Altria: otherwise known as Philip Morris of Marlboro cigarettes, has made multiple deals with marijuana companies such as purchasing 45% of the Cronos Group, the largest marijuana company in Canada. They also purchased 35% of Juul the e-cig and vaping maker at $13 billion. In 2014 Altria purchased Florida-based Green Smoke, a vaping manufacturer with crossover to marijuana (p. 49). As far back as the 1970s, big tobacco brands such as Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds and British American Tobacco were exploring the ideas of manufacturing marijuana cigarettes (p. 123).

NORML: the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, founded by Keith Stroup in the 1970s. His interview in 1979 with a student newspaper at Emory University laid out the industry’s long-term strategy to normalize marijuana use and legalization (p. 123). His most notable quote was “we will use ‘medical’ marijuana as a red herring to give marijuana a good name.”

Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of America: working with the marijuana industry (p. 50).

Constellation Brands: producer of Corona Beers, recently invested $billions in Canopy, a major Canadian marijuana company (p.50).

Imperial Brands: tobacco giant of Winston cigarettes, makes equity investment in a British marijuana company (p. 50).

Scotts Miracle-Gro: has been spending $billions to purchase ancillary pot businesses such as grow lights and hydroponic equipment (p. 51).

Celebrities such as: Jonah Hill, Whoopie Goldberg, Snoop Dog, Kevin Durant, Willie Nelson and many others are advocates of legalization (p. 58).

American Vaping Association: along with Altria, Philip Morris International and Reynolds American, Inc. are funding various media and journalism organizations such as The Influence Foundation, Inc. to push the legalization effort (p. 58).

Marijuana Policy Project and Drug Policy Alliance and Students for Sensible Drug Policy: all wings of the marijuana industry working non-stop to normalize marijuana consumption and distribution (p. 59).

Big Marijuana in the U.K.: investigative journalist Jonathan Gornall has written extensively on the influence of tobacco companies’ money on the marijuana industry in the U.K. (p. 63). See this link at the British Medical Journal.

Peter Lewis: original owner and founder of the multi-billion $ insurance company Progressive Insurance, was a big marijuana legalization proponent. He helped create the Brookings Institute, a libertarian think-tank with a firm focus on marijuana legalization across the U.S. (p.64-65).