Veterans' Benefits and Cannabis Industry Updates
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Good morning Las Vegas, this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5 Jazz amo. I'm Dave Washington, your host. I have a couple of guests this morning. I'll start out however, just thanking family and friends for all the prayers and texts, etc. As I go through this health issue, I appreciate it so very much as do my family. And certainly want to thank fire chief retired Eugene Campbell for sitting in for me for a couple of weeks and West for kind of keeping gene on track and, and he told me how much he appreciated you were so I feel the same as I journey through this medical issue. And once again, Veterans Affairs plus on any 1.5, jazz and more. And I like to acknowledge the fact that I believe and I have to check with my aunt Magnolia, but I believe, and George's birthday was last month, my mother, also deceased eugenol, Washington weighed her birthdays this month, and so is our granddaughter, the eldest of our grandchildren, Destiny is this month as well. So I just wanted to acknowledge now Tony Marshall, who was our service officer who's doing tremendous work with folks within the Las Vegas Valley. So good morning, Tony.
Tony 2:11
Good morning. How are you?
Unknown Speaker 2:14
I'm doing well doing well. So I asked you to come in and you know, give us an update on what's going on. And however before you start, let me do one other thing that I failed to do real quickly. Condolences to many Lauren and her family on the loss of her mom, Miss Betty Hearthstone, Laughlin brothers. So we certainly want to acknowledge that family. And then I would be remiss if I didn't say something about since we're on the university campus, about all the unrest that's occurring, let me tell you something is a strictly de Washington's opinion, we all have a right to protest. But when you break the law, you got to pay a price. And I don't say that, like I'm, you know, all self righteous because I was I did something bad in the military and I got court martial, and I had to pay a price, I had to go to the starcade. But I did clean that time up and I got that honorable discharge. So the bottom line is, we have a right in this country to speak. But you can't just take over and do whatever you want to do and breaking various laws, etc, etc. So with that, Mr. Tony Morris, your service officer doing a wonderful job for our veterans out in our community. How are you doing? Tony, please give us an update on what you've been doing my friend.
Tony 3:29
Okay, before I get to the veteran service officers stuff, my wife asked me to make this announcement. He is the current president of American Legion Post 10 auxilary. And they are having the incoming installation of their new offices this Saturday at 11 o'clock. So come on over and appreciate those women.
Unknown Speaker 3:55
Absolutely. Thanks for that.
Tony 3:58
In fact, I'm sort of trying to call me now I have to cut her off. All right, let's get to let's get to it. I've been I've been I was obviously in this area for quite a while. And as of September of last year, I was elevated to an accredited service officer, which simply means that I am now certified by the VA and the VFW to process claims, which certainly means that I've gotten an additional set of training. So you thought before Well, I'm gonna whistle now. And also, also, I just like to let you guys know that I am now in the VA hospital two days a week and also at the Veteran Resource Center in North Las Vegas, two days a week Monday and Tuesday at the veteran North Las Vegas Resource Center. And here at the VA hospital. Thursdays and Fridays is by appointment. So don't forget to write that down. Give me a call on 3015372 9465 for an appointment. And as an added attraction, I am now holding on the third Tuesday of each month, a veteran benefits and claims program to let you to inform you about things going on with the veterans because they are changing so much. And like I said, as being accredited service officer, I am constantly updated on a daily basis of all changes coming through the VA. So the third Tuesday of every month, I have a veteran's and benefits. Information seminar. You all welcome to come on over, we have a little pizza during the class. So it's inflammation and food.
Unknown Speaker 5:47
Excellent to doing great work, man. Bad provide a bit or some fellow or Lady some food and they will come for sure. But no, I think the work that you're doing, gonna draw people so great tone.
Tony 5:59
Yeah, I'm just like I said, things are changing so fast. And I just like to throw out there and reminder that as above August 22, last year when they passed the pack that a lot of especially cancers from Vietnam veterans, some of the past and some are still here. But as of August 22, those things are now presumptive. So if you are one of those veterans, or if you're the spouse, survivor of one of those veterans, you can still file a claim, because a lot of those claims were denied prior to the, the 2020 22. So if you please the we can go ahead and get those things filed for you. And even if I can't get to you, I'll ask you to leave me a text, I'll get back to you. Great, as you can imagine, I'm quite busy, I get calls pretty much, seven days a week, 24 hours a day almost. But again, 315379465. If you happen to come by the hospital, they'll give you My office number here. But again, I'm only here two days a week. So if you need to talk to me, use my use my cell number to 301 number.
Unknown Speaker 7:18
All right, well, Tony, we appreciate the update and and congratulations on your new certification. I think that and again, just from my knowledge of you and talking to people who you've assisted with or without that certification, you were hands on, get it done, and you make it happen. So on behalf of the vets that you've already helped and those who you're going to help. I want to say thank you, my brother, and we'll get you back on again soon to give further updates. And And thanks again for the fine work that you do. Well, I
Tony 7:47
appreciate that. And like I said don't forget benefits and claims. third Tuesday of the month at the North Las Vegas Veteran Resource Center. That's on Centennial Parkway North Las Vegas. Thanks, Jay. All right. Okay,
Unknown Speaker 8:01
Tony, thanks. And we'll be in touch with you. This is Veterans Affairs. Jazz, more just service officer Tony Marshall on just giving an update. So thanks, we thank him so very much. With that, we're gonna clear the line and prepare for our next year.
