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12/22/14 MA Medical Cannabis Businesses Advancing Despite Uncertainty
Tags: boston dispensaries, cannabis regulations, massachusetts medical marijuana
Medical marijuana companies are moving forward with their plans in Massachusetts even though the incoming governor says he’s not quite sold on the state’s MMJ laws.
Owners of four planned grows and dispensaries in the south Boston suburbs, for instance, are still planning to open despite Gov.-Elect Charlie Baker’s assertion last week that state regulations governing the industry may be “problematic,” an indication that changes may be in store for cannabis businesses after he takes office.
Baker has said he would “vigorously” oppose recreational marijuana legalization in Massachusetts and has reservations about the state’s medical cannabis regulations.
City leaders in some of the Boston suburbs where MMJ businesses hope to open are still high on the industry, which will pump significant tax dollars into municipalities and the state.
A company called Ermont, which will open a combined dispensary and grow operation in Quincy, has acquiesced to every demand made by the city, a spokesman for Mayor Thomas Koch told the Boston Globe.
In Good Health, a grower and dispenser set to start operating in Brockton, will pay 3% of its gross income, or at least $100,000, to the city, and another 1% to groups battling substance abuse.
Related Stories
•Weekly Wrapup: Medical Marijuana Moving Forward in MA + Snapshot of Dispensary Startup Costs
•Draft MA Medical Marijuana Rules: High Barriers to Entry, But Opportunities for Out-of-State Players
•San Diego Could Become One of Nation’s Hottest Medical Cannabis Markets – Again
Feds Can No Longer Raid State Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Marcia Frellick
December 22, 2014
Federal agents will no longer be able to raid medical marijuana dispensaries in states where medical marijuana is legal under a provision included in the $1.1 trillion spending law President Obama signed December 16.
Enactment of the law changes a two-decade-long battle between the states and the federal government. Although 32 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana, the Drug Enforcement Administration still classifies it as a Schedule I drug, the same class as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy, which signifies it has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
Before this law, the Justice Department could shut down dispensaries that states legally opened, although under the Obama Administration the department had kept its distance. Under the measure, included in the 1603-page law, federal agents would be prohibited from such raids. The government also cannot interfere in implementation of states' medical marijuana laws, under the amendment cosponsored by Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Democrat Rep. Sam Farr, both of California.
"This is a victory for so many," Rohrabacher said in a statement, "including scores of our wounded veterans, who have found marijuana to be an important medicine for some of the ailments they suffer, such as PTSD, epilepsy, and [multiple sclerosis]."
The move is also a victory for medical marijuana advocates and dispensary owners and operators.
Pharmacist Joseph Friedman, RPh, in Lincolnshire, Illinois, has applied to open three dispensaries in Illinois. He told Medscape Medical News the move brings "a sigh of relief" and adds a layer of protection for owners and operators of dispensaries.
"Every day these dispensary owners open their doors, they had in the shadow the risk of the feds coming in and shutting them down for any number of reasons," he said. "That's not to say that the ones selling to children or that are close to schools or doing anything under the table don't deserve to get shut down.
"We had only heard up until this point that the federal government wouldn't fund any more raids on dispensaries, so this just makes it official," he said.
Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, a national group dedicated to changing state laws to reduce or eliminate penalties for the medical and non-medical use of marijuana, told Medscape Medical News this law marks "the first time in history that Congress has approved a measure intended to draw down the federal government's war on marijuana."
But he said there is always the possibility that the law, which proponents had tried to pass six times before, could be interpreted in different ways and said he is skeptical the threat of intervention is completely nullified.
The law also covers spending only for fiscal year 2015.
Some Not Convinced of Medical Benefits
Still, some medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Cancer Society, are not ready to endorse the medical benefits of marijuana without further research.
The American Cancer Society declined to comment on this week's legislation, but a spokeswoman said the society "opposes the smoking or vaping of marijuana and other cannabinoids in public places, because the carcinogens in marijuana smoke pose numerous health hazards to the patient and others in the patient's presence."
Timothy Coetzee, PhD, chief advocacy, services and research officer at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, told Medscape Medical News that the society supports the rights of people with multiple sclerosis to work with their providers to access marijuana for medical purposes in states where it is legal and supports further research to better understand the benefits and risks as a treatment for the disease.
