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MCPI Applauds SEC's Green Light on Cannabis Stocks
CARROLLTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / January 29, 2015 / Med-Cannabis Pharma, Inc. (MCPI) a public company invested in medical marijuana cultivation and retail distribution applauds the recent decision of the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission. In a move that could bolster investor confidence in businesses engaged in the emerging and growing Legal Marijuana Industry, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has allowed a share registration to proceed for Terra Tech Corp. (TRTC) The revelatory aspect of this registration is that the company's business model includes cultivation and sale of marijuana. The ease in which this was accomplished, and apparent lack of pushback or action by the SEC could allow similarly situated companies access to the equity market and be seen as a precedent in future registrations of businesses in the legal marijuana industry.
"The decision opens up exciting possibilities for MCPI and offers additional opportunities for investor involvement in such a booming industry," said Graciela Moreno, CEO of Med-Cannabis Pharma, Inc. "We will continue to be aggressive and grow as we explore, expand, and capitalize on positive policy outcomes such as this."
MCPI, as most other cannabis related-companies in this emerging market, trades over-the-counter. An SEC registration can open opportunities to these companies for additional financing and adds to the credibility of the companies in this industry. Already, MCPI has shown a strong track record of acquiring and partnering with other medical marijuana operators with the recent purchases of two operating dispensaries, building lease space for another, and beginning a joint venture with Royal Tree Organics on a grow facility. The success of Terra Tech Corp's. registration with the SEC for listing on a major stock exchange is a positive indicator that could bolster investor confidence in emerging companies by providing a valid avenue for growth without the fear of regulatory obstacles.
Forward Looking Statements
This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. A statement containing words such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based drugs. The Company does not undertake any duty nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements.
Contact Information
GRACIELA MORENO - President
Med-Cannabis Pharma, Inc.
+1 214-666-8364 direct
SOURCE: Med-Cannabis Pharma, Inc.
1/28/15 Prominent Investment Firm Pumps Money Into Cannabis Tech Company
Another mainstream investment firm is hoping to cash in on the cannabis industry.
Tao Capital Partners, which pumped money into Tesla cars and space travel company SpaceX, announced it has made an investment in cannabis software company MJ Freeway.
Financial terms of the deal – including the amount of the investment – weren’t disclosed.
ChicagoV1 300x150 Prominent Investment Firm Pumps Money Into Cannabis Tech CompanyStill, the investment is particularly notable because of the firm behind it.
Joby Pritzker, the managing director of investments for Tao Capital and a member of the family that started the Hyatt Hotel chain, said in a press release that the investment helps legitimize the cannabis industry. Pritzker is also chairman of the Marijuana Policy Project and a member of the cannabis investment network The ArcView Group.
MJ Freeway co-founder and CEO Amy Poinsett said the investment will help the company, which offers inventory management software, develop products and expand into new markets.
The investment comes after Founders Fund – started by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel – invested in a round of fundraising by Privateer Holdings Inc., a marijuana-focused private equity firm.
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•PayPal Co-Founder to Invest in Cannabis
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Vermont lawmakers consider legalizing marijuana
Trevor Hughes and Dan D’Ambrosio, USA TODAY 6:58 p.m. EST January 27, 2015
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Vermont lawmakers are considering whether to become the first state Legislature to legalize marijuana.
Four states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis, but in each of those cases, it was voters at the ballot box, not lawmakers, who changed the law.
Vermont could become the first state in history where elected officials directly legalize pot, and Gov. Peter Shumlin said he "continues to support" efforts to legalize marijuana.
Vermont's Constitution prohibits ballot referendums and initiatives, meaning any decision on marijuana would have to come directly from lawmakers. And in the Green Mountain State, lawmakers say, they remain close to voters because there are so few of them: In the fall election, only about 193,600 voters cast ballots.
USA TODAY
Next up for pot legalization: Calif., Vermont, Ariz.?
"It's pretty easy to give us a call, and we'll call you back," said Sen. David Zuckerman, who plans to introduce a marijuana legalization bill this session.
“I think there is a wait-and-see attitude on the part of many. There's also a let's-get-there-and-get-it-done attitude.”
Vermont Sen. David Zuckerman
Zuckerman is a member of Vermont's Progressive party representing Chittenden County, the state's most populous county.
National momentum appears to be shifting toward marijuana legalization, and observers say Vermont or Rhode Island could be the next states to legalize.
"A lot of legislators are just beginning to recognize that most of their constituents support ending marijuana prohibition," said Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project. "Colorado and Washington are proving that marijuana can be regulated and taxed like alcohol, and lawmakers around the country are taking notice."
Eric Davis, professor emeritus of political science at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vt., said he thinks state lawmakers aren't quite ready to act.
"My sense is the Legislature here will move toward legalization, but not for two or three years so they can learn more from the experiences of Washington and Colorado," said Davis.
Vermont Sen. David Zuckerman, left, plans to introduce
Vermont Sen. David Zuckerman, left, plans to introduce a bill to legalize marijuana during this session for the Vermont Legislature to consider. (Photo: Kevin Hurley, Burlington (Vt.) Free Press)
Zuckerman wants to see action more quickly.
"I think there is a wait-and-see attitude on the part of many," Zuckerman said. "There's also a let's-get-there-and-get-it-done attitude."
Driving much of the debate in Vermont is an independent report commissioned by Shumlin that says state marijuana taxes could generate $20 million to $75 million a year. The biggest con? Those revenues could evaporate if the federal government intervenes, or if another Northeastern state becomes a competitor. To reach the higher revenue number, the report contemplates "marijuana tourism" — smokers coming from other states.
Of course, not everyone in the state is thrilled with the idea of encouraging marijuana tourism.
USA TODAY
Where America landed on marijuana
The president of the Vermont Association of Chiefs of Police, George Merkel, opposes legalization, saying he doesn't understand why the state is even considering it, other than "the lure of money."
But Tom Angell of the pro-legalization Marijuana Majority says legalization is about more than taxes and regulations. Many Americans, he said, are just tired of seeing legal bans on a widely used substance.
"Over the next two years, as more states gear up to consider legalization ballot measures, I predict that more governors, and even some U.S. senators, will say that it's time to end marijuana prohibition," Angell said. "Polls now consistently show that a majority of voters supports legalization, and there's a growing expectation that elected officials will finally start to address this issue in the way their constituents have been demanding."
Regardless of which way Vermont ultimately goes on legalization, the state has a long history filled with contrarians and cantankerousness. One of its most beloved leaders, Ethan Allen, once famously threatened to declare war on all mankind in order to protect the 14th state's independence. And one of Allen's best-known quotes? "The gods of the valley are not the gods of the hills, and you shall understand it."
In other words, Allen said, Vermont is different and it's best you don't forget that.
Hughes reported from Denver. D'Ambrosio also reports for the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press
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1/26/15 1,600+ Applicants for 10 Rec Licenses in Colorado County
Tags: colorado marijuana
How popular is the marijuana business in Colorado? Here’s one indication: A single county that plans on issuing a total of 10 business licenses received roughly 1,608 applications in a three-week period in January.
Adams County officials accepted applications between Jan. 2 and 22 for three retail marijuana shops, three cultivation facilities, three infused products manufacturers and one testing lab, according to the Denver Post.
To put the volume of applications in perspective, there were 322 licensed recreational marijuana stores statewide in Colorado at the end of 2014, along with 397 licensed retail cultivators and 98 licensed infused product companies, according to the state’s Marijuana Enforcement Division.
ChicagoV1 300x150 1,600+ Applicants for 10 Rec Licenses in Colorado CountyIn Adams County, the whole process will come down to luck, as officials will select the 10 finalists for licenses via a lottery on Jan. 27. The business locations will be in unincorporated portions of the county.
After the winners are selected, applicants will have six months to obtain a state business license and complete local paperwork required for marijuana-related companies.
If any winner doesn’t follow through, the county will simply move to the next applicant selected in the lottery.
County officials may increase the number of business licenses in 2016, the Post reported.
Related Stories
•Colorado’s MMJ Program Up for Renewal
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•‘Very Large’ Raid Operation Targets Denver Cultivation Sites
Marijuana Is The Fastest-Growing Industry
Posted by CN Staff on January 26, 2015 at 05:46:36 PT
By Matt Ferner
Source: Huffington Post
cannabis USA -- Legal marijuana is the fastest-growing industry in the United States and if the trend toward legalization spreads to all 50 states, marijuana could become larger than the organic food industry, according to a new report obtained by The Huffington Post.
