Cannabis Regulators Association

What Cannabis Regulators Association does

CANNRA (Cannabis Regulators Association) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(4) association of government agencies responsible for regulating cannabis and cannabinoids. Founded in November 2020 by 19 state cannabis regulators, the organization has grown to include primary cannabis and hemp regulatory agencies from more than 45 U.S. states and territories plus international non-voting members from Canada (Health Canada, since 2023), the Netherlands (since January 2024), Malta, and Albania. Its mission is to convene, educate, and support government jurisdictions implementing cannabis and cannabinoid policies through best-practice sharing, policy harmonization, and government-to-government technical assistance. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, CANNRA explicitly excludes cannabis industry participants and advocacy organizations from membership.

The organization delivers a structured portfolio of programmatic services rather than a discrete technology product. Core offerings include a Policy Tracking System that monitors 100+ regulatory variables across jurisdictions twice annually, 13+ special committees covering topics such as licensing, compliance and enforcement, social and economic equity, packaging and labeling, lab testing and product safety, finance and banking, medical cannabis, and cannabinoid hemp; monthly member-only webinars; factsheets and guidance documents; an Annual Member Meeting (winter, government-only); an External Stakeholder Meeting (summer, multi-stakeholder); and a Technical Assistance Program enabling regulator-to-regulator consultation. Operations are run by a small professional staff led by Executive Director Gillian Schauer, PhD, MPH, and governed by an elected Executive Board drawn from member jurisdictions.

CANNRA's revenue model is membership-based: government agencies pay annual membership dues (not publicly disclosed) to access the policy tracker, committees, webinars, training, and technical assistance. The association also generates event registration revenue from the annual member meeting and external stakeholder meeting on a sliding scale to cover costs. Membership is restricted to government agencies and offices, and CANNRA has signaled forthcoming expansion to county and municipal cannabis regulators. The association engages with federal and state policymakers through congressional testimony, official letters, and policy briefings, and communicates with its audience via its website (cann-ra.org), email, press releases, and direct member outreach rather than commercial marketing.

Name

Cannabis Regulators Association

Legal name

Cannabis Regulators Association

Website

https://cann-ra.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(4) association of government agencies that convenes, educates, and supports cannabis regulators across 45+ U.S. states and territories plus Canada, the Netherlands, Malta, and Albania through policy tracking, committees, training, and technical assistance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Government agencies pay membership dues to join CANNRA. Members gain access to policy tracking tools, committee participation, training resources, webinars, and government-to-government technical assistance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CANNRA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association that convenes government agencies regulating cannabis and cannabinoids to share best practices, track regulatory developments, and provide peer technical assistance. Its core offerings include a Policy Tracking System covering 100+ regulatory variables, 13 topic-based Special Committees, educational factsheets, monthly webinars, winter Annual Member Meetings, summer External Stakeholder Meetings, and a government-to-government Technical Assistance Program. Membership is limited to government regulators and governmental agency partners.

