Tag: surety one

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Cannabis Approval is Compassionate

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My professional life is largely spent in the insurance and financial services sector as CEO of Surety One, Inc., a national surety bond general agency. One of the classes of bond business that we write is for cannabis enterprises. While I tend to leave each individual’s particulars to him or herself, I have spent some not-insignificant time thinking about the availability of cannabis and whether that access is a social ill or a social good. Like any reasonable person, I would rather that the driver of my children’s school bus, my airline pilot, my brain surgeon, etc., not smoke pot, I am overwhelmingly convinced that legalization and de-scheduling of cannabis is the “right thing to do”. I’m not advocating for the use, misuse or abuse of any substance however there is a group of people that most certainly benefit from our compassionate approval of marijuana products for them.

The debate over the legalization of medical cannabis has gained significant momentum, not only in the U.S. but across the globe. Advocates argue that allowing medical cannabis is not just a matter of legality but also a question of compassion. One of the most compelling arguments for legalizing cannabis is its ability to alleviate pain and suffering in patients with chronic and debilitating illnesses. For individuals battling conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and chronic pain, conventional treatments might not always be effective or come with severe side effects. Medical cannabis, with its natural pain-relieving properties, can offer a ray of hope and relief, giving these patients a chance to improve their quality of life.

Medical cannabis, particularly cannabidiol (CBD), has shown promise in reducing the frequency and severity of epileptic seizures. For children and adults suffering from severe forms of epilepsy, such as Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, medical cannabis can be a lifeline. By allowing access to this alternative treatment, governments can demonstrate compassion for those living with these debilitating conditions.

Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD, affect millions of people. Traditional pharmaceutical interventions do not work for everyone and may lead to dependency and/or adverse side effects. Medical cannabis, especially strains with higher CBD content has been shown to have anxiolytic and mood-stabilizing effects. Legalizing medical cannabis provides patients with another option in their pursuit of mental well-being, promoting a compassionate approach to mental health care. This point alone is particularly prescient given the number of psychiatric professionals that have been sounding the alarm about emotional stress and its manifestations, especially among our military veterans.

For patients facing terminal illnesses or end-of-life care, medical cannabis can provide a comforting and compassionate touch. It can alleviate pain, improve appetite, and offer a sense of peace, allowing these individuals to spend their remaining days with greater comfort and dignity.

The compassionate aspect of legalizing medical cannabis extends beyond the realms of law and policy. It’s about recognizing the suffering of patients battling various medical conditions and providing them with access to a potential source of relief and hope. By embracing the legalization of medical cannabis, governments can show empathy, understanding, and a commitment to the well-being of their citizens. Moreover, it sends a powerful message that compassion and evidence-based care should guide our approach to healthcare, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and empathetic society. I stand by my decision to have my business enterprise support my view on this, as likewise I stand by the millions of my fellow human beings suffering from debilitating, painful infirmities.

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North Carolina and Cannabis Legalization

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I read with interest a recent report in the News & Observer by Mr. Doran about the Elon University marijuana legalization poll. Legalization of cannabis and cannabinoid products should be a priority for the North Carolina General Assembly among its manifold fiscal, social and justice reform legislative efforts.

Prosecution of marijuana and related offenses has disproportionately affected minorities and the poor. Serious convictions for non-violent offenses that nullify a defendant’s civil rights and effectively disqualify him or her from professional licenses and job opportunities offer no benefit to our community. Statutory oddities such as the possession of rolling paper which carries a more severe penalty than that of possession of marijuana itself are evidence of stupid law making at best, and discrimination at worst. In what system would a prosecutor allow a guilty plea to a weapon possession charge and dismiss the accompanying homicide? Ridiculous. Only sixteen states still enforce a strict prohibition of cannabis, North Carolina among them. A few of these are currently considering decriminalization and/or legalization. From a criminal justice perspective, we are dead wrong on our failure to open a serious legislative debate on cannabis.

Legal use of cannabis for medical purposes should raise no argument whatsoever. Other than the prejudicial effects of inhaling anything that produces smoke, there is no medical evidence that cannabis harms the human body any more than the use or abuse of any substance. In fact, there is a body of evidence that the positive effects of prescribed cannabis to reduce pain and increase appetite far outweigh the negatives, allowing patients to enjoy an improved quality of life without the risk of the dangerous spiral of opiate addiction. The prohibition of cannabis use by individuals with terminal illnesses is absolutely indefensible.