"We believe that the federal government's decision to end their prohibition on the use of marijuana for medical purposes in fiscal year 2015 will ease the existing legal confusion in those states listed in the legislation," he said.
Why 2015 could be the year for medical marijuana legalization in Pennsylvania
Published: Monday, December 22, 2014
By Eric Boehm PA Independent
Medical marijuana legislation will get a second chance in 2015.
The bipartisan pair of state senators who pushed for legalization during 2014 announced this week they will re-introduce the same text of a bill approved by the state Senate with a 43-7 vote in September. The bill didn’t receive a vote from the House of Representatives before the two-year legislative session came to a close Nov. 30.
Since it will be a new legislative session when lawmakers return to Harrisburg in January, the bill will have to start over again at the beginning of the process. But there is good reason to believe 2015 could be the year Pennsylvania legalizes marijuana as a treatment for some chronic ailments.
The goal of the legislation is to provide additional options for those suffering from seizure-caused diseases, said state Sens. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, and Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, in a joint statement.
“Some children suffer hundreds of seizures a day, making normal childhood development impossible and forcing parents to helplessly watch their children suffer,” they said. “Prescribed narcotic cocktails of highly addictive and dangerous drugs have little effect on these disorders and often offer only a few weeks or months of pause in the decline of a child’s health.”
The Senate-passed medical marijuana bill would allow people suffering from cancer, epilepsy, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, MS, PTSD and other brain and neurological diseases to use medical marijuana. An expected 250,000 Pennsylvanians would sign up for a medical marijuana license, according to an analysis from the Senate Appropriations Committee. A license would cost $100.
Leach and Folmer say 21 other states and the District of Columbia have similar laws regarding medical marijuana, though there is quite a bit of variety from state to state.
Getting the bill through the state Senate a second time should be a relatively easy task. Senate President Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, announced this week he was co-sponsoring the bill.
In the House, Republican leaders say they want to hold a series of hearings on the proposal to allow law enforcement and other interest groups to have a say.
There are also concerns about the creation of a new bureaucracy within the state government — the State Board of Medical Cannabis Licensing, which the bill would create to license and regulate marijuana growers, processors and dispensers.
If those worries can be addressed, the change in the governor’s office should be the final piece to the legalization puzzle.
Outgoing Gov. Tom Corbett was opposed to broad legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. He favored a limited clinical trial run by a handful of hospitals instead.
Governor-elect Tom Wolf takes a different view.
“We need to legalize medical marijuana immediately,” Wolf said during the third gubernatorial debate in October.
During the campaign, Wolf suggested the state could examine the possibility of recreational legalization, as has been approved in Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia. Though he has also said Pennsylvania ought to wait and see what happens in those other places where recreational use is already on the books.
Full legalization is probably farther off in the distance. No state has approved recreational legalization except via a ballot measure, and Pennsylvania doesn’t have a mechanism to easily put those types of issues on the ballot. Even the most progressive legislative bodies tend to lag behind the general public on issues like this (though Philadelphia has essentially decriminalized the possession of marijuana already).
But long-suffering advocates for medical marijuana have reason to believe 2015 will be the year Pennsylvania joins a growing number of states with legal cannabis.
..you can post a link 2ur board on my MJ news board if ya want.. along w/pr's.. it's a new "News only" board...
http://investorshub.advfn.com/MMJ-MJ-News-Updates-18276/
News from Washington DC: Federal Spending Bill Brings High Hopes to Medical Marijuana and Hemp Advocates
Quote:
"...The most recent federal spending bill was released on Tuesday and included are amendments that would stop the DEA from using funds to impede with state-legal industrial hemp research. The amendments would also stop the Department of Justice from using funds to go after state medical marijuana programs."
http://marijuanastocks.com/federal-spending-bill-brings-high-hopes-medical-marijuana-hemp-advocates/
Or you can go in this direction ...
TSXV:MJN PharmaCan Capital Corp
Affinor Growers closes exclusive sublicense agreement with Native American Communities in the U.S.