Researchers from The ArcView Group, a cannabis industry investment and research firm based in Oakland, California, found that the U.S. market for legal cannabis grew 74 percent in 2014 to $2.7 billion, up from $1.5 billion in 2013.
The group surveyed hundreds of medical and recreational marijuana retailers in states where sales are legal, as well as ancillary business operators and independent cultivators of the plant, over the course of seven months during 2013 and 2014. ArcView also compiled data from state agencies, nonprofit organizations and private companies in the marijuana industry for a more complete look at the marketplace.
"In the last year, the rise of the cannabis industry went from an interesting cocktail conversation to being taken seriously as the fastest growing industry in America," Troy Dayton, CEO of The ArcView Group and publisher of the third edition of the State of Legal Marijuana Markets, said in the executive summary of the report. "At this point, it’s hard to imagine that any serious businessperson who is paying attention hasn’t spent some time thinking about the possibilities in this market."
The report also projects a strong year for legal marijuana in 2015 and projects 32 percent growth in the market. Dayton said that places "cannabis in the top spot" when compared with other fast-growing industries.
Over the next five years, the marijuana industry is expected to continue to grow, with ArcView predicting that 14 more states will legalize recreational marijuana and two more states will legalize medical marijuana. At least 10 states are already considering legalizing recreational marijuana in just the next two years through ballot measures or state legislatures.
To date, four states -- Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon -- have legalized retail marijuana. Washington, D.C., voters also legalized recreational marijuana use, but sales currently remain banned. Twenty-three states have legalized medical cannabis. Still, marijuana remains illegal at the federal level.
The report projects that, by 2019, all of the state-legal marijuana markets combined will make for a potential overall market worth almost $11 billion annually.
The report also breaks out some interesting marijuana trends from around the nation. California still has the largest legal cannabis market in the U.S., at $1.3 billion. Arizona was found to have the fastest-growing major marijuana market in 2014, expanding to $155 million, up more than $120 million from the previous year. Medical marijuana is already legal in Arizona and California and recreational legalization measures are likely to appear on the 2016 ballots in both states.
More than 1.5 million shoppers purchased legal marijuana from a dispensary, either medical or recreational, in 2014. Five states now boast marijuana markets that are larger than $100 million, and in Colorado and Washington -- the first states to open retail marijuana shops in the U.S. -- consumers bought $370 million in marijuana products last year.
Oregon and Alaska are expected to add a combined $275 million in retail marijuana sales in their first year of operation, the report projects. And while D.C. has also legalized recreational marijuana use, ArcView couldn't project a market size in the District because of an ongoing attempt by congressional Republicans to block the new law.
The huge growth potential of the industry appears to be limited only by the possibility of states rejecting the loosening of their drug laws. The report projects a marijuana industry that could be more valuable than the entire organic food industry -- that is, if the legalization trend continues to the point that all 50 states legalize recreational marijuana. The total market value of all states legalizing marijuana would top $36.8 billion -- more than $3 billion larger than the organic food industry.
"These are exciting times," Dayton said in the executive summary, "and new millionaires and possibly billionaires are about to be made, while simultaneously society will become safer and freer."
Source: Huffington Post (NY)
Author: Matt Ferner, The Huffington Post
Published: January 26, 2015
Copyright: 2015 HuffingtonPost.com, LLC
Contact: scoop@huffingtonpost.com
Website: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
URL: http://drugsense.org/url/N3Bn4cwY
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1/26/15 Report: Cannabis Sales Rise 74% in 2014
Medical and recreational marijuana sales jumped 74% last year to hit $2.7 billion compared with roughly $1.5 billion in 2013, ranking cannabis as the fastest-growing industry in the United States, according to a new report.
ChicagoV1 300x150 Report: Cannabis Sales Rise 74% in 2014The study estimates that sales will grow another 32% in 2015 and hit $11 billion annually by 2019, the Huffington Post reported.
The report, released by The ArcView Group, assumes that 14 more states will legalize recreational cannabis and two more will legalize medical marijuana over the next five years.
The market data and projections stem from surveys of cannabis businesses during a seven-month period in 2013 and 2014, data from state and local agencies, and information from nonprofits and private companies.
The report’s near-term estimates are similar to those in the 2014 Marijuana Business Factbook, which projected sales of up to $2.6 billion last year and as high as $3.3 billion this year.
Marijuana Business Media, the parent company of Marijuana Business Daily and publisher of the Factbook, is currently surveying business owners to gather financial data on the cannabis industry for its 2015 report.
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$200 BILLION market for MJNA/LVVV...
http://www.medicalmarijuanainc.com/index.php/58-press-releases/2014-press-releases/441-medical-marijuana-inc-and-livewire-ergogenics-inc-sign-memorandum-of-understanding-to-develop-hempwire-llc
Quote:
Companies Enter $200+ Billion Global Market With First-Ever CBD-Rich Hemp Oil-Infused Functional Foods; Domestic Launch Through Thousands of Retailers, Wholesalers, and Distributors
SAN DIEGO, March 20, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTC Pink:MJNA) is pleased to inform shareholders and the general public it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop a joint venture with LiveWire Ergogenics, Inc. (OTCQB:LVVV) under the name of HempWire, LLC. This MOU entersMedical Marijuana Inc. into the functional foods market with immediate distribution through LiveWire's extensive chain of existing convenience store retailers, grocery stores, and pharmacy chain stores. Research indicates that the overall global functional foods market is valued at $221.58bn in 2014.
The supply chain will begin with HempMedsPX™, a corporate portfolio company of Medical Marijuana, Inc. and the contracted marketing company that distributes non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD)-rich hemp oil products nationwide. LiveWire will purchase these hemp oil products from HempMedsPX™ then manufacture and package CBD-rich hemp oil-infused functional foods. These first-of-their-kind functional food products from HempWire will include a CBD-rich hemp oil taffy-like consistency chewable square. HempWire will distribute this new product leveraging both LiveWire's and Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s existing network of retailers, resellers, wholesalers and distributors.
Bill seeks to get Montana in front of marijuana legalization
Jan 23, 2015 6:29 PM by Sanjay Talwani (sanjay@kxlh.com)
HELENA -- The question of legalized recreational marijuana could be on the ballot in Montana in 2016, and on Friday, the House Judiciary Committee of the Montana Legislature considered a bill that addresses the issue.
The medical marijuana initiative that was passed in 2004 led to rampant proliferation of providers and users. The law was then scaled back following 2011 legislation, but there's still conflict between state and federal law.
"And so, like an under-inflated New England Patriots ball, they've handed it off to the states," MT State Representative David Moore (R-Missoula) said of the federal government, which has issued statements on how states might administer their medical marijuana programs even as it classifies marijuana as a drug with no recognized medical value.
Instead, Moore would like the Legislature to step in and craft what legalization would look like.
House Bill 183 would prohibit an agency from making rules addressing non-medical marijuana. Moore indicated that under the law, only the Legislature would be able to make rules which could be needed on a range of topics from product standards to financial matters.
Jerry Williams of the Montana Police Protective Association spoke of officers with numerous questions at crime scenes because of the rights of medical users. "Law enforcement needs clear definition and clear policy," he said.
MT State Representative Theresa Manzella (R-Hamilton) got a close look at the industry when she served on a jury. "What I found most troubling was it seemed that there was no, or very limited, ability to manage the levels of THC in the product," she said.
Talyn Lang, a former board member of the Montana Medical Growers Association, warned against leaving the details to the lawmakers.
"They could get stuck in a quagmire and get lost in the legislative process. I think that agencies that deal directly with that, that have their boots on the ground, would be best-suited to be able to create the rules," he said.
The committee took no immediate action on the bill.
http://www.kxlh.com/news/bill-seeks-to-get-montana-in-front-of-marijuana-legalization/
Limited CBD-Only Medical Marijuana Legislation Filed in Texas
Cannabinol Bills
Medical Marijuana Bills
Medical Marijuana News
cannabinol CBD
Kevin Eltife
Stephanie Klick
Team Alexis
Texas Compassionate Use Act
Texas medical marijuana TX HB 892 TX SB 339
Limited CBD-Only Medical Marijuana Legislation Filed in Texas
By Max Davidson | The Daily Chronic January 23, 2015 6:45 PM
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FORT WORTH, TX — Friday morning, Texas State Representative Stephanie Klick (R-Fort Worth) and State Senator Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler) filed HB 892 and SB 339, identical legislation titled the “Texas Compassionate Use Act” that would legalize the usage of low-THC, high-CBD cannabis oils and tinctures for patients with intractable epilepsy.
