Further proof that Washington is going to pot: A former aide for an anti-marijuana member of Congress is now representing the pot industry in the private sector.
Michael Correia has joined the National Cannabis Industry Association as director of government relations. The Colorado-based association was founded in 2010 and works to promote the legalization of marijuana. The main focus of the group is to lobby Congress on behalf of the cannabis industry.
Prior to joining the NCIA, Correia served as a field representative for Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.). Black is against all forms of marijuana legalization and has been a opponent of marijuana legalization since her days in the state legislature. In 2012, Black's husband wrote a letter to the members of the Tennesse state legislature stating his opposition to the legalization of medical marijuana. David Black is the founder and CEO of Aegis Sciences Corp., a sports anti-doping laboratory.
Before joining Black's staff, Correia started on the Hill in 2001 as a deputy communications director for the House Natural Resources Committee, eventually becoming Rep. George Radanovich's (R-Calif.) legislative director.
