Marijuana Policy Project

What Marijuana Policy Project does

Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is a Washington, D.C.-headquartered U.S. 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1995 and dedicated to ending marijuana prohibition through lobbying, ballot initiative campaigns, voter education, and coalition-building. The organization operates across all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, engaging two primary constituencies: elected officials and policymakers (through policy briefings, lobbying, and legislative testimony) and the general public (through action alerts, petitions, donations, and grassroots events). MPP was a leading advocate in the 2012 Colorado and Washington legalization campaigns and has helped drive subsequent state reforms, recent examples including Delaware's HB 1 and HB 2 (sales launched August 1, 2025) and California's AB 564 excise tax reduction.

MPP's "products" are digital advocacy services rather than technology goods: a subscription-based email alert system, state-specific policy pages with integrated action campaigns (powered by FastAction), a policy blog, press release distribution, and a Shopify-based merchandise storefront. The organization also operates a separately branded MPP Foundation donor entity and a Membership program in addition to one-time gifts; merchandise ranges from apparel to branded accessories. Revenue mechanics are therefore donation- and merchandise-driven (recurring sustainer gifts, one-time donations, and unit-priced merchandise), with no commercial transaction revenue from policy outcomes.

MPP's business model is sustained by long-term brand recognition in the cannabis reform sector, multi-organizational coalitions (with ACLU affiliates, NORML, Drug Policy Alliance, and state-level coalitions such as the Delaware Cannabis Policy Coalition and Hawai'i Alliance for Cannabis Reform), and the cumulative reputational and operational infrastructure that comes from operating continuously since 1995. Headcount is reported at 51-100 employees, and the organization supports parallel legal and policy advocacy across state legislatures, federal agencies (notably DOJ/DEA on rescheduling to Schedule III, which occurred on April 23, 2026), and ballot initiatives.

Name

Marijuana Policy Project

Legal name

Marijuana Policy Project

Website

https://mpp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Marijuana Policy Project is a U.S. 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., that drives cannabis policy reform through federal and state lobbying, ballot initiatives, coalitions, and grassroots supporter mobilization across all 50 states plus D.C.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cannabis Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Political Organizations (813940)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying (BPAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Cannabis policy reform
• Marijuana legalization advocacy
• Drug policy lobbying
• Criminal justice reform
• Nonprofit advocacy organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: MPP raises funds through individual donations, monthly sustaining memberships, and one-time contributions. Supporters can become monthly sustainers or make one-time donations to fund federal and state cannabis policy reform efforts.
2. Merchandise Sales: MPP operates an online store selling branded merchandise including throw pillows, fisherman beanies, crew neck sweatshirts, t-shirts, and resealable jars. Products are priced individually (e.g., throw pillows at $25, crew neck sweatshirts at $35).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MPP is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization that drives the end of U.S. marijuana prohibition through federal and state-level lobbying, ballot initiative campaigns, voter education, and grassroots mobilization. The organization provides policy analysis, state-specific legislation tracking across all 50 states and D.C., coalition coordination with allied organizations, and digital advocacy tools that enable supporters to contact legislators. It is funded by donations, monthly memberships, and branded merchandise sales.