Texas is home to some of the most draconian marijuana policies in the country. Medical marijuana — or marihuana as they still spell it in Texas — remains illegal despite 34 other states legalizing some form of medical cannabis.
If passed, these bills would only allow patients with intractable epilepsy access to oils with up to .5% THC and a minimum of 10% CBD content. The legislation places the programs hands in the Texas Department of Public Safety not the Texas Department of State Health Services. These bills call for at least 3 high CBD oil dispensaries across the state but do not mandate licensing of said dispensaries until January 2018. Doctors who wish to prescribe this medicine would have to register with the state, a practice that has already proven to be extremely unpopular with doctors in other states with similar restriction. Additionally any patient would have to go through the gambit of all FDA-Approved treatments including the invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulator, potentially fatal pharmaceuticals and even brain surgery in some cases before qualifying for the cannabis oil.
These pieces of legislation severely limit patients access to the live saving medicine they need and unnecessarily delays implementation of a program to provide treatment until 2018. Additionally, not all intractable epilepsy responds favorably to high CBD oils. Many families and patients have found relief and miracle like treatment of intractable epilepsy and genetic mutation diseases with the use of high THC oils. Furthermore this bill restricts access to epileptic patients only. This limits compassion to a select group of Texans and leaves out some of the most vulnerable like children suffering from cancer and veterans suffering from PTSD.
Parents and Advocates in Texas are not supportive of the legislation as it currently stands.
The Daily Chronic reached out to Dean Bortell, a disabled Navy Veteran, Father of 9-year old Alexis Bortell and Executive Director of Team Alexis for his take on this bill meant to help his daughter.
“First I want to commend Representative Klick and Senator Eltife for their leadership on this issue. While I believe their hearts are in exactly the right place, I don’t believe the bills filed today represent a solution for my daughter and many other patients throughout the state of Texas.
Areas of concern are:
•The program is run by the ‘Department of Public Safety’ who has until 2018 to license the first dispensary. My daughter and many others can’t wait that long. Also, I believe Health and Human Services should run the program.
•The bill states ‘No Other treatments approved by the FDA are available’ as a precondition to medical cannabis. This implies we would have to try several dangerous pharmaceuticals, VNS Implant, and possibly Brain Surgery FIRST. That is horrifying!
•The bill limits ratios on Cannabis oils to 20:1. This is what Alexis’s Colorado doctors recommended as a STARTING POINT. They admitted, given her condition, that we could require a higher % of THC. This bill specifically blocks that.
Furthermore, the bill only covers intractable epilepsy and Team Alexis is comprised of over 5,200 patients and families with conditions ranging from Autism, Cancer, Epilepsy, Crohn’s, PTSD, Chronic Intractable Neuropathic Pain, and Lyme Disease just to name a few. As a group guided by science and compassion we cannot yet support these bills in their current form. However, we believe with some modifications a workable solution can be created and passed this session.
We thank Rep. Klick and Sen. Eltife for their hard work on these bills and look forward to future communications with them and/or their staff on this critical issue.
Respectfully,
Dean M. Bortell
Team Alexis”
Dean and Alexis both addressed a crowd of nearly 5,000 as reported by CBS/DFW in October, 2014. They have been tirelessly fighting to gain access to medical cannabis here in Texas to treat her intractable epilepsy.
9-year old Alexis Bortell
9-year old Alexis Bortell
Alexis suffers from Intractable Rolandic Epilepsy which is seizures generally while asleep. This form of epilepsy generally responds better to higher doses of THC rather than CBD. Their non profit Team Alexis has exploded to over 5,200 followers and has done multiple TV interviews about her fight. As an organization, they have taken a stance of not supporting CBD only legislation for many reasons but the fact that this bill will not help Alexis and many like her despite the best of intentions.
Zoe Russell, Assistant Executive Director of Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition, weighed in stating “RAMP has the utmost respect for Representative Klick’s advocacy for patients with epilepsy to have access to safe medical marijuana when no other treatment options provide relief. However, it is clear from experience in other states that CBD-only legislation has failed to generate the high-CBD strains that epileptic patients desperately need. HB 892 limits the market to such a degree that people will be unlikely to invest money and time into the extremely difficult practice of medical marijuana cultivation. Colorado, a state with whole plant access, has led the nation in high-CBD marijuana strains while also helping patients who benefit from THC–such as those with cancer, muscular sclerosis, and PTSD.”
Medical marijuana is becoming big news in Texas and it seems that nine year old Alexis Bortell whom advocates and reporters alike have coined the “face of cannabis in Texas” is just getting started. Be on the look out for Team Alexis on the news and at the Texas State Capitol this session.
To view a video about Team Alexis and her fight to legalize medical marijuana in Texas click here.
You can view the Texas Compassionate Use Act here.
http://www.thedailychronic.net/2015/40131/limited-cbd-only-medical-marijuana-legalization-bills-filed-in-texas/
Lawmakers want bill to decriminalize marijuana fast tracked
Posted: January 25, 2015 - 12:04am
By MOLLY DISCHNE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JUNEAU— Alaska lawmakers hope to fast track a bill that would decriminalize marijuana, but legalization advocates disagree with the way legislators propose going about it.
The Senate Judiciary Committee introduced a bill Friday that would decriminalize marijuana in certain situations and create new laws regarding the drug.
Advocates, however, question the way that the bill proposes accomplishing that. It would repeal the section of a voter initiative passed in November that permits personal use, replacing it with language that provides a defense in court if someone is prosecuted for possession.
In a statement, Tim Hinterberger from the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said the proposed change is not in line with what voters approved.
“This is a lesser protection than what the voters have mandated, and the state has previously used this tactic to thwart the will of the voters in the case of medical marijuana, which passed by citizen initiative in 1998,” Hinterberger wrote. “We are not suggesting that is the intent of this bill, but it is an issue proponents are particularly sensitive to given the history of marijuana policy in Alaska.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage, said she expected the defense provision to be a subject of “healthy debate” during committee hearings. She said she’s open to other language, noting that marijuana is still illegal in more situations than it is legal.
“The philosophy is, marijuana is a controlled substance and it remains a controlled substance,” she said.
Hearings on the bill are expected to begin Monday at a joint meeting of the House and Senate Judiciary committees. The bill also has been referred to Senate Finance Committee, from which it would have to advance before being scheduled for a floor vote.
McGuire said she wants the bill to pass before Feb. 24, when recreational marijuana use is set to become legal under the initiative.
The bill also would create penalties for providing marijuana to minors, and it would add marijuana to the state’s existing open container laws, making it illegal to drive with an “open marijuana container.” That term is defined as a receptacle or marijuana accessory that contains marijuana and is open, with evidence that pot has been consumed in the vehicle.
The voter initiative also prohibited public consumption; that section would be repealed under the judiciary committee’s bill, but committee Vice Chair John Coghill, R-North Pole, said public consumption would still be prohibited. The committee wants to instead use language that defines public consumption in state law, he said.
McGuire said the Judiciary Committee is planning another bill to create a special marijuana control board to handle the writing of regulations, rather than having the Alcoholic Beverage Control board in that role.
Group Pushing to Legalize Marijuana in Ohio
Posted: Sun 4:23 PM, Jan 25, 2015 By: Associated Press Email
The marijuana legalization movement has arrived in Ohio with high-flying ambitions.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The marijuana legalization movement has arrived in Ohio with high-flying ambitions: Making Ohio the first state to move from a complete ban to complete legalization with a single vote.
ResponsibleOhio is one of two competing legalization campaigns pushing forward in the state.
It released further elements of its plan this week. It has stopped short so far of unveiling the legal technicalities of a ballot measure planned for November.
Opponents call the lack of specifics shady and insulting to Ohio voters.
Supporters envision a network of growers sending the product to at least five testing facilities near Ohio colleges and universities for safety and potency screenings.
The pot would then go to either not-for-profit medical marijuana dispensaries, retail outlets or to be infused into various consumer products.
Kansas medical marijuana advocates see progress in legalization effort
By Elliot Hughes January 23, 2015
From left to right: Kathy, Otis and Ryan Reed. The family moved from Baldwin City to Colorado last May so Otis, 3, could receive medical marijuana treatments for his epilepsy.
Ryan Reed
From left to right: Kathy, Otis and Ryan Reed. The family moved from Baldwin City to Colorado last May so Otis, 3, could receive medical marijuana treatments for his epilepsy.