Recent Marijuana Ruling Could Lead to Indian Tribes Becoming Among America's Biggest Producers
December 18, 2014, Montreal, Canada - Affinor Growers (CSE:AFI, OTC:RSSFF, Frankfurt:1AF) (“Affinor” or the “Corporation) announced today that it has closed the Definitive Agreement of the previously announced LOI on November 4, 2014 with North Country Natural Solutions LLC (“North Country”) and Iroquois Consulting Group LLC (“Iroquois”) in New-York State. It represents a $500,000.00 sublicensing agreement and 5% royalty on the net sales on the food production. Additionally North Country and Iroquois will offer consulting services to represents exclusively Affinor with all the Native Communities in the United States in the agriculture and cannabis sectors with the objective to become leader and a model in both industry.
Native American tribes across the U.S. learned on Thursday, December 11th, that the U.S. Department of Justice will allow tribes to grow and sell marijuana on their lands if they follow the federal guidelines established for states that have legalized the drug.
Affinor is sublicencing his vertical farming technology to North Country and Iroquois to have them grow, produce, distribute, sell, market and commercialize the products related to the Agriculture in New-York States. In the mean time, North Country and Iroquois will represents Affinor with all the Native American Tribes across the United States to develope affiliations and sustainability to produce healthy food using vertical growing technology and high quality cannabis using different technics.
Kelly Mitchell commented, “Iroquois and North Country Natural Solutions are thrilled to be afforded the opportunity to work with Affinor to bring its farming technology and expertise in the agriculture and medical marijuana industry to First Nation communities.We foresee this agreement with Affinor and ICG and NCNS playing a substantial role in providing long overdue economic development to Native communities throughout North America.”
Nick Brusatore, Affinor Chairman, commented, “This is a very proud moment for myself and Affinor and a very exciting time for the First Nation people in the USA. Affinor’s vision has always been to help and assist the First Nation to mass produce food for their people to help with the diabetes and to consult and design what is needed to get them ready for the tobacco industry with the marijuana looming federally now. We look forward to assisting the first nation communities and enabling Affinor to advise them as to how to utilize our safe, high quality agricultural and vertical farming technologies to stand up state of the art production facilities. Myself having a wife and four daughters being Status Natives in Canada and members of the Squamish Nation in Vancouver has driven me personally to want this for all First Nation people and I am committed to them to make this happen.”
About Affinor Growers Inc.
Affinor Growers is a diversified publicly traded company on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol ("AFI"). Affinor is focused on growing high quality crops such as romaine lettuce, spinach, strawberries and high quality medical Marijuana. Affinor is committed to becoming a pre-eminent grower, using exclusive vertical farming techniques.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
AFFINOR GROWERS INC.
"Sebastien Plouffe"
President & CEO
Dec 17 (Reuters) - Colorado health officials awarded $8 million in research grants on Wednesday to study the use of medical marijuana in the treatment of symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease, childhood epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Colorado was one of the first two U.S. states to legalize recreational pot use, and it is among 23 states and the District of Columbia that permit use of the drug for medicinal purposes.
But weed remains illegal under federal law for any reason, leading to a dearth of funding for medical marijuana research, and meaning results are limited and largely anecdotal.
Awarding eight grants for landmark peer-reviewed studies into an array of maladies, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said it sought to provide objective scientific research on the efficacy of medical marijuana.
"The grant program ... should not be construed as encouraging or sanctioning the social or recreational use of marijuana," the department said in a statement.
Colorado lawmakers set up a Medical Marijuana Scientific Advisory Council last year and allocated $10 million to administer a program to conduct the studies. The council received some three dozen applications, from which it chose the eight approved by the department on Wednesday.
Funding for the program is derived from registration fees paid by medical marijuana patients in the state.
Six of the grants will go to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, said university spokesman Mark Couch.
Researchers there will study whether marijuana in its various forms can alleviate the tremors associated with Parkinson's and whether it can provide relief for children with brain tumors or pediatric epilepsy.
Other projects will research using marijuana to treat irritable bowel syndrome in adolescents and young adults, and how cannabis compares with the pain medication Oxycodone.
Teams at the University of Pennsylvania will conduct two separate studies on whether cannabis is effective in treating patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, including combat veterans.
"It's true that little research has been done due to federal restrictions. I think that will change as more states are legalizing," said Brian Smith, a spokesman for the Washington State Liquor Control Board, which oversees legalized recreational cannabis there.
