Former Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) have been named to the advisory board of Northern Swan Holdings, an investment firm.
Northern Swan is focused on investments in the cannabis industry internationally and on positive change to the industry overall. It is based in Colombia.
Crowley joined law and lobbying firm Squire Patton Boggs in February. He was the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus for two years and was shocked in a Democratic primary last year by progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.).
{mosads}He also is honorary co-chairman of Pass USMCA, a coalition of business, trade and advocacy groups promoting swift passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Daschle left the Senate in 2005 and is the founder and CEO of the Daschle Group, a public policy advisory of the firm Baker Donelson.
“Senator Daschle is a pre-eminent expert in health and wellness whose experience in healthcare policy reform will be invaluable to our company’s expansion in the global medical cannabis market,” Kyle Detwiler, CEO of Northern Swan, told Yahoo.
He added, “Having worked tirelessly as a public servant for almost 30 years to ensure all Americans have access to affordable health care, we look forward to working closely with Senator Daschle as he brings a similar level of commitment and dedication to medical cannabis.”
The Democrats join the ranks of perhaps the most famous D.C. marijuana advocate, former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). Boehner sits on the board of the cannabis corporation Acreage Holdings.
The marijuana industry has seen some legislative action this Congress.
The SAFE Banking Act, which would allow banks to work with marijuana businesses that are legal under state law, passed out of the House Financial Services Committee in March and awaits a vote on the House floor.