State Sen. David Haley has an expression he often repeats when describing lawmakers' interest in legalizing medical marijuana in Kansas: "The ice is beginning to thaw."
But don't get carried away, he added. "It isn't spring yet."
Haley, a Kansas City Democrat, and Rep. Gail Finney, a Wichita Democrat, have once again introduced bills in both chambers that would permit medical marijuana in Kansas, in efforts continuing since 2009.
Neither expects the bills to pass this year — even getting an official hearing would be an achievement — but both say legislators in Kansas are warming to the idea, and it's only a matter of time until it becomes the law.
Two informational hearings on the general subject of medical marijuana were held by the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee this week. Haley said that's the first time a senate committee has taken up the discussion in his 13 years as a senator.
Since 2010, Finney said, the House Health and Human Services Committee has twice held information hearings. In the first hearing, she noted, all but one Republican left the room when the topic came up.
"When we first started this, if you said the word 'marijuana' there would be awkward glances, snickers and an inability to have any discussion," Haley said.
Arguments for and against
Ryan Reed's three-year-old son, Otis, is epileptic, suffering hundreds of seizures per day. When they and the mother of the house, Kathy, lived in Baldwin City, they were stuck with medication that Ryan said only made matters worse: an enlarged heart, soft bones and agitation.
The family moved to Colorado last May, where they immediately arranged a daily medical marijuana treatment. The seizures haven't stopped, but since that time, Otis' quality of life is trending up, his father said.
Today, Otis drinks from a straw, uses his arms more and can sleep a full eight hours without interruption from seizures.
"He smiles on a daily basis," Ryan said. "Before, it could be months between smiles. And all this with no side effects."
There were several Kansans who longed for that kind of respite at the senate committee's first informational hearing last week, which featured only advocates. Speakers told of past medications failing them or their children, and how marijuana and its derivatives represented their last viable hope.
"I think it would be a safer alternative to a lot of the opiate painkillers that these doctors give us," said Esau Freeman, the president of Kansas for Change, which advocates for marijuana reform.
But in the second informational hearing, for non-advocates, individuals representing the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, the Kansas Medical Society and Global Drug Policy expressed concerns about approving a drug by vote, rather than through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
"The support for marijuana as medicine is largely driven by emotional anecdotes and unscientific individual observations that are not borne out of research," said Eric Voth, Global Drug Policy chairman.
He added that research shows marijuana causes problems with memory, concentration, cognitive function and intellectual skills.
Tatiana Lin, of the Kansas Health Institute, testified as a neutral speaker and said the research organization is conducting a study on the possible community health impact of medical marijuana in Kansas.
She said preliminary findings on legalization suggest there would be little to no impact on marijuana usage in the general population and a possible increase in crime only near dispensaries.
Medical marijuana laws
The identical bills being pushed by Haley and Finney are similar to those in 23 other states and the District of Columbia that already allow medical marijuana. Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia also have passed measures allowing retail sales today or in the future.
Kansas SB 09 and HB 2011 would create a patient registry with identification cards, set up dispensaries and outline specific health conditions for which medical marijuana would be warranted. Most of the 23 states and the District of Columbia mandate the same three parameters, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Eleven other states allow products with low levels of THC, the principle hallucinogenic component in marijuana. None of those states allow products with a THC potency greater than 3 percent, and those are largely reserved for patients specifically with seizure issues, according to the NCSL.
Statehouse support
Rep. Basil Dannebohm, an Ellinwood Republican, backed the House bill at a rally in mid-January. But other than that, members of his party lately have shied away from declarations.
Following the informational hearings this week, Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook, a Shawnee Republican and chairwoman of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, would not indicate her position on the issue.
Another member of that committee, Sen. Mitch Holmes, R-St. John, who penned a critical article on the bill in the Pratt Tribune in January, said he didn't know if his position had changed after the first hearing.
Some Lawrence lawmakers, including Rep. Dennis "Boog" Highberger and Sen. Marci Francisco, both Democrats, have voiced support for medical marijuana.
Rep. John Wilson, also a Democrat, said he is interested in crafting his own bill for medical marijuana, to be introduced later this legislative session, or next year. He said he's interested in a bill that would allow only lower levels of THC, ban smokeable products and delegate distribution to pharmacies and hospitals.
"I think we need to have reassurances ... that this isn't just about pot heads wanting to get to smoke weed for any condition under the sun," he said.
Marijuana Legalization: President Obama Says More States Will Move To Legalize, Federal Government Won’t Stand In The Way
Marijuana legalization efforts got a giant boost this week when President Barack Obama said he expects more states to move toward legalization, and he won’t have the federal government stand in the way.
In an interview with YouTube personalities, Obama indicated that though marijuana is still classified as an illegal substance by the federal government, he doesn’t have much intention to stop states from legalizing it.
“The position of my administration has been that we still have federal laws that classify marijuana as an illegal substance, but we’re not going to spend a lot of resources trying to turn back decisions that have been made at the state level on this issue,” Obama said.
“My suspicion is that you’re gonna see other states start looking at this.”
Nationwide, attitudes toward marijuana legalization have been gradually shifting. A poll late last year found that 51 percent of Americans are now in favor of legalization, part of a long-term trend toward support. When Gallup polled Americans in 1969, just 12 percent of adults were in favor of legalizing marijuana. That grew to 28 percent in the 1970s, and 34 percent in 2003.
More Americans don’t want to see drug users prosecuted. A father, recently arrested for giving medicinal marijuana oil to his cancer-stricken daughter, found widespread support, with 130,000 people signing a petition asking that charges be dropped.
Obama also added that federal drug policy would be shifting toward ending the so-called War on Drugs and focusing on treating it instead as a public health issue. Obama added that he has bipartisan support on the issue.
“What I am doing at the federal level is asking my Department of Justice just to examine generally how we are treating nonviolent drug offenders.”
“Because I think you’re right, what we have done is instead of focusing on treatment, the same way we focused say with tobacco or drunk driving or other problems where we treat it as a public health problem, we’ve treated this exclusively as a criminal problem. And I think that it’s been counterproductive and it’s been devastating in a lot of minority communities. It presents the possibility at least of unequal application of the law and that has to be changed.”
President Obama’s prediction on marijuana legalization has already come true, in large part. There are now 23 states in which marijuana is at least partly legal.
7 States That Are Next in Line to Legalize Marijuana
Four states and DC have already legalized marijuana -- here's the next crop.
By Phillip Smith / AlterNet January 24, 2015
Photo Credit: arindambanerjee/Shutterstock
During a series of YouTube interviews Thursday, President Obama demonstrated a remarkably laissez-faire attitude toward marijuana legalization experiments in the states. And he signaled strongly that the Obama administration wouldn't be taking to the hustings to try to beat back legalization efforts, as previous administrations had been wont to do.
"What you're seeing now is Colorado, Washington through state referenda, they're experimenting with legal marijuana," the president said in response to a question from YouTube host Hank Green. "The position of my administration has been that we still have federal laws that classify marijuana as an illegal substance, but we're not going to spend a lot of resources trying to turn back decisions that have been made at the state level on this issue. My suspicion is that you're gonna see other states start looking at this."
Indeed. Legalization bills are already popping up in state legislatures around the country, and while it's unlikely—though not impossible—that any of them will pass this year, 2016 looks to be the break-out year for freeing the weed. One state is going to be the first to legalize it through the legislature, and next year seems reasonable. And the presidential election year is also likely to see successful legalization initiatives in several more.
Currently four states—Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington—and the District of Columbia have ended pot prohibition. But that's only about 18 million people. By the time they quit counting the votes on Election Day 2016, that number is likely to triple, and then some.
So, where's it going to happen? Here's where:
California
That California is the only state on the West Coast to not yet have legalized pot is an embarrassment to Golden State activists. They were first with medical marijuana in 1996, and they tried to be first to legalize it with Prop 19 in 2010, but came up short, garnering 46% of the vote on Election Day despite leading in the polls up until the final weeks. In 2012, with the big players sitting on their cash stashes, none of the competing initiative efforts even managed to make the ballot.
It will be different in 2016. The actors with deep pockets are all ready to get involved next year, the polling is good (if not great, hovering in the mid-50s), and the state's disparate and fractious cannabis community is already working to forge a unified front behind a community-vetted initiative. The main vehicle for activists is the California Coalition for Cannabis Law Reform, which has already started holding meetings statewide to try to a unified marijuana reform community.