Product overview

Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is a cannabis policy advocacy organization that operates primarily as an information and advocacy services platform rather than a traditional technology product company. The organization provides a suite of digital communication and advocacy tools including state-specific policy tracking pages covering all 50 U.S. states, a subscription-based email alert system for cannabis policy updates, digital advocacy action campaigns enabling supporter engagement with legislators, a blog for policy news, press release distribution, and an e-commerce store for branded merchandise. These offerings work together to support MPP's mission of reforming cannabis laws through public education, policy advocacy, and grassroots mobilization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MPP Online Store (Branded Merchandise) Direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront operated on Shopify, selling branded merchandise (e.g., throw pillows at $25, crew neck sweatshirts at $35, fisherman beanies, t-shirts, resealable jars). Used by MPP as a fundraising channel to support cannabis policy reform programs.
• Monthly Sustainer Membership Subscription-style recurring donation membership for individual supporters funding federal and state cannabis policy reform. Signup is donation-amount-based (pay-what-you-want), with billing on a monthly cadence.
• One-Time Donation Program Pay-as-you-want one-time contributions to the Marijuana Policy Project and the related MPP Foundation for general support of cannabis policy reform programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• States have generated $28.4 billion in cumulative recreational marijuana tax revenue since 2012
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ACLU of VirginiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ACLU of Virginia is a member of the broad coalition with NORML, Drug Policy Alliance, and Marijuana Policy Project advocating against increased public marijuana use fines in Virginia's cannabis sales legalization measure. The coalition urged Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and state lawmakers to remove a provision increasing fines from $25 to $250.
• NORMLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNORML is a coalition partner with MPP in advocating for marijuana policy reform. The organizations worked together on the Virginia coalition opposing increased public consumption fines, and NORML has been a longtime ally in MPP's broader national reform efforts.
• Drug Policy AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrug Policy Alliance joined MPP, NORML, and ACLU of Virginia in a coalition to urge Virginia officials to reject increased public marijuana consumption fines. The alliance represents a longstanding strategic partnership between two leading national drug policy reform organizations.
• Delaware Cannabis Policy CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMPP is a proud member of the Delaware Cannabis Policy Coalition, which organized for years to end cannabis prohibition in Delaware. The coalition organized lobby days, rallies, town halls, legislative testimony, media outreach, and voter guides. MPP played a leading role in Delaware's passage of HB 1 and HB 2 legalizing adult-use cannabis.
• Hawai'i Alliance for Cannabis Reform (HACR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMPP is a proud member of the Hawai'i Alliance for Cannabis Reform (HACR), working to advance cannabis justice in Hawaii. MPP supports HACR's efforts on social media and organizing lobby days, rallies, town halls, and legislative testimony. HACR was founded by MPP and other reform organizations.
• Cal NORMLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCal NORML partnered with MPP on California's cannabis tax rollback legislation (AB 564), which reduced the cannabis excise tax from 19% back to 15%. Cal NORML played a leading role in sponsoring and passing the legislation, with MPP supporting the coalition effort.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ACLU (Drug Law Reform project): The ACLU's broader civil-liberties portfolio includes cannabis decriminalization and criminal-justice reform; it brings larger institutional resources and a wider-issue brand to overlapping policy fights where MPP is also active.
• National Cannabis Roundtable: Industry trade association representing cannabis operators on federal policy issues (tax, banking, SAFE Banking). Shares MPP's federal-reform agenda but is industry-funded, making it a both ally and competitor for federal lobbying influence.

Emerging players

• Students for Sensible Drug Policy: Youth-led drug policy reform organization advocating for cannabis legalization and harm reduction. Overlaps with MPP on federal advocacy and youth voter mobilization but operates at smaller scale and with a younger demographic focus.
• Doctors for Cannabis Regulation: Physician-led advocacy organization promoting legal regulation of cannabis. Comparable to MPP in pushing legalization through expert-led policy framing, but differentiated by clinical credibility and narrower membership base.
• Minorities for Medical Marijuana: Cannabis advocacy nonprofit focused on social equity and minority access, overlapping with MPP's social-equity and expungement priorities but with a community-specific lens that complements MPP's broader coalition.
• Last Prisoner Project: Cannabis-focused criminal justice nonprofit focused on expungement, pardons, and reentry for those incarcerated for cannabis offenses — directly adjacent to MPP's criminal-justice and social-equity work but narrower in mission.

Direct peers

• Drug Policy Alliance: Major U.S. drug policy reform nonprofit advocating for decriminalization and legalization, including cannabis. DPA is a recurring coalition partner with MPP and competes for similar donor and policy-advocacy mindshare.
• NORML: National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws — the most direct peer to MPP, operating as a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization pushing cannabis legalization at federal and state levels, with overlapping coalition partnerships and donor base.

Others

• Cannabis Public Policy Consulting: For-profit consultancy providing policy analysis and government-relations services to cannabis businesses and advocacy organizations. Comparable subject-matter expertise to MPP's policy work but commercially oriented rather than advocacy-driven.

Regional players

• NORML Canada: Canadian counterpart to NORML advocating for cannabis policy reform in Canada. Comparable mission and tactics to MPP but focused on the Canadian federal/provincial context post-legalization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MarijuanaPolicy
• Facebookfacebook.com/MarijuanaPolicyProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marijuana-policy-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marijuana Policy Project