The cannabis community has always been a supportive place for activists and patients alike but cannabis companies, particularly in the United States of America are having great difficulty in sharing their wealth with others.
Cannabis is legal for medical in the UK and/or recreational purposes across 32 states of America and the District of Columbia, yet companies still face unnecessary roadblocks when trying to donate much-needed money to non-profit charitable organizations.
The current relationship between cannabis and charities is very much a case of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Here, the UK is seen as leading the way in terms of ‘The Good’ with plenty of UK CBD brands sharing their wealth and giving much-needed funds to charities.
Here are some great examples of ‘The Good’ in the UK.
The good
CBD Hemp Ltd
CBD Hemp Ltd is a London based CBD manufacturer who manufacturers natural CBD products using organic hemp imported from Colorado and Switzerland. They give a small percentage of their profits to numerous local and national charities in the UK including ‘The Childhood Trust’ which is a charity aimed at alleviating the symptoms of poverty in the UK, and ‘Young Epilepsy’, an organisation aimed at helping children suffering from epilepsy.
CBDiablo
CBDiablo is a Scottish CBD brand who donate a massive 20% of their profits to the mental health support charity ‘CALM’ (Campaign Against Living Miserably). A shocking fact is that the biggest killer of men under the age of 45 is suicide but by supporting CALM, CBDiablo is keeping a much-needed telephone support service open.
Sea CBD
London based Sea CBD is a CBD brand that sells certified organic CBD oil of which a percentage of their profits go to charitable organisations. They donate to ocean-cleanup charities such as “The Sea Cleaners”, ‘The Lewis Project’ which is a London based group who use music to promote well being, and also ‘The Marie Curie Hospice which cares for terminally ill cancer patients.
Thankfully UK charities are open and willing to accept donations from CBD brands but this is not so much the case for America, home to Clint Eastwood's much loved 1966 movie.
The bad
Currently, in the US, cannabis companies are not permitted to offset charitable donations against taxes due. This is a major stumbling block in terms of philanthropy which results in a limited amount of much-needed money going to charities.
Some companies have a way of getting around this by using a third party, but in general, it is quite difficult and as such charities suffer needlessly.
Bad but certainly not ugly.
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The ugly
The last remains of social stigma associated with the cannabis plant have resulted in many charities refusing to accept donations from cannabis companies. In a terrible irony, some charities fighting diseases will not associate with cannabis companies even though there is significant evidence that it may even manage or cure the very diseases they are fighting.
This is a sad unfortunate case of the reality of cannabis companies looking to donate in the States. Some companies though have got around this by offering their employees time as opposed to their profits. One such cannabis company is ‘California Blooms Farms’ who send their employees to work in food banks during working their normal hours.
Conclusion
As cannabis laws begin to relax around the world and further research on the medicinal benefits of this plant is published, it will surely lead to further charitable donations and eventually a change in tax laws to enable companies to help those less fortunate.
