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One of the more prominent national marijuana trade groups, the National Cannabis Industry Association, this week cut its headcount by nearly half in order to save on costs and remain solvent through 2023.
The organization’s leadership said the situation reflects broader belt-tightening across the industry.
NCIA let go long-serving several senior staffers this week, including Communications Director Bethany Moore, Director of Government Relations Michael Correia, and COO Rob Kellogg, as well as two other support staff. Moore wrote on Facebook that her last day at NCIA will be June 14.
The cuts leave NCIA with six full-time staff, CEO Aaron Smith said.
“We’ve pulled the Band-Aid off. It’s not fun, but I feel confident that we’re in a place where we’re in the black, month-over-month going forward, and we can grow from here,” Smith said somberly. “This is a very difficult decision, but it had to be done for the sake of the members and the future of the organization.”
Smith said that at its height, NCIA employed more than 20 staff, but had been forced during the pandemic to downsize, in part because the nonprofit relied heavily on in-person events for revenues, alongside member donations.
But he said the most recent cuts are more a reflection of broader industry headwinds than pandemic aftermath.
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