Built by consumers. For everyone.
The people who use cannabis have never had an organized voice. In 2026, as rollbacks spread, that gap started costing us.
Why we exist, and why now
In 2026, reefer madness came back. Legal cannabis didn't disappear. Opponents learned to take it apart piece by piece instead. Ohio's legislature rolled back a voter-approved law. Massachusetts put a repeal of legal sales on the ballot. Idaho asked voters to give up their own power to legalize. Congress set a ban on hemp-derived THC. Oregon's Senate passed a 10mg cap on every edible before it died in the House in March.
The arguments are the same ones from decades ago, and the evidence still doesn't support them. Teen use keeps falling. Cannabis is listed as a cause in less than 1% of overdose deaths. But lawmakers hear from industry and prohibition groups every session, and consumers only show up once a crisis bill is already moving. That's the gap we're here to close.
We are not a trade association. We don't represent growers, processors or retailers. We represent the 64 million Americans who used cannabis last year and deserve policy that treats them like adults.
How we got here
- Oregon decriminalizes
Oregon becomes the first state to decriminalize cannabis, making possession of up to an ounce a civil fine.
- Medical legalization begins
California legalizes medical cannabis with Prop 215. Oregon, Alaska and Washington follow by ballot in 1998. A regulated market is born with no organized consumer voice.
- Adult use arrives
Colorado and Washington legalize in 2012. Oregon and Alaska follow in 2014; Oregon's Measure 91 passes 56% to 44%.
- Four more states
California, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts legalize adult use on one election night.
- The wave builds
Vermont becomes the first state to legalize through its legislature. Michigan, Illinois, Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and New Mexico follow.
- 24 states
Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, Missouri and Ohio bring the total to 24 adult-use states. Consumers are still unrepresented in policy.
- Rollbacks begin
Congress votes to ban hemp-derived THC nationwide, and Ohio's legislature rewrites the legalization law voters passed in 2023.
- Reefer madness returns, and ACCA launches
Massachusetts puts a repeal of legal sales on the ballot, Idaho asks voters to give up their power to legalize, and Oregon's Senate passes a 10mg edible cap before it dies in the House. The American Cannabis Consumer Alliance launches to give consumers a permanent, organized voice.
What we stand for
Six principles that decide every position we take.
Consumers first
We represent people who use cannabis, not the businesses that sell it. Our positions follow what's good for people who use cannabis legally and responsibly.
Evidence over ideology
Every position rests on peer-reviewed science, government data or primary reporting. When the facts change, we change with them.
Regulation works
The licensed market is safer for consumers, communities and public health than prohibition or the unregulated market. We defend regulation and work to improve it.
Equity is non-negotiable
Prohibition fell hardest on communities of color. A cannabis policy that doesn't address those harms is incomplete. We bring that lens to every fight.
Transparency always
We're open about who funds us, what we spend money on and what positions we hold. Consumers deserve to know who speaks in their name, and why.
Show up
Good advocacy means being present: in hearing rooms, at community meetings and in the inbox of every legislator considering a bill that affects consumers.
Founder
Kaliko Castille
Founder and Executive Director
Kaliko has spent more than a decade at the intersection of cannabis policy, community organizing and political strategy. He was Director of Marketing at the National Cannabis Industry Association and Board President of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, where he led MCBA's National Cannabis Equity Report and helped develop model legalization policy for state legislatures. His federal work included direct lobbying for equitable cannabis reform.
He is Political Director at APANO Action Fund and founded ACCA in 2026 to give cannabis consumers a permanent, organized voice. His work has been featured on MSNBC and in Forbes, Bloomberg, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post and The Hill, and he was named to MJ Venture's 40 Under 40.
Board of directors
We're forming our first board and looking for people who believe consumers deserve a real seat at the table. Service is volunteer. An Oregon or Hawai'i connection helps but isn't required. We're especially looking for:
- An Oregon policy advocate with legislative relationships
- A reform strategist who has run statewide ballot or policy campaigns
- A public health professional or researcher
- A Hawai'i community leader to help build our presence there
- A legal or financial professional to help build our c3, c4 and PAC structure
- A consumer, not a professional, who keeps us grounded in who we serve
Our commitments to you
What you can hold us to.
No industry control
Industry can sponsor events. Industry can't set our positions. Those come from consumer interests and evidence.
Published financials
Once we're formally established, we'll publish annual financial disclosures so members know how their money is used.
Your data is yours
We'll never sell, rent or share your personal information, including with industry partners or sponsors.
Public positions
Every bill we support or oppose, every testimony and every statement we make gets posted on this site.