With 38 million people, California is the big prize. It's also an expensive place to run an initiative, with the cost of getting on the ballot alone at around a million dollars. And it'll take several million more to pay for advertising in the key final weeks of the campaign. But the money is lining up, it'll take fewer signatures to qualify for the ballot (thanks to the dismal turnout in last year's mid-terms), and once it qualifies, it will have momentum from (by then) four years of legalization in Colorado and Washington and two years of it in Alaska and Oregon. California will go green in 2016.
Nevada
Nevada is the state that is actually furthest down the path towards legalizing it next year. The Marijuana Policy Project-backed Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Nevada has already qualified a legalization initiative for the 2016 ballot. It would legalize the possession of up to an ounce by adults 21 and over and allow for taxed and regulated marijuana commerce.
Under Nevada law, the legislature now has a chance to approve the initiative. If it does so, it would become law; if it rejects it or fails to act on it, it then goes to the voters on Election Day 2016.
Nevadans approved medical marijuana in 1998 (59%) and again in 2000 (65%), but voted down decriminalization in 2002 (39%) and legalization in 2006 (44%). But it has since then effectively decriminalized possession of less than ounce, and it's now been a decade since that last legalization initiative loss at the polls. Either marijuana will be legal by Election Day 2016 thanks to the legislature or the voters will decide the question themselves at the polls.
Arizona
In Arizona, possession of any amount of pot is still a felony, but polling in the last couple of years shows support for legalization either hovering around 50% or above it. Those aren't the most encouraging polling numbers—the convention wisdom is that initiatives want to start out at 60% support or better—but a serious effort is underway there to put the issue before the voters in 2016.
The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is teaming with Safer Arizona and other state activist groups for the 2016 initiative campaign and has formed a ballot committee to begin laying the groundwork for a Colorado-style initiative.
The initiative language is not a done deal, and there are some signs that local activists aren't completely happy with MPP's proposed language, but that's why there are consultations going on.
Maine
The Marijuana Policy Project has been laying the groundwork for a statewide legalization initiative in 2016 with local initiative campaigns in some of the state's largest cities in 2014 and 2013 and is working on final initiative language now. But it is also seeing competition from a state-based group, Legalize Maine, that says it is crafting its own initiative and is criticizing both MPP and Maine politicians for advancing "out of state corporate interests" at the expense of Mainers.
Whether MPP and Legalize Maine can get together behind a single initiative remains to be seen. If they can, good; if they can't, well, Maine is a small and relatively inexpensive state in which to run a signature-gathering campaign. There could be not one, but two legalization initiatives in Maine next year.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Diane Russell has filed a legalization bill in the legislature this year. Maine is one of the states where the looming presence of legalization initiatives could actually move the legislature to act preemptively to craft a legalization scheme to its own liking.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts is another. As in Maine, but to a much greater degree, Bay State activists have been laying the groundwork for legalization for years. Groups such as MassCann/NORML and the Drug Policy Forum of Massachusetts have run a series of marijuana reform "public policy questions" in various state electoral districts each election cycle since 2000—and they have never lost! The questions are non-binding, but they're a clear indicator to state legislators where voter sentiment lies.
The state has also seen successful decriminalization and medical marijuana initiatives, in 2008 and 2012, respectively. In both cases, the initiatives were approved with 63% of the vote. And again as in Maine, the Marijuana Policy Project is organizing an initiative, but local activists with similar complaints to those in Maine are threatening to run their own initiative. Organized as Bay State Repeal, which includes some veteran Massachusetts activists, the group says it wants the least restrictive legalization law possible. Whether the two efforts can reach a common understanding remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, the issue could move in the legislature in the next two years. New Republican Gov. Charlie Baker says he's opposed to legalization, but is praising Democratic Senate President Stanley Rosenberg's decision to appoint a special Senate committee to examine issues around legalization. Rep. David Rogers (D-Cambridge) isn't waiting. He's filed a legalization bill, and while previous such bills have languished in the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, incoming committee head Sen. Will Brownberger (D-Boston) has said he will give it a hearing. Something could happen this year, although it's more likely next year, and the voters doing it themselves on Election Day 2016 is more likely yet.
Vermont
Vermont could be the best bet for a state to legalize it this year and for the first state to legalize it through the legislative process. There is no initiative process in the state, so that's the only way it's going to happen. And the state has already proceeded well down that path.
Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) has endorsed legalization in principle—the devil is the details—and the legislature last year approved a RAND study on the impacts of legalization, which was just released earlier this month. That study estimated that freeing the weed could bring the state $20 to $70 million in annual pot tax revenues.
Other state officials have expressed openness to the idea, and a May 2014 poll found 57% support for legalization. There's not a bill in the hopper yet this year, but one could move quickly in this state where a lot of the legislative groundwork has already been laid.
The Marijuana Policy Project has formed the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana to help push the process along. Stay tuned; this is one to watch.
Missouri
And there's a dark horse in the heartland. The Missouri activist group Show Me Cannabis has been running an impressive educational campaign about marijuana legalization for the past few years. The group tried to get an initiative on the ballot last year, but came up short.
They've already filed paperwork for 2016 for a constitutional amendment to make it legal to grow, sell, and use marijuana for people 21 and over.
One reason Show Me Cannabis came up short in 2014 was the lack of support from major players outside the state. Given the lack of polls showing strong support for legalization, the big players remain sitting on their wallets, but that could change if good poll numbers emerge. And there's still plenty of time to make the 2016 ballot.
?? not sure ??
Massachusetts Senate President Creates A Special Marijuana Committee
Posted by Johnny Green at 9:02 AM on January 24, 2015 Ending Marijuana Prohibition.
Massachusetts Medical Marijuana regulations public hearingsMarijuana legalization is coming to Massachusetts sooner than later. Anyone who has studied polling and is aware of the effort on the ground knows that marijuana legalization in Massachusetts isn’t a matter of if, but when. I have Massachusetts high on my list of states that could legalize via the Legislature before the 2016 Election. And if the Legislature doesn’t step up, Massachusetts is very likely to legalize on Election Day.
It appears that Massachusetts Senate President Stanley Rosenberg realizes that the winds of change are picking up around him, which is why he has created a special committee tasked with researching marijuana legalization in Massachusetts. Per the Boston Herald:
Senate President Stanley Rosenberg says lawmakers have to be prepared to do a “deep dive” into the debate over legalizing marijuana, saying both legislation and an expected 2016 ballot question push are coming whether they like it or not.
“The point of this exercise it to do a very deep interdisciplinary dive into the subject matter,” the Amherst Democrat said on the Boston Herald Radio show “Morning Meeting” today. “If we’re going to participate appropriately in the debate as the legislation moves through and the ballot question (is prepared), we have to do a deep dive.”
Rosenberg, in structuring the Senate and his leadership team this week, created a special committee, headed by Sen. Jason Lewis, to study the legalization of the recreational use of marijuana, moving a topic many pols on Beacon Hill have dodged for years quickly up the list of priorities for the Senate.
It’s encouraging that Massachusetts politicians are pulling their heads out of the sand on this issue. So many state legislatures act like the strategies of the past can still be pursued, and that if they just ignore the marijuana issue it will just go away. However, almost every state in America is now in play when it comes to marijuana reform. The sooner politicians realize that, the better off they will be, because the anti-marijuana politician is going the way of the dinosaur.
4sure, ;)
No, I am not.
Just having fun with it.
Quite the "green wave" worldwide!!
..I'm not sure you're the basher type they're speaking of.. ;)
I hate Vape ...
and Ecigarettes
Good news!
Not investable ...
Good article.
Let me know when this is investable.
http://c4eversystems.com/
Kiosk Connects Cannabis Cash to Banks
Last week, on June 24-25, Denver’s Cannabis Business Summit let “ganjapreneurs” pitch cannabis-related goods and services to investors, cultivators and dispensaries. Some ideas on display were more industrial than others, but one idea in particular had dispensaries and banks in mind so they may “see forever” with a system that tracks cannabis purchases and related financial transactions.
Some of the industrial machines looked like they could have been used as the backdrop for a mad scientist laboratory in a retro horror film. There were machines with coiled copper tubes connecting steel chambers capped with pressure gauges, machines that invoked images of Wile E. Coyote’s Acme devices.
In the midst of machines that processed the cannabis itself, there was a much sleeker looking machine made to deal with another crucial piece of the cannabis industry: money.C4EverSystems has developed a kiosk that resembles an ATM that will handle orders and payments for dispensaries. What’s more, Mark Goldfogel, CEO of theC4EverSystems, has solved the issue preventing banks from accepting money from marijuana-related businesses.