Voters in Oregon and Alaska cast ballots in November to join Colorado and Washington in legalizing recreational pot use. (Reporting by Keith Coffman; Additional reporting by Eric Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Cynthia Osterman and Bill Trott)
12/17/14 PayPal Co-Founder to Invest in Cannabis
Tags: cannabis funding, marijuana investments, paypal, peter thiel, privateer holdings
PayPal co-founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel plans to pump money into the marijuana industry.
Thiel will invest in a Series B round of financing for Privateer Holdings, a cannabis-focused private equity firm that is attempting to raise $75 million, according to a report by Business Insider.
FundingEBookV3 3 PayPal Co Founder to Invest in CannabisSeattle-based Privateer reportedly has already raised a significant chunk of the $75 million and expects to hit its goal within the next two weeks.
Privateer has said it plans to raise $111 million in 2015 and $440 million in 2016. The firm invests, acquires and starts cannabis companies in the United States and Canada.
It currently runs several marijuana-related firms including Leafly – a site that provides strain reviews and dispensary listings – and Tilray, which grows, tests and ships medical cannabis to registered patients in Canada.
It’s also working with the family of reggae legend Bob Marley to launch a company selling ancillary products and some of the singer’s favorite strains.
Related Stories
•Angel Investment Group Reports Big Growth
•Week in Review: Mainstream Investors Finally Starting to Eye Green Rush
•Privateer Holdings Expects to Raise $50M
Why 2015 could be the year for medical marijuana legalization in Pennsylvania
Published: Thursday, December 18, 2014
By Eric Boehm PA Independent
Medical marijuana legislation will get a second chance in 2015.
The bipartisan pair of state senators who pushed for legalization during 2014 announced this week they will re-introduce the same text of a bill approved by the state Senate with a 43-7 vote in September. The bill didn’t receive a vote from the House of Representatives before the two-year legislative session came to a close Nov. 30.
Since it will be a new legislative session when lawmakers return to Harrisburg in January, the bill will have to start over again at the beginning of the process. But there is good reason to believe 2015 could be the year Pennsylvania legalizes marijuana as a treatment for some chronic ailments.
The goal of the legislation is to provide additional options for those suffering from seizure-caused diseases, said state Sens. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, and Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, in a joint statement.
“Some children suffer hundreds of seizures a day, making normal childhood development impossible and forcing parents to helplessly watch their children suffer,” they said. “Prescribed narcotic cocktails of highly addictive and dangerous drugs have little effect on these disorders and often offer only a few weeks or months of pause in the decline of a child’s health.”
The Senate-passed medical marijuana bill would allow people suffering from cancer, epilepsy, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, MS, PTSD and other brain and neurological diseases to use medical marijuana. An expected 250,000 Pennsylvanians would sign up for a medical marijuana license, according to an analysis from the Senate Appropriations Committee. A license would cost $100.
Leach and Folmer say 21 other states and the District of Columbia have similar laws regarding medical marijuana, though there is quite a bit of variety from state to state.
Getting the bill through the state Senate a second time should be a relatively easy task. Senate President Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, announced this week he was co-sponsoring the bill.
In the House, Republican leaders say they want to hold a series of hearings on the proposal to allow law enforcement and other interest groups to have a say.
There are also concerns about the creation of a new bureaucracy within the state government — the State Board of Medical Cannabis Licensing, which the bill would create to license and regulate marijuana growers, processors and dispensers. Continued...
If those worries can be addressed, the change in the governor’s office should be the final piece to the legalization puzzle.
Outgoing Gov. Tom Corbett was opposed to broad legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. He favored a limited clinical trial run by a handful of hospitals instead.
Governor-elect Tom Wolf takes a different view.
“We need to legalize medical marijuana immediately,” Wolf said during the third gubernatorial debate in October.
During the campaign, Wolf suggested the state could examine the possibility of recreational legalization, as has been approved in Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia. Though he has also said Pennsylvania ought to wait and see what happens in those other places where recreational use is already on the books.
