Candidate Training Program 

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Next year hundreds of Congressional, Senate, Assembly, and local government seats will be filled with newly elected and re-elected leaders. We want to make sure that next year we can shape the future of cannabis policy reform by continuing electing cannabis friendly politicians. 

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This year the Cannabis Consumer Policy Council is excited to announce our new bipartisan Candidate Training Program as part of our Spark The Vote campaign. The Candidate Training Program serves as an incubator for cannabis activists and industry operators  interested in taking the next step in cannabis policy reform by running for elected office.

 

The Cannabis Consumer Policy Council (CCPC) is a coalition of cannabis advocates, veterans, athletes, labor leaders, business, and public policy experts dedicated to empowering and protecting all cannabis consumers from discriminatory laws and policies.

 

We strive to represent cannabis consumers through effective advocacy to enact positive social change and to ensure equality, access, and education at the local, statewide, and national levels.

 

Through CCPC staff, Board of Directors, and the CCPC Advisory Board, the program gives potential candidates the tools they need to build, fund, and win their campaigns, which includes:

• Campaign launching

• Developing campaign messaging

• Utilizing volunteers

• Effective fundraising strategies 

 

 

Mission of the Candidate Training Program

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To increase the number of cannabis friendly advocates and elect them to public office through recruitment, training, and a powerful network.  

 

Who We Are

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The Candidate Training Program serves as an incubator for cannabis activists, industry operators, and individuals interested in sparking change to take the next step and run for elected office.

The Candidate Training Program provides candidates with virtual, locally, and state-wide based training programs that will enable community members with any level of political sophistication to run for office. Our goal is to expand the number of cannabis friendly elected officials in regions where cannabis patients are lacking representation and access. 

 

In addition to serving as a resource aggregator, the Candidate Training Program also acts as a resource sharing mechanism, allowing candidates to share volunteers, information, funding information, and other critical campaign resources. We see this as a collaborative endeavor to help empower and elect candidates.

 

Why Cannabis Activists and Industry Operators? 

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• Cannabis activists overwhelmingly support progressive causes based on principles of equity and social justice.

• When community members who support cannabis hold public office they are more likely to be empathetic to issues that disproportionately harm vulnerable populations such as gentrification and the War on Drugs, and are more likely to support policy solutions that protect at risk communities such as increased funding for affordable housing and needle exchange programs. 

• Community based cannabis activists are more likely to be responsive to constituents, more likely to avoid political grandstanding and unnecessary conflict, and more likely to engage in bi-partisan collaboration. 

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Our Curriculum

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Participants initially attend a 2 day "candidate boot camp" to get 30,000 foot view of what it takes to run for office and what will expected of them. The next phase is the basic program that will meet two weekends a month for three months for a total of 35 hours and receive comprehensive training on the following topics:

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• “Should I run for Office, and if so which one?”

• “What does it take to run a campaign?”

• Public Speaking and Communication

• Fundraising

• Media and Messaging

• Networking

• Campaign Strategy

• Field Operations

• Labor and Endorsements

• Technology and New Media

• Cultural Competency

• Ethical Leadership

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CTP Staff

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The Candidate Training Program staff consist of experienced and veteran campaign consultants, lobbyists, current and former political staffers, attorneys, and other political strategists. Many of our trainers have been involved in successful local and statewide campaigns, propositions, and initiatives They come from backgrounds that span over campaign consulting, campaign management, field strategy, communications, direct mail, communications and press management, and fundraising. Collectively we have been involved in every facet of politics and elections.

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Where We Train

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We are proud to offer all of our services virtually, allowing us to train candidates wherever they may be located. 

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