How are banks able to work with cannabis businesses? It started on August 29, 2013, when U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole sent out a memo to all U.S. attorneys with guidelines suggesting that the priority for enforcement efforts be placed on activities that are still illegal under the marijuana-legalizing state laws. Then, on February 14, 2014, theFinancial Crimes Enforcement Network sent a memo with guidelines that would allow banks to deal with cannabis businesses.
While the stringent guidelines of the FinCEN memo didn’t quite pave a straight path from dispensary to teller, it did post the route. Guidelines include banks performing “customer due diligence” to ensure the business is legitimately run, and that the account holder is an upstanding citizen.
Perhaps the most stringent of the guidelines says that businesses must demonstrate their revenue is totally compliant with state law; i.e. no money came from black market transactions. How could a dispensary account for the source of every dollar it makes? According to Goldfogel, who spoke to MJI News at the Cannabis Business Summit, the C4EverSystems kiosk will allow dispensaries to comply with the FinCEN memo.
The kiosk itself resembles a standalone ATM. It has a touch screen, a credit card reader, and it accepts bills and makes change. Also, as with an ATM, right above the screen is a little camera to capture the image of the person making the transaction. The money fed to the machine is locked into a cartridge, and taken off the premises by a third-party cash company that will count the money.
“[The C4EverSystems kiosk creates] a set of reports that validates every dollar that is in the cartridge to a unique picture, to a unique sale to validate they are an adult, that they are over 21, that they’re not [conducting] a wholesale transaction, this wasn’t a $4,000 transaction, this wasn’t something that went under the table,” Goldfogel said.
“And because we’re validating the cash to that granular level, I have managed to convince banks in both Nevada and Colorado, and Washington, hopefully, that they can accept that sack of smelly $20 bills as being from a legitimate transaction, ergo, meeting the [FinCEN memo] guidelines,” Goldfogel added.
Goldfogel says his kiosk system works better than any other point-of-sale system, because a POS can be too easily manipulated. For instance, with a regular POS system, a dispensary could sell a pound of marijuana, an amount that’s still illegal to sell in Colorado, and enter it into the POS as 16 separate one-ounce transactions.
With the C4EverSystem kiosk, that would require 16 different people lining up to make those purchases, since each transaction would be stored in a database, along with an image of the person making the transaction. Goldfogel, who said he’s been building code since he was 17, guarantees the banks that if there are any changes to regulations, he will work in real time to make sure his hardware and software complies.
“Whatever is required,” Goldfogel said, “I’ve built big systems in my career; I know how to do this.” According to Goldfogel, he has gotten multiple banks in Nevada, Colorado and Washington State to agree to work with dispensaries that use his kiosks. The only bank Goldfogel said they are announcing is the First Security Bank of Nevada. MJI news has reached out to this bank, but has yet to hear back.
While the kiosks give dispensaries an opportunity to work with banks, Goldfogel said that having a kiosk does not guarantee a bank account. Still, dispensaries are going to want the kiosks, Goldfogel said, because it offers cash security against things like employee theft and robbery. If a dispensary uses a kiosk, the owner gets a key to the cash cartridge until they have a bank account, Goldfogel said. Upon receiving an account, the cash handling and counting must be performed by a third party. “Banking is the icing on the cake, but it’s a significant coat of icing,” Goldfogel said.
Goldfogel explained how he made it his mission to “legitimize the industry” after he contracted peritonitis six years ago, and found relief in medicinal marijuana. “My large intestine sprung a leak. I nearly died,” Goldfogel said. “In the course of the last four years I built three systems, all designed to legitimize this industry. I built the first ever seed-to-sale tracking system in this industry. That meant government compliance. I was done, ready to walk away from that company to be a ski bum, when I went to a convention and saw this technology,” he said.
“Before the February 14 [FinCEN] memo, this technology meant nothing,” Goldfogel said as he talked about the vision that lead him to develop these kiosks. He started checking with the “powers that be in the industry” about when they’d see a “hole in the wall for banking.” The answers he got pointed to this year, so he began developing these machines in anticipation of the guidelines handed out by FinCEN. Goldfogel said if no guidelines had been handed out yet, he’d still be developing the kiosk for when guidelines were eventually established.
“The banks are just coming forward now with guidelines,” Goldfogel said, “and our commitment is no matter what those guidelines are, hardware, software, or otherwise, we will build the technology to do that. We will be the rails on which the cannabis financial industry runs.” To lay these rails, Goldfogel said the kiosks will be installed in dispensaries with no money upfront, and the only charge is 1.75 percent of the sales made through the kiosk. Goldfogel also said C4EverSystems is still in Beta testing, but currently has orders for 600 units to be placed in dispensaries over the next two years.
In this new industry, safety and security are important to everybody involved. Goldfogel said the cannabis industry is a $2.4 billion industry. “You can’t have $2.4 billion in a mattress, because someone is going to die.” Given the explosive financial growth of the cannabis industry, banks need to start working with the dispensaries, and the industry needs to keep pushing for legitimacy. The C4EverSystems kiosk looks like it is helping banks and the industry take a giant step towards these ends.
"We are going to blow GW Pharmaceutical out of the water"
Stupid mumblings ...
THE OTC (PENNY STOCK) MARKET
Pumpers And Bashers
What they do and what role do they play.
Pumpers,Promoters or Company Awareness Professionals.
These terms are used often and whether new to the OTC Markets or a seasoned trader you will see and hear the terms often. Most seasoned traders likely already know the role of the Promoter, For new traders perhaps this will help.
The Penny Stock Market companies not unlike any trading company whether a Big Board Stock or OTC company has to have advertising in some form in order for investors to be aware of the Company, what they do and what the Company may or may not have that makes it inviting as a potential investment or trade opportunity.
In the OTC arena undeniably there are many companies that never intend to do anything other than sale shares of stock, they may have a good story line to tell but in actuality the main plan is to sell stock. On the other hand there are some OTC Companies that are viable with real products trying to make it into the bigger and better trading Listings but success is often few and many fail regardless of the original intent.
Now does that make either of the two bad investments or trade ideas ? In my opinion the answer is no if you are a seasoned trader and possibly no if you are New to the OTC markets because learning to trade is like an investment itself, once you know the game your chances of success increase so the learning process can be costly at first. New traders into the OTC Markets should never discount what the so called bashers have to say many times the information is valuable and can save you money. New traders should never rush into a trade on the hype put forth by pumpers claiming a .05 stock is going to the 1.00 ranges, ulterior motives are always as play on both promoter and basher side.
Promoters are required by law to disclose that they are paid to disseminate company information, for Awareness professionals or promoters to call a stock they are working as their “Pick” and lay claim to having found the next best thing is slightly deceiving. One must ask “ Is this Really what the Person Likes or Only Cause he is paid to put it out. You will find most promoters will put out as there “Pick” what they are paid to. Bashers carry no disclosure requirements by law even though some may be paid or otherwise have reasons for discrediting companies.
But in a nutshell the role of the Promoter plays an important part especially now in the age of fast information methods. Without paid for advertising the OTC market stocks could sit idle for months on end without ever offering a trade or chance to recoup any money if you have decided to buy into a particular company.
The downside to that is often toxic financing methods are used to finance these paid for Promotional Campaigns and stock dilution eventually takes a toll leading to reverse splits and or worse cease trading.
The most dangerous type of pumpers you will run across are organized groups that front load into a stock and then just out of the blue you will notice a group of posters show up talking about a hot stock that is already up lets use 200% as an example. This group will hit all avenues of message forums to chat rooms and get the stock to quickly gain even more then they will unload there front loaded shares onto excited investors unaware that this is happening. Now that does not mean that all posters that bring a stock to the table thats up already are in these groups you can tell the difference by the organization of the above mentioned group versus just a singular poster mentioning a stock that seems to be hot . I know these groups are out there I myself have been approached by some to join in but this is not how I play the game.
Then there is this phenomenon that use to really puzzle me but I think I have a handle on it now as I have seen a certain poster over the past nine years repeatedly do this. This poster and Im sure there are others but I will just speak of him will appear on stocks that are normally in the .0001 ranges that are just loaded with bashers really proud of themselves because the stock is about to die and they get to say I told you so.
