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LOBBYING REPORT |
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page
2. Address
| Address1 | 29155 Northwestern Highway |
Address2 | Ste. 443 |
| City | Southfield |
State | MI |
Zip Code | 48034 |
Country | USA |
3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2)
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5. Senate ID# 401106390-50742
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6. House ID# 455060001
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| TYPE OF REPORT | 8. Year | 2022 |
Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) | Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) | Q3 (7/1 - 9/30) | Q4 (10/1 - 12/31) |
9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report
| 10. Check if this is a Termination Report | Termination Date |
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11. No Lobbying Issue Activity |
| INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13 | |||||||||
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| 12. Lobbying | 13. Organizations | ||||||||
| INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period was: | EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period were: | ||||||||
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| Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, of all lobbying related income for the client (including all payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying activities on behalf of the client). | 14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense accounting method. See instructions for description of options. | ||||||||
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Method A.
Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only
Method B. Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code |
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| Signature | Digitally Signed By: Eric Foster |
Date | 1/27/2023 4:38:59 PM |
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code BAN
16. Specific lobbying issues
In the MORE Act, CAO Act and any Cannabis based policy legislation, M4MM wants to codify Deposit banking of Federal Tax proceeds in Minority Depository Institutions (MDI) and Encourage Cannabis Related Businesses to establish banking relationships with MDIs.
M4MM believes that each Act provides an additional opportunity to strengthen African American and other Minority Owned Financial Institutions by integrating them into the banking services model for the Commercial Cannabis Industry. M4MM recommends establishing a depository relationship for tax proceeds with Minority Financial Institutions and directing SBA lending activity through Minority Financial Institutions.
In absence of federal decriminalization/legalization, ease any restrictions that exist on financial institutions from using licensed Cannabis business deposits as a part of their normal external lending portfolio and intra-bank lending assets and notes.
Commercial Hemp Policy and Administrative rules:
Ensure the application of banking and financial services for Hemp licensed business is equal and unfettered
Direct the Treasury Department & Federal Reserve to engage Minority Depository Institutions to become depository institutions for Hemp banking
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE, Agriculture - Dept of (USDA), Treasury - Dept of, Commerce - Dept of (DOC)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Eric |
Foster |
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Lloyd |
Banks |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code ECN
16. Specific lobbying issues
In The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAO Act), The MORE Act, the STATES Act, the State Reform Act and The SAFE Banking Act and other Marijuana related bills advocate for the following modifications
Strengthening the Community Reinvestment Grant Program:
Adding verbiage by including additional program activities through Statute to include:
Supplier diversity programming within the equipment, product materials and trucking/transportation
sector, to better distribute the overall economic impacts through Minority, women, disabled and veteran owned supply chain vendors.
Social Equity Employment to Ownership (SEEO) - programming for social equity individuals who lack direct financial and professional operational experience to start a licensed business. but meet a multitude of key Social Equity and social economic criteria as an eligible employee to ownership candidate.
Prisoner Re-Entry to Employment Program (PREEP) - Establishment of direct training and placement
programs for persons soon to be returning from the Corrections System (six months to release) and those in Prison Re-Entry programming with in-facility Horticultural Certificate training for and hiring placement
Establishment of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and employee rights divisions within State
Regulatory Agencies to protect Cannabis workers from unsafe and predatory employment environments
Higher Education partnerships with Minority Colleges & Universities for Cannabis Research
Integrate Medical Cannabis licensees into the research funding opportunities by incentivizing partnerships between licensees and research universities and/or have Clinical Registrant licenses.
Enter research partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and
Universities, and institutions such as Hispanic-serving institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions, and other Minority-Serving Institutions for Medical Cannabis research studies.
Commercial Hemp Policy and Administrative rules:
Add language to direct USDA lending activity through Minority Depository Institutions and inflows of dollars for loans and investment to support Socially & Economically Disadvantaged Hemp farmers and agribusinesses
Ease any restrictions that exist on financial institutions from using licensed Hemp business
deposits as a part of their normal external lending portfolio and intra-bank lending assets and
notes
Add clear language to make hemp farmers and agribusinesses eligible for grants, loans and
support programs through the USDA
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE, Agriculture - Dept of (USDA), Treasury - Dept of
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Lloyd |
Banks |
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Eric |
Foster |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code MED
16. Specific lobbying issues
In The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAO Act), The MORE Act, the STATES Act, the State Reform Act and any other Marijuana related policy legalization bills:
Federal Tax Receipts for Cannabis research would direct earmarked dollars for Medical Cannabis usage via the following:
Integrate Medical Cannabis licensees into the research funding opportunities by incentivizing partnerships between licensees and research universities and/or have Clinical Registrant licenses
Enter research partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and
Universities, and institutions such as Hispanic-serving institutions, Asian American and Native American
Pacific Islander-serving institutions, and other Minority-Serving Institutions for Medical Cannabis research studies
Also add 501c3 Non-Profits currently serving Medically underserved communities and populated
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Eric |
Foster |
Banks |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code GOV
16. Specific lobbying issues
Tribal nations freedom to legalize Cannabis Independent of State regulations
Safe Advertising for Cannabis and Hemp specific advertising.
