Non-profits might want to take donations from the cannabis industry, but not at the risk of losing federal dollars. Meanwhile, “many of them are stuck worrying about ostracizing donors and partners,” some of whom might have retrograde opinions on the subject, said Steve Steck, founder of Heroic Vice, which offers advice on charitable giving to companies in industries like porn, liquor, and, for now, cannabis, that are seen as problematic. On the national level, “A lot of charities just don’t want to be the early adapter,” he said, adding that more will come around as the stigma continues to lift.