Product overview

CANNRA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association of government agencies regulating cannabis and cannabinoids. It is not a technology product company but rather an organization that provides a suite of collaborative services to its member jurisdictions. The core offerings include a Policy Tracking System that monitors regulations across jurisdictions, topic-based Special Committees covering 13 regulatory areas, Educational Resources and Factsheets on regulatory topics, a Monthly Member Webinar Series, Annual Member Meetings (winter), External Stakeholder Meetings (summer), and a Technical Assistance Program. These services work together to facilitate knowledge sharing, best practice development, and policy harmonization among cannabis regulatory agencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy Tracking System Database that tracks state cannabis regulations twice annually across more than 100 regulatory variables, providing member regulatory agencies with knowledge of current cannabis and hemp regulations across jurisdictions.
• Special Committees Program Topic-based committees covering Licensing, Compliance & Enforcement, Packaging & Labeling, Social and Economic Equity, Medical Cannabis, Cannabinoid Hemp, Public Health and Data, Lab Testing and Product Safety, Energy & Environment, Public Education and Communications, Federal Policy Engagement, Traffic Safety, and Finance & Banking for member regulatory agencies.
• Educational Factsheets and Policy Resources Factsheets and topic summaries providing education about key cannabis and hemp regulatory topics and on-the-ground regulatory challenges, including guidance documents on best practices for cannabinoid regulation, hemp oversight, and medical cannabis programs.
• Monthly Member Webinar Series Member-only monthly webinars and workshops covering cannabis, marijuana, and hemp topics from science and research to legal and regulatory issues, available exclusively to member regulatory agencies and their staff.
• Annual Member Meeting Winter in-person convening of CANNRA members allowing state and territorial agencies to discuss topical issues related to cannabis regulation in a member-only environment; first held June 2022 in Olympia, WA with more than 150 government officials from 33 states.
• External Stakeholder Meeting Summer convening bringing together CANNRA stakeholders including federal agencies, NGOs, researchers, public health groups, advocacy organizations, and industry trade associations for dialogue on cannabis policy; 2024 Minneapolis meeting drew nearly 100 regulators plus 200 stakeholders from 100+ organizations.
• Government-to-Government Technical Assistance Program Technical assistance service enabling member regulators to consult with one another on regulatory approaches for hemp-derived products, medical cannabis, and adult-use cannabis, available exclusively to member government agencies.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• U.S. State and Territorial Cannabis Regulatory AgenciescoreOthersCANNRA's core membership consists of cannabis and hemp regulatory agencies from U.S. states and territories. These agencies collaborate through committees, policy tracking, and meetings to share best practices and harmonize regulations.
• Health CanadacoreOthersInternational non-voting member since 2023. Health Canada represents Canadian provincial cannabis regulators including Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis (AGLC).
• The Netherlands (Ministry of Justice and Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority)coreOthersInternational non-voting member since January 2024. Represents Dutch government agencies involved in the controlled cannabis supply chain experiment.
• Albania (National Agency for Cannabis Control)coreOthersInternational non-voting member representing Albania's national cannabis regulatory agency.
• Malta (Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis)coreOthersInternational non-voting member representing Malta's cannabis regulatory authority.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Governors Association (NGA): Bipartisan association of U.S. governors that convenes state executives and shapes federalism policy. Comparable in serving state-government stakeholders and influencing cross-state policy, though at a much broader scope.
• National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO): Membership association of state budget officers that facilitates cross-state fiscal policy coordination and convenes state financial officials. Comparable membership-driven model for state officials.
• Council of State Governments (CSG): Nonpartisan organization serving all three branches of state government with policy research and interstate coordination services. Comparable membership-driven model serving state officials across policy domains.
• National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA): Membership association of state agriculture officials that coordinates on hemp and food regulation, among other issues. Relevant given CANNRA's Cannabinoid Hemp and Energy & Environment committees intersect with agricultural policy.
• National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL): Bipartisan organization serving state legislators and staff with policy research and convenings. Comparable membership structure serving state-government officials across policy areas including substance regulation.

Others

• CDC Foundation: Independent nonprofit that mobilizes resources and partnerships for the Centers for Disease Control. Comparable as a quasi-governmental nonprofit supporting public health infrastructure that CANNRA's Public Health and Data committee addresses.

Emerging players

• National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA): Largest U.S. trade association for cannabis businesses that conducts federal advocacy and convenes industry stakeholders. Operates on the opposite side of the policy ecosystem but addresses the same underlying regulatory landscape.

Direct peers

• American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA): Membership association of state and provincial motor vehicle and law enforcement administrators that develops model programs and best practices. Highly analogous state-regulator coordination structure to CANNRA.
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC): Membership association of U.S. state insurance regulators that sets model regulations, coordinates supervisory standards, and convenes government officials. Highly analogous structure to CANNRA's regulator-to-regulator coordination model.
• National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD): Membership association of state alcohol and drug agency directors that facilitates cross-state coordination on substance policy. Direct analogue given the overlap between alcohol/drug regulation and cannabis regulatory functions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CannRegulators
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cannabis-regulators-association-cannra

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cannabis Regulators Association