Cannabis pioneer Wanda James announces Congressional bid

Cannabis industry trailblazer Wanda James is running for Congress.The CEO of Denver marijuana retail shop Simply Pure and the first Black woman in Colorado to own a licensed cannabis dispensary, James could also be the first entrepreneur from the $32 billion industry in Washington.

ADVERTISEMENT James, 61, who currently sits on the University of Colorado’s Board of Regents, will challenge longtime Democratic U.S.Rep.

Diana DeGette, who has represented Colorado’s First Congressional District for nearly three decades.Earlier this year, CU’s Board of Regents censored James for prioritizing her personal interests over the university’s mission.

However, James’s supporters argue she faced punishment for speaking out against racist imagery of Black babies and teens used in a campaign highlighting the risks of high-potency cannabis.The images were pulled after James told CU President Todd Saliman that they were racially insensitive.

James joins four other announced contenders in the June 30 Democratic primary.“Our country is broken and it’s breaking Denver residents, too,” James said in a statement.

“The future under this administration is bleak.” “It’s time to ensure families, students and communities are no longer held back by Republicans who would suppress their success in Denver and damage our economic security.” A U.S.Navy veteran, entrepreneur and activist, James is positioning herself as a fresh voice for Denver.

DeGette, 68, is the longest-serving member of Colorado’s current congressional delegation.Cannabis advocate and business owner is running for Congress Before entering the cannabis industry, James and her husband, Scott Durrah, who cofounded their cannabis business in 2009, were involved in efforts to overturn court-ordered sentences for marijuana possession.

After Colorado voters approved marijuana legalization in 2012, former Colorado Gov.John Hickenlooper appointed...