Well this poster will come up with wild stories of naked shorts, Huge payouts that will come due to the required covering of these short shares etc etc. He will even continue on long after the stock has been revoked and no longer trades. Now seriously for nine years this guy can not be that bad of a trader, he has to serve a purpose so my supposition is that he is there and others like him to keep shareholders at bay from complaining to the SEC long enough for involved parties to disappear , hide assets and otherwise kill time in case of lawsuits or SEC actions that would be taken towards the principals involved. You may think why or how can a stock at .0001 be worth that effort. I know of one .0001 stock the SEC got involved with that the tally was over 252 Million dollars and some individuals were responsible for as much as 54 million of that themselves, there can be much more money involved than you may actually realize in a low priced stock over time.
Company share structure is a Major factor. The larger the share structure the closer the company will be to the eventual reverse split or dilution to the point that it can never really increase in price again. There is much more to say and I will add More at a later time, this should give the basics of why the promoter.
Bashers and why and what is their goal
Bashers the term and you will see this often used.
The role of the Basher is shrouded much more in mystery than the role of the Promoter because he is required to disclose that he is paid to disseminate company information and as mentioned before an almost necessary evil if you will if the OTC markets are to provide a trading arena and as before stated the Basher has no requirement to disclose.
Many suppositions are made like Bashers want cheap shares, Bashers are Paid to take the Company down by the evil Market Makers or shorters. And through my experience I have seen many that just do it as a hobby and lay claim that they are saving New investors from loosing their money giving no forethought to those that are already invested.
There have been cases where Bashers were sued and cases were won But I personally can not say that I know that any are paid. I have seen people Bash a stock until it reaches certain lows then turn around buy in and start pumping the stock. So therin lies the mystery of the Basher, why ?
I have found this question quite plaguing and no definable answer as to paid or not , only that they do exist and they can destroy a company good or bad. Now a battle has waged for at least two decades that I am aware of as to whom does the Most harm, the Basher or the Promoter. That is a question that will likely go on as undecidable and only opinion which is decided by whether you lost money in the OTC market with your time spent or became successful trader and learned how to trade the Penny Market.
I think through my experiences trading the OTC stocks Both Promoters and Bashers can cause you to loose money until you become seasoned enough to know when to buy and when to sell and only on the job training can provide that and as said before it can be costly.
In trying to be fairly unbiased in this presentation I can say that I have more disgust towards people that after a stock has lived its life and has been bashed into oblivion that some Bashers will continue to rub salt into the wounds of those hurt in whatever trade it may be while they try to hope for the best outcome.
Now this type of basher I believe fits into the same category as the last section about pumpers above but they hope to gain by other methods. I do not know the actual story behind this but I know of one very well know basher that I saw make a post one time about offering their services to a company where they had been bashing for some time in response to another posters question posed to the effect that led to that answer but time has failed me to be able to remember the other posters question.
Whether right or wrong about your stock predictions as a Basher or Promoter , move on and let the healing take place. The lessons will be learned and some traders will survive and trade again some will leave the OTC forever. Yes the OTC markets are slimy at times but the fall of ENRON and even more recently many Big Board stocks filing BKz also indicates that dirty tactics are also used there, the OTC market is just more publicized as the Wild West and Scam Avenue of the Stock Market Trading Area.
Whichever side your on you must ask yourself this question.
On the Basher Side did your accomplishment save more people than you hurt ? And are you any better than those you oppose.
On the Promoter side did your accomplishment make people money or cost people money ? That answer is usually seen in the trading activity.
The end result however you perceive this message is / NOT EVERY ONE CAN WIN THERE WILL ALWAYS BE WINNERS AND LOOSERS.
Post Unavailable
WDHR - Currently producing major wave along with solid jobs reports!
Exponential growth. Coverage in MAJOR national press, including Forbes magazine!!!
#WDHR
WDHR
Obama on marijuana legalization: ‘My suspicion is that you’re gonna see other states start looking at this’
By Niraj Chokshi January 22 at 6:39 PM ? Follow @NirajC
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1/22/15 Medical Marijuana Inc. Acquiring Startup Valued at Up to $243M
Tags: cannabis acquisitions, kannaway, marijuana m&a, medical marijuana inc.
Medical Marijuana Inc. announced Thursday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Kannaway, a startup hemp products company that was recently valued at up to $243 million by a noted investment banking firm.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
ChicagoV1 300x150 Medical Marijuana Inc. Acquiring Startup Valued at Up to $243MBut Medical Marijuana Inc. said that Houlihan Capital pegged Kannaway’s fair market value at between $120 million and $243 million. Houlihan has provided valuation reports and similar services to major companies including US Airways and Urban Outfitters.
The acquisition will likely rank as the largest M&A deal in the history of the medical cannabis and hemp industry, based on the valuation of Kannaway, which was founded less than a year ago.
“If I could have done a backflip, I would have,” Kannaway Chief Executive Officer Jeff Rogers told Marijuana Business Daily when asked about his reaction to the valuation, which was conducted ahead of the acquisition. “I couldn’t have dreamed it would come in that high.”
The deal is scheduled to close in the next 90 days.
Medical Marijuana Inc. – a San Diego, California-based company that trades on the over-the-counter markets under the symbol MJNA – owns a portfolio of companies that provide hemp and CBD-based products. It is purchasing 100% of Kannaway from General Hemp LLC, which invested seed money in Kannaway to get the company started last year.
Rogers said the deal gives Kannaway “enormous” leverage for expanding into international markets. It already has its products in all 50 U.S. states and territories, including Puerto Rico, and is eyeing markets in Mexico, the Philippines, Brazil, Spain, Korea.
Rogers added that Kannaway – also based in San Diego – is planning on establishing distribution hubs across the United States, with one in Dallas slated to open this weekend.
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1/21/15 MMJ On the Way in Jamaica?
Tags: Jamaica marijuana
jamaica marijuana
First, the estate of legendary Jamaican musician Bob Marley moved into the cannabis industry. Now, it looks like Jamaica itself could eventually set up a legal medical marijuana market.
The Jamaican Cabinet has backed a bill that would not only legalize medical marijuana, but also decriminalize small amounts of recreational marijuana and allow Rastafarians to legally use cannabis for religious purposes, according to the Associated Press.
The bill is expected to be introduced in the Jamaican Senate by the end of this week, said Justice Minister Mark Golding. Golding told the AP that the bill would set up a licensing agency to figure out regulations for the cultivation and sale of MMJ for “medical, scientific and therapeutic purposes.”
Under the bill’s provisions, possession of two ounces or less of recreational cannabis would be punished by a small fine, instead of jail time, and growing up to five plants would be allowed.
Related Stories
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Post Unavailable
>>> MJ SECTOR ALERT <<<
U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller's ruling is coming in Feb!!
"to determine whether the Schedule 1 designation is unconstitutional"
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-marijuana-schedule-1-20150121-story.html
136 Thursday, 01/22/15 02:05:27 AM
Re: [SMART MONEY] post# 51764
Post # of 51809
Trading frenzy over ASX marijuana stock
PUBLISHED: 6 MINUTES AGO
Trading frenzy over ASX marijuana stock
PhytoTech’s founder Ross Smith: ”We are going to blow GW Pharmaceutical out of the water.”
Patrick Durkin
Speculators have flocked to invest in the first medical marijuana stock to list on the ASX, which has more than doubled in price on its first day of trading.
The company was seeking to raise $5.9 million through 30 million shares issued at 20¢ each, in the initial public offering underwritten by stockbroker BBY.
But by end of trading on Thursday, the share price had more than doubled to 42¢ apiece, as close to 13 million shares were traded and speculators bet PhytoTech Medical would quickly become an investor favourite.
The trading frenzy delivered a stunning return for the founders, their advisers and the initial investors, which includes a cohort of Perth stockbrokers as well as a wealthy Russian backer, who have more than doubled their money in one day.
The Australian Financial Review can also reveal the group will reap a further bonus bonanza with another 10 million shares set to vest if the price remains above 40¢ over the next five days, according to the prospectus and ASX documents. “It’s a pretty good day for everyone to come out above 40¢ but something we expected given the investor interest and the increasing acceptance of medical marijuana globally,” partner atPerth law firm Steinepreis Paganin and PhytoTech chairman Peter Wall, who engineered the deal, said.
He forwarded a selection of congratulatory emails from the satisfied brokers who initially invested in the stock: “Confident this is going to be my stock of the year 2015,” one crowed.
The Perth-based company will manufacture vaporisers in Israel to provide smokeless delivery systems across Europe, the United States and Canada for medical marijuana which it will grow in California and Uruguay. It also plans to supply its devices in Australia if medical marijuana is legalised.