Unknown Speaker 8:25
Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. Now my second guest on the line and again, pardon any difficulties because this is the first time for me doing this remotely with all my medical issues going on. I appreciate Wes for guiding me through. We have as our second guest, local businessman, Mr. Frank Hawkins, what's up?
Unknown Speaker 8:47
All is well all is well mr. Washington, how you doing? How you feeling?
Unknown Speaker 8:52
I'm feeling wonderful man. You know, frankly, I feel so blessed that I don't have any of those bad side effects that is going to happen. And I know I'm just starting the journey. So hopefully God will continue to bless me that I don't have any issues. But just as important is I know there's a lot of things that are going on in the cannabis industry and law changes, etc, etc. So give us a little update on where you are to include what's happening with the consumption lounges, if you will.
Unknown Speaker 9:25
Okay, so I want to start off on the big issue because the federal government is the big gorilla in the room. So there's all kinds of humbug and conversations about the government is getting ready to federal government's getting ready to move marijuana off of the off of the one, schedule one to schedule three. And folks are excited about that.
Unknown Speaker 9:55
Frank, what does that mean? Me? Yeah, I'm a medical.
Unknown Speaker 9:58
I'm gonna explain that. Yeah, I'm gonna explain that to you. But challenging is part of the challenge is, that really doesn't solve the current problem. So there's a few problems that exist. So as I understand the bill, and it's HR dot 316. Now, I'm sorry, HR 3617, marijuana opportunity for reinvestment and expungement act, if anybody wants to go online and pull it down, but supposedly removing it from that list does help, as it relates to to ad E. But it's also going to then create another problem, because you got to the White House has to approve it. And in as much as it's a political year, it may or may not, or it may become a political football. So the when the administration moves that they're going to put it in schedule three, which were antibiotic steroids. And Kate Kate, key domain is, so that schedule three, but then how are you going to sell it? Because now you got another issue? Can you sell it from a dispensaries? Is it going to be similar to a drugstore? But you know, for me and challenges I have is to add, and that tax burden is erroneous. And it requires that we get charged like drug traffickers, which means we don't get to write off any of our expenses. And supposedly, we have in schedule three, you could take standard deductions, which is what most businesses take right now. So the crazy part is okay, but nevertheless, all right. It's illegal federally. So they're only talking about Rick, not recreational, but medical marijuana. They, in my opinion, they aren't talking about recreational marijuana. So you still gonna have a problem, because there's 37 states that have medical or medicinal marijuana use 24 states that have some form of legalized recreational marijuana. Right. So, so in the reclassification, right now, we're talking about a drug being so in that category of steroids, ketamine, right, and Tylenol, codeine is regulated, well, we notice by drugstores, so are they is they are they are they going to have to change the makeup of the dispensary? Will the dispensaries have to get another license. And what we are slowly seeing is being able to get banking, being able to get insurance and those items, but but financially, it's still a drain on the current system. So we still have a long way to go. Because they aren't fixing the entire problem. All they're doing is taking care of you know, the scraps are the low hanging fruit when they should fix the entire issue in my opinion.
Unknown Speaker 13:26
So this is a federal level.
Unknown Speaker 13:30
This is on this is on the federal level. So let me give you one of the some of the benefits they say. They say they're going to replace the statutory references to marijuana and marijuana as with cannabis. So they're gonna require the bureau of labor, labor statistics to publish demographic data on cannabis business owners and employees establish a trust fund to support various programs and services for individuals and businesses and communities impacted by the War on Drugs we've been hearing that since day one Hey never happened yet impose an excise tax which we know the government loves attacks you on products produced in the imported into the United States and as occupational to enact an occupational tax on cannabis production facilities and an export warehouses so more taxes, Make Small Business Administration loans and services available to entities that are cannabis related legitimate businesses or service providers. So that means to me that if you are a recreational business, you wouldn't qualify as I interpreted. But if you are medical you would most businesses as we just went through our recreational prohibited pile of benefits and protections under the immigration laws. On the basis of a cannabis related events, conduct, conduct and conviction establishes a process to expunge convictions of people who have been sentenced for offenses. Couple more here directs the government accounting, accountability office to study the social impact. And state legislation on recreational cannabis directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to study methods for determine, determining whether a driver is impaired by marijuana directs the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to study the impact of legalization of recreational cannabis, on the workforce for workplaces, and directs the Department of Education to study the impact of legislation of recreational cannabis on schools and school aged children. So there's a whole lot of a whole lot of talking. But at the end, it's a Yeah, it's the political football and the probably end up being a fumble the state in Nevada. Okay, they're legislation and made a ton of changes to the cannabis laws of the state in Nevada. And the author of the bill is someone that is a local Dallas, Assemblywoman. So folks are familiar with her, but she pushed through some bills that I think are good key changes in the elimination of time and effort billing. So the CCB, which is a compliance board, cannabis compliance board with charging businesses for the time that they spent working on your case or your audit, or if you call with a question, you would get a bill. So I think the legislature did a great job of that. So they eliminated that. They also reduced the maximum fun. We have some folks have been fined 500 $400,000. They said maximum fines were reduced from 90,000 to 20,000. Another good thing, feel free to start just Yeah, right.
