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[dramatis]

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“If you have a passion—any passion—we need advocates and allies. If you’re a baker, we need bakers. If you’re a lawyer, we need lawyers. Anyone who has empathy for people who need weed, and is driven, is welcome in the marijuana industry,” says Lisa Harun, co-founder of Vapium, a Canadian cannabis vape-maker. “There’s still so much opportunity.”

Indeed, the marijuana industry seems set to explode. This week, Arcview Market Research announced that in 2016, the legal weed market in North America generated $6.7 billion, up 30% from 2015, when marijuana was the second-biggest growth industry in the US (after peer-to-peer lending platforms).

Washington DC, and 28 states have passed laws, with various caveats, allowing medical marijuana use. As of this month, recreational cannabis is legal in Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and DC. Possession has been decriminalized in 13 states. Overall, more than 20% of adult Americans now have access to weed, medically or recreationally.

Marijuana projects are cropping up all over the US, and beyond. In Massachusetts, a cannabis business park covering more than a million square feet is planned for construction. In California, some marketers offer monthly luxury mail subscriptions to the upscale cannabis consumer, while others cater to the elderly whose weed needs are unique. One company in California has a subsidiary business in Mexico, which will sell its medicinal marijuana products there and plans to expand to Colombia. In Israel, the Health Ministry has approved cannabis inhalers for use in hospitals this year.

Maybe they can make a cinematic franchise about weed too

 

[WhateverItTakes]

One of my friends is a smart guy and wants to get in on the ground level with this. There's a lot of opportunities here that savvy people could really take advantage of.

 

[grap3fruitman]

Selling my house in IL and using the money to start a small grow op in Portland. I'm a big believer in marijuana as medicine and my goal is to eventually develop my own strain that's consistently effective for depression and name it in honor of my brother who committed suicide.

 

[Somnid]

IIRC it's also a high bust market because normal things like insurance, banking and investment are not easily available.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

join the party


Maybe they can make a cinematic franchise about weed too

And that cinematic franchise is Seth Rogen.

 

[Pakkidis]

It is high growth but like all things, only a few will make it given the vast amount of competition.

 

[offtopic]

IIRC it's also a high bust market because normal things like insurance, banking and investment are not easily available.

Banking is basically impossible as it is banned on the federal level. That makes it an almost all cash business which has many, many downsides.

 

[obin_gam]

I'm game!
Is there any companies that seems to be the biggest growing, and are there options on the stock market to look up?

 

[Sinfamy]

What are the chances the feds will start cracking down once Trump is in office?

 

[Fuchsdh]

What are the chances the feds will start cracking down once Trump is in office?

They can push back against decriminalization efforts at the federal level but fighting the states on this stuff would be incredibly time-consuming and expensive. With Republicans in the house I doubt the pace will pick up though.

As for "growth industry", a lot of the marijuana boom is driven by the fact that it isn't freely available. As soon as that happens (and it's a when at this point, probably, not an if) a lot of this concentrated money is going to go away from more competition. If it becomes legal at the federal level, you'll also have much more well-heeled companies step in and squash most of the little guys.

 

[ahoyhoy]

What are the chances the feds will start cracking down once Trump is in office?

Dominos are already falling. With the amount of money coming in in both red and blue states this is likely to not get any traction. Trump himself would likely need to defend the industry as a money maker.

 

[Moltisanti]

Its incredibly frustrating watching this happen while millions of black people are in jail or are being jailed for the same thing as we speak.

 

[Biske]

Banking is basically impossible as it is banned on the federal level. That makes it an almost all cash business which has many, many downsides.

This part of it makes it seem like a nightmare.

Dealing with all the money in pure cash? Good lord

 

[XenodudeX]

Selling my house in IL and using the money to start a small grow op in Portland. I'm a big believer in marijuana as medicine and my goal is to eventually develop my own strain that's consistently effective for depression and name it in honor of my brother who committed suicide.

Do it man. Good luck.

 

[Saganator]

Banking is basically impossible as it is banned on the federal level. That makes it an almost all cash business which has many, many downsides.

Not sure what it's like in other states, but most places find a way, usually by being dishonest with banks. If you use a debit card at a pot dispensary the charge will come through with a different company name. Every so often they get busted and you can't use a debit card for a few days until they set up another sub company to run transactions with.

I'm not an industry expert, but those of you wanting to get in on the "ground floor" are going to have a rough time since the ground floor was in Colorado and Oregon. Everyone else getting into it now will have to fight the established companies from CO and OR.

 

[Shadybiz]

Selling my house in IL and using the money to start a small grow op in Portland. I'm a big believer in marijuana as medicine and my goal is to eventually develop my own strain that's consistently effective for depression and name it in honor of my brother who committed suicide.

That's very cool man, good luck!

 

[ShiroAmakusa]

Good luck to anyone pulling this through, I envy you already!

Meanwhile in Germany, every attempt to soften the law makers on MJ is being met with ignorance.

I have the know-how and the start-up capital. Now please give me the (legal) business opportunity! >.<

 

[KrellRell]

I've got a few things on the go. I'm glad it's all finally coming together, you'll get to work with some of the most interesting people.

 

[SynthFetish]

Selling my house in IL and using the money to start a small grow op in Portland. I'm a big believer in marijuana as medicine and my goal is to eventually develop my own strain that's consistently effective for depression and name it in honor of my brother who committed suicide.

If you make it to Portland, hit me up. This is something I'd support.


Also, anyone know any cx/tech support roles in this industry?

 

[The Kree]

What are the chances the feds will start cracking down once Trump is in office?

It would probably be in the wealthy ruling class' best interests to just let people pacify themselves with marijuana. They'll find another way to incarcerate the runaway slaves in short order.

 

[Dude Abides]

What are the chances the feds will start cracking down once Trump is in office?

Sessions would probably love to (the only thing he doesn't like about the Klan is some of them smoke weed) but Trump doesn't seem to care about it and it'd be unpopular, so a crackdown seems unlikely.