as I can remember. I'm old enough that you're older than me and I'm young enough that you weren't always on that television, right? I mean, you feel like a person that should be thinking as opposed to speaking. Does that make sense at all?

Grover Norquist:
Well, you have to do both if it's going to be effective.

Seth Adler:
Fair enough.

Grover Norquist:
You have to think about what you are going to say, but if you don't say it and you just keep your wonderful thoughts bottled up inside, you're not sharing them.

Seth Adler:
That's fair.

Grover Norquist:
You're not employing them. You're not doing anything with them. It's like, I don't know, owning something you keep in the basement.

Seth Adler:
The reason that our orbits have come together here is because you were very early on a proponent of well, what? Let me not put words in your mouth. I know that you-

Grover Norquist:
Marijuana, end of prohibition for marijuana issue started showing up in Washington, DC, as a tax issue and as a spending issue because there was some research that the federal government funded but it was limited, and they set up little monopolies. And so people would come and say, "You don't like monopolies. Shouldn't we have not just the government growing marijuana to test it but private sector doing it?" Absolutely. So I would send letters to Congress to that effect or join letters that were underway.

Read the full transcript:

Become a member to access to webinars, quarterly reports, contributor columns, shows, excerpts, and complete podcast transcripts

Become a Member

Already a member? Login here.