Unknown Speaker 17:22
But let me ask you this. So on the federal level, as well as on the state level, do they have a lobbying body to deal with this issue from your side as a as an entrepreneur?
Unknown Speaker 17:36
Oh, of course, yeah, they have to, they got so many lobbyists. But and, you know, the marijuana business is so varied, right? You'd have you have medical, and then you have recreational and then you have the different types, people that grow people that sale people that make product, people that deliver so you have so many varying different interests, that and then you have the big boys, the public companies out of Canada, not even public out of the United States. And their their wishes, they're trying to get something that betters them and hurts everybody else. And the small guy like everything else, the small guy never has anybody to represent them or him or her, because they don't have the money. They don't have the support, and they don't have the background. So they really are going to be left out and the ones are going to be hurt the most.
Unknown Speaker 18:33
That is man that is more complicated. When I asked you Marsh's told more. So I saw something on the news the other night, and it seemed like the federal government is getting ready to make some significant changes. I say, well, the man I know it might be in the note that the plank Hawkinson. Appreciate you coming on. And I asked you here, Frank, for the purpose of, you know, we have veterans out there that are pursuing not only, you know, entrepreneurship in this particular market, but also we have users and I know that at some point it will have an effect on them and their purchase. They're putting out very, very clearly. How
Unknown Speaker 19:05
about this? How about about this one day. So you have a veteran show many of our veterans that have gone into the service, whether they fought or not have issues that marijuana has been proven to help them win. So we feel based on the federal law, that may have a change. And it doesn't speak to veterans at all in itself. So for your constituents that are listening to federal and state elected officials, and tell them that you want them to pass if you're in support. Again, I just want to say that Senate Bill 277 that Senator Dallas Harris, I'm sorry, I called her Assemblywoman. She's a state senator. He did a great job along with the rest of the assembly and listening and listening to the public and small business people and making some positive changes in the state of Nevada, which was supported by the governor and don't want to leave him out because what he's doing is important to help small businesses. Absolutely.
Unknown Speaker 20:12
Yeah, I've got a I got to reach out to the governor and the lieutenant governor tried to get him on the show. I know it's the government's Lovato is a veteran, I think it was in their hands as well. So Frank, as we close, any any final thoughts you'd like to share with our public as I try to monitor our time?
Unknown Speaker 20:32
Well, I think I think from a political standpoint, in this bill that Nevada cannabis law changes is that the governor changed the law and the legislature in the Senate, did it with him where they are. Now the governor determines if the executive director stays or goes, and not by the board that he appoints. And then the biggest deal is the changes for the board makeup. So now in the future, you have to have somebody on the board instead of lawyers, with somebody with experience in agriculture and manufacturing and retail and law enforcement in illegal cannabis activities and laboratory testing. That's SB 328. So that's, that's important.
Unknown Speaker 21:22
Yes, absolutely, it makes sense. Because if you just got a bunch of attorneys who's never put their hands in the market and actually do the work, you'll be just going from theory and speculation versus somebody who has knowledge. This is one thing I noticed about you. And that you've been with your coat of edge or cultivation open, you have ears to the ground reading and studying and watching for the pitfalls and anything else that may come your way. So we appreciate you coming on, I get you back on again, because I think this is an important information to share with our public. So thank you, my friend, and Godspeed and all that you're doing to include the workers that I see coming through handling the business.
Unknown Speaker 22:06
Thanks. Thanks, Chief. Appreciate you, man.
Unknown Speaker 22:09
All right, yeah, thank you. This is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. We had this morning on Tony Marshall, our service officer for our veterans, they help them get their benefits. And then we had business local businessman, and a dear friend Mr. Frank Hawkins will give us an update on some law changes both federally and state where he gave governor and senator Dallas some credit for things that they were able to get done. So thanks, everyone. We'll talk to you guys again next week. This is Veterans Affairs. And this Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host. And as we close out today, I just want to say once again to revisit what we were talking about early on in regards to the unrest that's going on in college and university campuses. Once again, there's people going in and really just want to stir trouble but the students must be careful once again, because if you break the law and enter buildings, you're going to have to pay a price and I say that again. Not as I'm some self righteous person, because I got been in trouble many times in my life, but each time when you have to pay a price you have to pay that price. So once again I want to say happy birthday to family members because I know my daughter or wife sent me something how to get a chance to see but I will certainly recognize them next week as we bring in local businessman Brian rollin and also longtime municipal, government employee and leader Dr. Jeff you Ken will be on the show for next week. So thank you once again Las Vegas This is Texas affairs plus on 91.5 Jazz and thanks.
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