From a social impact perspective, opponents of marijuana legalization often recycle the tired argument that it is a “gateway drug”, that by allowing adult use somehow cannabis consumers will turn into crack, heroin or methamphetamine addicts. Again, evidence does not support that argument. Like any reasonable adult, I am not enthusiastic about my airline pilot, brain surgeon or my children’s school bus driver smoking marijuana then immediately engaging in their occupations but we don’t allow them to do so with alcohol or prescription drugs either. There is an equivalency here. Likewise, justifications of prohibition based on the supposition that marijuana users will engage in actions under the influence that they otherwise would not, or somehow evolve into dastardly delinquents committing crimes to support their habit fall flat.

Fiscally, legalization is a responsible action. I can speak with some authority. Since legalization of cannabis in California under Proposition 215 over a decade ago to date, I have affixed my signature to approximately eight thousand surety bonds required by over a dozen state regulators that guarantee the conduct of those cannabis licensees. Those licensees have become significant revenue generators. In 2019, cannabis sales generated a tax revenue to the State of California in the amount of $629.3 million. Over the lifetime of the program the revenue number is $1.03 billion. Washington as a comparison by population similar to that of North Carolina enjoyed a 2019 tax collection of $395.5 million, $1.33 billion over the life of its cannabis program. The revenue is of course but part of the fiscal picture, as the end of simple possession and paraphernalia prosecutions have saved criminal justice systems countless millions of dollars.

I don’t use cannabis. I’m just not interested but neither am I interested in smoking cigarettes. My choice doesn’t mean that responsible adults should not make their own informed decisions about cannabis use. Legalize it for adults, tax it and penalize irresponsible and illegal cultivation and distribution. Not doing so after consideration of the successful government-regulated cannabis experiments in three-quarters of U.S. states puts North Carolina on the wrong side of history.

~Constantin Poindexter, CEO Surety One, Inc.

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La Caridad es el Amor Manifestado

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El amor: def. nombre masculino; Sentimiento de vivo afecto e inclinación hacia una persona o cosa a la que se  le desea todo lo bueno. “el amor al prójimo; abrazó al bebé con gran amor; nunca ocultó su amor a la patria; el amor de la gloria lo llevó hasta el heroísmo”

Sentimiento de intensa atracción emocional y sexual hacia una persona con la que se desea compartir una vida en común.
“amor platónico; me gustan las canciones de amor; no puedo expresar con palabras el amor que siento por ti; le escribió una carta de amor”

La definición común, todos la sabemos, ¿pero es el amor solamente un sentimiento? Por supuesto que no. Es una acción, un comportamiento. Someto para la consideración las palabras sabias del R.H. Carlos Ayón Calderón, “la Caridad, desde es la más importante de las virtudes teologales y sobre todas las virtudes cardinales que, expresa el Amor Verdadero cuando el hombre ama a su prójimo por el amor a Dios. La Caridad (y la Misericordia, su hermana) tienen la aprobación del cielo y la tierra, que ambas bendicen tanto al que da como a aquel que la recibe.” En esto, de acuerdo estoy y recomiendo particularmente la ampliación del sentido de la palabra “Amor”. La definición común no le hace justicia a nadie, perdiendo en visto lo que quiere decir nuestro creador.

Que por medio de la escalera de Jacobo alcanzamos la salvación. Los peldaños de la escalera son fé, esperanza y caridad, el último siendo el más importante, la practica de la cual enriquece, como dijo Ayón, el/la practicate tanto como el/la recipiente.

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Duke Cancer Center for Kids

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Per Duke Pediatric Cancer, “Although pediatric cancers are less common than  adult malignancies, the impact of cancer on children and their families is nothing short of devastating. Over the past 40 years, cooperative research efforts (primarily through the Children’s Oncology Group) have resulted in dramatic increases in cure rates for most pediatric cancers. Nevertheless, substantial numbers of children with cancer still succumb to their disease, and even larger numbers of pediatric patients suffer significant long-term late effects because of the intensity of the therapies required to achieve cure. Research into the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying pediatric tumors is essential to develop novel therapeutic approaches that will yield higher rates of cure and fewer side effects.