Commercial Hemp Policy and Administrative rules: Add legislative provisions to the next Farm Bill, to strengthen the Statutory structure for Commercial and Industrial Hemp Production:
Investment in Hemp Fiber processing equipment development and production to increase the Producer licensees and increase marketable and exportable products for Hemp farmers.
Economic development vehicles via Hemp Producer licenses, opportunity zones and urban development
Crop Insurance reform legislation and State implementation of Hemp programs - making it more accessible and cost effective to the minority farmers.
Increase access for Hemp in the USDA BioPreferred Program designates categories for federal purchasing as well as identifies certification categories for the voluntary labeling initiative. Unique biobased content minimums have been established as part of the process of designating categories for federal purchasing preference. Categories that only fall under the voluntary labeling initiative have a minimum biobased content of 25%.
Propose statutory language in TITLE VII - Research, TITLE X - Horticulture and TITLE XI - Crop Insurance of the 2023 Farm Bill to expand Federal support for Industrial Hemp product development.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Interior - Dept of (DOI)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Eric |
Foster |
Banks |
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Lloyd |
Banks |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code SMB
16. Specific lobbying issues
M4MM recommended improvements to the current package of Federal legislative bills:
Codify Deposit banking of Federal Tax proceeds in Minority Depository Institutions (MDI) and Encourage Cannabis Related Businesses to establish banking relationships with MDIs
Depository relationship for Opportunity Trust Funds into Minority Financial Institutions - Add language to direct the Treasury Department & Federal Reserve to engage Minority Depository Institutions to establish unique depository institution service for 45% of Cannabis tax receipts and appropriations allocations as identified in SEC. 9512 for the expressed purpose of strengthening the balance sheet and intra-banking lending for MDI's to expand their banking portfolio of services to underserved and disproportionately impacted communities. Add language to tie depository percentages to African American, Latino American, Asian American, Native American & Multi-Racial American MDI Banks. Add this to any related omnibus legalization, CAO Act, MORE Act, States Reform Act.
Proposed rule change to Department of Treasury February 14, 2014 BSA Expectations Regarding Marijuana-Related Businesses (MRB) guidance memo, FIN-2014-G001
Understanding the difficult path for passage of the Safe Banking Act in the Senate, M4MM is also seeking to introduce language to the Department of Treasury to provide regulatory cost support, facility support for lending activities and streamlining reporting requirements for banking in States that have legalized Medical and/or Adult-Use Marijuana for Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to provide banking services to Marijuana-Related businesses in their States and expand to other states for the purposes of providing banking services to Marijuana-Related businesses through amending the following Treasury and FDIC guidances:
Department of Treasury February 14, 2014 BSA Expectations Regarding Marijuana-Related Businesses (MRB) guidance memo, FIN-2014-G001
the FDIC Statement on Providing Banking Services - Financial Institution Letters (FIL) -5-2015 (January 28, 2015) and
Guidance Clarification from Department of Treasurys FinCEN Division- Updating Marijuana Limited SARs for MRBs - June 27, 2018.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Commerce - Dept of (DOC), Minority Business Development Agency, Treasury - Dept of
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Eric |
Foster |
Banks |
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Lloyd |
Banks |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.
20. Client new address
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21. Client new principal place of business (if different than line 20)
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22. New General description of client’s business or activities
LOBBYIST UPDATE
23. Name of each previously reported individual who is no longer expected to act as a lobbyist for the client
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ISSUE UPDATE
24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains
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AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)
Internet Address:
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Principal Place of Business (city and state or country) |
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26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
FOREIGN ENTITIES
27. Add the following foreign entities:
| Name | Address |
Principal place of business (city and state or country) |
Amount of contribution for lobbying activities | Ownership percentage in client | ||||||||||
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28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization
| 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 |
CONVICTIONS DISCLOSURE
29. Have any of the lobbyists listed on this report been convicted in a Federal or State Court of an offense involving bribery,
extortion, embezzlement, an illegal kickback, tax evasion, fraud, a conflict of interest, making a false statement, perjury, or money laundering?
| Lobbyist Name | Description of Offense(s) |