Full legalization is probably farther off in the distance. No state has approved recreational legalization except via a ballot measure, and Pennsylvania doesn’t have a mechanism to easily put those types of issues on the ballot. Even the most progressive legislative bodies tend to lag behind the general public on issues like this (though Philadelphia has essentially decriminalized the possession of marijuana already).
But long-suffering advocates for medical marijuana have reason to believe 2015 will be the year Pennsylvania joins a growing number of states with legal cannabis.
IGRW ENTRY LEVEL MMJ COMPANY .0018 NEWS NEWS NEWS
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/interactive-health-network-shareholder-statement-123000167.html
Marijuana Legalization Could Increase NYC Revenue by $25M
By Alexandra Villarreal | 12/17/14 3:07pm
New York local officials discuss tax implications of marijuana legalization. (Photo credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
New York local officials discuss tax implications of marijuana legalization. (Photo credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Doug Turetsky, chief of staff and communications director for the New York City Independent Budget Office, discussed the projected implications of marijuana legalization in New York on Wednesday, revealing the latest calculations for potential revenue from cannabis.
In his testimony to the Public Forum held by Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Peoples-Strokes, Mr. Turetsky weighed up the pros and cons of marijuana legalization in the latest Budget Options for New York City report–a first in the Budget Office’s history–and delivered numbers notably different from the figures published last year by the New York Comptroller’s Office, which estimated returns of $431 million annually if marijuana were legalized. In contrast, the Budget Office approximated a $25 million increase in tax revenue.
To be fair, Mr. Turetsky conceded, the Comptroller looked at potential savings on police expenses as well as tax returns. When over 350,000 NYC residents have been detained for possessing small amounts of cannabis over the past 10 years, the toll on government resources has proved substantial. Meanwhile, the Budget Office took other contextual factors into account. For example, its calculations not only look at the currently reported statistics on New Yorkers using marijuana illegally, but also the aftermath of cigarette legalization in the recent past, when smokers still bought cigarettes on the black market to avoid heavy taxation. The Budget Options report also accounted for trends in medical and recreational use of marijuana in Colorado, a real world example that could help predict behavior.
Revenue aside, Mr. Turetsky concluded his speech by invoking the impact of legalization on the populace. “There is a human toll involved with current policies,” he said. “Blacks and Latinos are arrested at far greater rates than whites. Such factors may be equally or even more important than any calculations of the fiscal effects of legalizing marijuana.”
Read more at http://observer.com/2014/12/marijuana-legalization-could-cause-a-25m-increase-in-revenue-for-nyc/#ixzz3MFCMsk5s
Follow us: @newyorkobserver on Twitter | newyorkobserver on Facebook
12/17/14 The United States of America is on the verge of total legalization of marijuana.
Let's look at the federal government for a moment and the changes that have taken place in the last couple of years.
First off, President Obama has come out publicly and spoken of the fact that alcohol is worse than marijuana. Members of congress have spoken publicly on the legalization of medical marijuana and the benefits it could bring.
The congress will be discussing the recent Washington D.C. vote on the decriminalization of marijuana within the city limits.
If you look at the States of Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and Oregon as being the first states to legalize recreational marijuana the one thing that keeps coming true is the tax revenue they are bringing in.
Take a quick look at the 23 states with legalized medical marijuana and you can also see the profits that are benefiting these states as well as the help it is bringing the patients.
There are also the states that have Charlotte's Web the cannabis that is used to help children with seizures.
It has little or no THC so the child doesn't get high. All of this is a plus for the citizens of the United States.
Recently the Department of Justice passed a memo around that if Native Americans want to grow marijuana on the reservations in States where it is legal that prosecutors should let them with no legal repercussions.
It is time when we must all realize that trying to bust all the incoming weed from outside the United States is not working out the way we wanted it to.
In other words more weed gets through than what we confiscate and burn. There is an actual need for marijuana and when all is said and done legalization is the only thing we can do.
It is time that we come up with laws comparable to the ones being used in four states where marijuana is legal.
Cannabis needs to be nationally implemented and with the revenue that will be felt by the federal government we could actually balance the budget.
The plant we call marijuana is not the evil weed our grandparents were taught to believe it was.
It is time to grow up America and say enough is enough.