I humbly request that you follow my lead and give to this most worthy institution. I did and Surety One, Inc. matched. Check with your employer as it may be on a matching program as well! visit them here.

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Why Charity?

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Its covering is no less than the clouded canopy, or starry-decked heaven, where we wish to at last to arrive, by the aid of that theological ladder which came to Jacob in a vision, he saw extending from earth to heaven; the three principal rounds of which are FAITH, HOPE, and CHARITY. The allegorical ladder admonishes us to have faith in God, hope in immortality, and charity towards all men (and women). The most important rung of the ladder is CHARITY. Faith may be lost in sight, hope ends in fruition, but charity extends beyond the grave, through the boundless realms of time.

Why is charity relevant and why is it incumbent on every able person to offer it in his or her own way? I’ll elaborate later, however for the moment I will leave this most eloquent reasoning courtesy of the General Ahiman Rezón of our Brotherhood albeit with a change or two to enhance its universal applicability. The words are not my own however the sentiment certainly is.

Charity is the brightest gem that can adorn our lives on this earth. Happy is the man  who has sowed in his breast the seeds of benevolence, the produce of which is love and peace He envieth not his neighbor. He listeneth not to a tale, when reported by slander. Revenge or malice has no place in his breast. He forgives the injuries of men and endeavors to blot them from his recollection. The objects of true charity among us are those individuals that aid and succor those persons who are incapable of extricating themselves from misfortunes in their journey through life, relief and support of those industrious individuals who by inevitable accidents and acts of providence have fallen into ruin,  widow left survivors of their husbands, by whose labors they subsisted,  orphans in tender years left naked to the world, and the elderly whose spirits are exhausted, whose arms are unbraced by time and thereby rendered unable to procure for themselves that sustenance they could accomplish in their youthful days.

From each person according to his or her capacity to the cause of charity should be a natural inclination. It is incumbent on us ALL to contribute to the relieve of those that for whatever reason find themselves in situations much less privileged than our own.

~ Constantin Poindexter, CEO of Surety One, Inc.

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A Dual Purpose for Establishing an Enterprise.

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I have spent a quarter of a century building businesses, largely my own but offering a contribution of my humble expertise when it has been requested. Twenty five years ago I was a recent university graduate and a neophyte to the business world so naturally I collected books, magazines, white papers, . . . i.e., whatever I could put my hands on that would (hopefully) support the success of my enterprises. One of the first was a collection of work by Peter Drucker. While some of his wisdom is timeless, I found that there were some major gaps in his thinking.  His definition of “business purpose”, is inadequate.

“Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two–and only two–basic functions: marketing and innovation.”, wrote Drucker. A business that grows and remains relevant for many years must have another purpose, . . . to serve a social good. Creating economic value for an enterprise’s owners, employees and the departments of revenue is not “serving a social good”. So what is it?

How do we determine the true “purpose” of a business to ensure that it is one with enduring value? There is a special (albeit very old) tool for uncovering the root of the question. The technique is called the “Five Whys”.  Start with what your enterprise offers, then ask “why”, until you have dug down to the core purpose or “root” of the cause that your business supports. Ex., . . .

  • We offer financial services to people!
  • Why? Because those people need them.
  • Why? Because without them they cannot budget, save, prepare for the future, etc.
  • Why would they need to do those things? To live a healthy life, provide for themselves and their families, to save for kids’ college and prepare for a dignified and happy retirement.

So, in the example above we didn’t need to ask “why” five times to arrive at our need. What is the business purpose? It certainly isn’t to “sell financial services” and if that is ALL that it is, then the enterprise wouldn’t last. It serves no social good. We see however that there is more. Looking deeper we perceive a different answer to this example. “What is the business’s purpose? To help people live a healthy life, provide for themselves and their families, to save for kids’ college and prepare for a dignified and happy retirement.”

Keep this “dual purpose” in mind as you develop a business plan. Without the “social good” element as fundamentally equal to the “to market and sell something” one, a business is doomed to failure.

~ Constantin Poindexter, CEO of Surety One, Inc.