A coalition of leaders from all cannabis sectors has announced the One Plant Alliance, a unified organization designed to heal the divisions that have fragmented America's cannabis economy and build one common sense, science-based regulatory future for all. The alliance proposes a single policy for regulating all industry sectors—Legacy, Licensed, and Hemp—anchored by three universal principles: age verification for responsible access, testing for purity and potency, and labeling for transparency and safety.
This pragmatic structure, known as the Three Golden Pillars, coupled with removing marijuana from the schedules, establishes a level playing field that can be adopted federally and by all fifty states without new bureaucracy or costly enforcement mechanisms. By creating one consistent standard for the regulation of all cannabis products including hemp, the framework aims to protect public health, promote entrepreneurship, and restore fairness to small farmers and businesses across the country. Steve DeAngelo, lifelong cannabis entrepreneur and activist, as well as co-founder of the One Plant Alliance, emphasized that America's cannabis consumers don't need a patchwork of conflicting cannabis laws but rather one clear set of rules for all industry sectors.
The Alliance believes this approach will protect public safety, ensure consumer confidence, open new opportunities for all industry sectors, and unleash massive market expansion. Andrew DeAngelo, co-founder of OPA and a decades-long activist for cannabis reform, noted that cannabis pioneers Dennis Peron and Jack Herer taught that the cannabis plant is a bridge, not a wall, and that the needs of patients and consumers should always come first with safe, affordable, and accessible cannabis. By adopting common sense, science-based standards rather than politically motivated ones, the framework advances both public safety and economic liberty.
Amber D. Lengacher, long-time cannabis attorney and OPA co-founder, stated that Americans should be free to make THC consumption choices without fear of the lingering consequences of prohibition, such as arrest, loss of income, and loss of parental custody. She emphasized that it's time for all sectors of the cannabis industry—hemp, licensed, and legacy—to unite. The One Plant Alliance calls on industry leaders, farmers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, scientists, and policymakers to join in supporting the OPA's New Way Forward vision of one plant, one people, and one transparent and fair policy. Members of the public and industry can visit https://OnePlantAlliance.org to review the full New Way Forward policy paper and sign the pledge supporting this unified framework.