The listing follows the success of medical marijuana stocks overseas such as cannabis drug maker GW Pharmaceuticals, whose shares surged 370 per cent on the London Stock Exchange last year. “We are going to blow GW Pharmaceutical out of the water,” said the company’s colourful founder Ross Smith, who is now based in Israel with managing director and Israeli industry advocate Boaz Wachtel.
BBY’s director of corporate finance, Adam Blumenthal confirmed several brokers and traders had invested personally in the business.
“The story has generated enormous interest within BBY, other brokers and the finance community,” he said.
“It’s a growing $100 billion market and every week we see another jurisdiction globally has accepted it or is conducting trials, such as in NSW.”
The pot stock was cleared for trading by the ASX after the exchange sought additional assurances about the legality of the business.
“ASX sought additional information from the company – mainly legal opinions as to its ability to conduct its business in various jurisdictions,” ASX spokesman Matthew Gibbs said. “ASX is now satisfied that Phytotech has met the admission criteria for listing.
The prospectus was also lodged with the corporate regulator but commissioner of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission John Price has been at pains not to endorse the business.
“The fact that a prospectus is lodged with ASIC does not mean that ASIC ‘approves’ or ‘endorses’ the nature of a particular company’s business plan or investment scheme in any way.”
The Australian Financial Review
BY Patrick Durkin
CNAB Jamaica Update: Justice minister announces ganja reform
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Justice Minister Mark Golding today announced that the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act 2015 Bill will be tabled in Senate this Friday (January 23) following Monday’s approval by Cabinet.
The intention is to debate the Bill on Friday, January 30.
Matters to be discussed include:
• Making the possession of two ounces or less non-arrestable but will carry a ticketable infraction that does not result in a criminal record;
• To allow the use of ganja for religious, medical, scientific and therapeutic purposes;
• Prohibit the smoking of ganja in public spaces;
• Provide for the grant of licenses to permit the development of a lawful industry for medical ganja and industrial hemp.
North Eastern St Elizabeth MP Raymond Pryce has since expressed strong support for the developments, which were announced this morning by Golding at Jamaica House.
Pryce described the move as the clearest sign yet of the Administration's intention to have established in Jamaica a legitimate ganja industry.
“The Human Rights issues are addressed, the research and medicinal opportunities are addressed, the enterprise potential has also been appropriately addressed in the Bill,” Pryce said.
"Key aspects include the proposed establishment of a Cannabis Licensing Authority, the legislated removal of the attachment of a Criminal Record for simple possession while still ensuring that there is no confusion as to the Government's stance against the attempt to or actual exportation of illegal drugs and related criminal activities," he added.
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FSUBCSchamps Thursday, 01/22/15 06:43:28 AM
Re: None
Post # of 12625
All Pot Is Political: California's Next Senator and Governor Must Reckon with Marijuana Legalization
By Chris Roberts @cbloggy Wednesday, Jan 21 2015 .
The world is changing around Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who is proving as immovable as a glacier. On Jan. 6, California's senior U.S. senator sent official letters to Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of State John Kerry issuing a warning and demanding answers. America's standing in the world is being eroded, she wrote, and the culprit is marijuana legalization.
A no-show in the international consensus on climate change, the U.S. is a proud leader on the global War on Drugs. And every time a U.S. state legalizes recreational cannabis, Feinstein wrote, America is in further violation of United Nations drug control treaties. Since the Justice Department is choosing not to interfere with the states and the State Department is suggesting that the U.N. anti-drug treaties are subject to "flexible interpretation," Holder and Kerry are leading the Obama administration in making the mockery worse, the letters say.
Feinstein and her co-signer on the letters, Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley, gave Holder and Kerry until February to explain themselves. She would be better off confronting herself about the reasons why she is clinging to a failed crusade.
It could be argued that Feinstein, who serves as chairperson of the Senate's Caucus on International Narcotics Control, is merely doing her job. But she's also clearly following her deep-seated convictions. Feinstein, 81, has always opposed marijuana legalization. And now, in prohibition's twilight, she is "emerging as one of Washington's toughest critics" on drug reform, the Los Angeles Times noted. Weed legalization's most powerful political opponent lives right here in San Francisco, the birthplace of legal weed in America.
The problem for Feinstein is that she is indeed a glacier — and the climate is rapidly and irreversibly changing. Her hard line puts her at odds with at least two-thirds of her fellow San Franciscans, of whom 63.6 percent voted to legalize marijuana in 2010. Now, 58 percent of Americans want weed to be legal. If California goes to the polls in 2016 with a legalization initiative, as many expect, Feinstein will find herself at the head of an even smaller vocal minority.
The question is how much her fellow big-time Democrats will listen.
She's already lost Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom's support. Newsom, who last week signaled his intention to run for governor in 2018, has been the state's highest-placed cheerleader for legal cannabis. He's championed the cause ever since voters in Washington and Colorado — where legalization won more votes than Barack Obama did in 2012 — made it clear that weed is a political winner. The weed question would not be Feinstein's first disagreement with Newsom; Feinstein blamed Newsom for Kerry's loss to George W. Bush in 2004, after the then-mayor made a national name for himself by legalizing gay marriage in San Francisco that year. And a flip-flop on the issue of marijuana is seemingly impossible. Newsom's early adoption means the country's richest state could have a pro-legalization governor as soon as 2019. Industry insiders say he's counting on being able to use Big Marijuana as an ATM when he makes a bid for the White House in 10 years. Sounds far-fetched — but so did legalized cannabis once upon a time.
What's more important in the short term is how Attorney General Kamala Harris, the early frontrunner for the junior senator seat soon to be vacated by Barbara Boxer, will answer the legalization question on the campaign trail.
Because there will be no avoiding it.
Harris' evolution on the issue has been swift. Last August, Harris laughed off questions from reporters about her stance on marijuana. A few months later, with a second term as AG, she admitted to a Buzzfeed reporter that legalization is probably inevitable — and just so that voters were clear, she has no "moral opposition" to adults using cannabis.
Harris might be forced to talk about legalization, but she will by no means stride onto the Senate floor wearing a hemp suit. Legalization is no longer a political liability, but it's not an issue that can make a candidate, either, top Democratic strategists say.
Conventional political wisdom is that drug reform doesn't even crack the top 10 of voters' most pressing issues. In another only-in-California twist, the likeliest source for a rabidly pro-pot candidate to counter the San Francisco prohibitionist is the Republican Party. California's open primary system means all comers square off against each other in the June election. A fringe candidate could easily decide that the only way to get to the November general election is to become the cannabis candidate, pin hopes on a youthful, active turnout, and hope for the best.
In any event, the most important politician in 2016 will still be Feinstein. If legalization's opponents have the money, they will put California's neo-Nancy Reagan on every television screen and billboard from San Diego to Crescent City as the poster child for prohibition. It will not be enough to convince California voters that marijuana prohibition is a good idea, but it could make the issue thorny enough to rob it of an enthusiastic supporter on his or her way to a powerful job.
Either way, Feinstein is fighting a losing battle. Harris and legalization opponents have had their last laugh at pot's expense. This joke is at last over.
STEV - FILED 2 PATENTS FOR CANNIBODAL PAIN RELIEF
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1/21/15 MBank Begins Serving Colorado Marijuana Companies
Tags: cannabis banking, mbank
MBank, an Oregon-based financial institution, has started taking deposits from marijuana companies in Colorado.
The bank, which already works with cannabis businesses in Washington and dispensaries in Oregon, said it has looked to state and federal regulators on the issue and is confident in its business model, according to the Denver Post.
ChicagoV1 300x150 MBank Begins Serving Colorado Marijuana CompaniesMBank CEO Jef Baker called the move “a bold maneuver,” saying his institution has received tacit (or unwritten) approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the newspaper reported. Five Colorado-based MJ businesses have already opened accounts, he said.
Banking has been a sore subject among cannabis business owners.
Despite federal guidance saying banks won’t be prosecuted for doing business with cannabis companies as long as they vigorously monitor customers in the industry, most aren’t willing to take the risk. Bank executives fear they’ll run afoul of anti-money laundering rules or other laws that could lead to criminal or civil penalties.
Only a handful of banks in the U.S. currently serve marijuana businesses.
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•Banking Bigwig: “Yellow Light” Won’t Fix MMJ Industry’s Problems
•Chart of the Week: The Challenging Banking Climate for Marijuana Businesses
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