Legalize this plant we call marijuana. For information on the status of the legalization of medical marijuana in the State of Florida please go to forthepeople.com
Suggested Links
?The Gold Rush Of Medical Marijuana
?The Future Of Medical Marijuana In Florida
?Amendment 2: Florida's Medical Marijuana Part 2
?Marijuana: The Evil Weed That Helps
?Medical Marijuana Is For The Common Good
Can't believe I am actually considering buying shares in a US MJ company. I sweared off them and hold 3 Canadian firms.
One of the few legit US MJ companies?
"Derek Peterson may soon become the first CEO of a public company that cultivates, distributes and sells marijuana.
Terra Tech Corp., based in Irvine, California, won approval last week from the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise $6.8 million to build and operate medical marijuana operations in Nevada, where the company secured preliminary approvals.
The company will seek to raise about $7 million more later in the year, Peterson said."
Higher lows ...
Discussion board "Canadian Weed!"
ajac the next big hemp play ..0006
RDXH next big weed play?! Just reinstated today!
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=109167098
This weeks watch list: $STTK, $WNTR, $GLCO and $GLCO
GOING TO BE A GREAT WEEK!
King
Please HELP!! We need these links passed around..
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=108971216
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=109017788
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=109021662
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=109027642
This is not about any one Hemp or MMJ Stock company...
This is the Future of our Grand Children's Children.
WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
Best wishes all
Victory: Congress ends war on medical marijuana
http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2014/12/12/congress-ends-war-on-medical-marijuana/
KABOOM
Dec 10 Stake Holder Update!
SARASOTA, FL / ACCESSWIRE / December 10, 2014 /
Dear Fellow Stakeholders:
What is the Status of GroPro's patent application?
GroPro Systems, Inc.'s Patent Counsel, Shutts & Bowen, has advised the Provisional Patent application should be filed on or before January 15th, 2015. Once the patent is filed GroPro will be able to share pictures and demo the system with top growers. GroPro Systems, Inc. has worked with NanoVap Technologies, Las Vegas, NV, to improve the system by including upgradable built-in water / light cooling technologies and Ionic Air Purification systems. These will be available in Generation 2 soon to be in production in Las Vegas.
What is the status of the project in Chaffee County?
I met with planning and zoning officials yesterday. They advised that they are working on requests made by our MJ counsel before making application to the state. We anticipate Chaffee County's portion to be completed by end of January. Once completed, the application process, by Colorado statute will take up to 90 days from intake. That puts Chaffee county license, best case May 1, 2015. We have negotiated to buy the remaining land in the Smelter town industrial park, subject to state/local licensure, and build (3) - 7,000 square foot grow houses. This is an upgrade from the original 5,000 square foot plan.
Details on Financing:
The company has a private group of 4 shareholders who have committed to extend credit to the Company. This line is up to $3MM in non-convertible straight debt financing.
LOI's: The Company has 3 LOI's in play.
The first LOI was signed early this morning. It is a LOI to acquire a new cutting edge company specializing in the vaporizer space. They have 3 products, ranging from 69.99 to 249.00.
The second LOI is with a Northern California based soil company with unaudited revenues of $1MM per year. We anticipate it being signed in the coming days.
The third LOI is with a Colorado grow store with unaudited revenues of $557k per year. We anticipate it being signed in the coming days.
Expect official PR's on these accordingly. This falls in line with our aggressive acquisition strategy for the coming year.
Chill: DTCC's counsel reached out to our SEC counsel last week. He is in talks with DTCC and we anticipate him resolving the Chill in the near future. This is a very important detail to us and we will keep the shareholders advised of any updates accordingly.
Thank you for your time, investment. I look forward to our ongoing scheduled.
Communications and welcome your questions, comments and suggestions.
NEXT!
Antonio F. Uccello, III
President and Chief Executive Officer
SOURCE: International Consolidated Companies, Inc.
INCC .0041~ My 1 MARIJUANA stock for 2015!! Always good to keep a portfolio in the MARIJUANA SECTOR. Last MARIJUANA WAVE made many NEW MILLIONAIRES. Imagine what happens on the next MARIJUANA WAVE??? 2015 is going to be "BEYOND EPIC" imho. Looking for.10 cents TARGET in 2015!!!
INCC~HUGE things in PIPELINE[/b
AGTK[/b]-Will have the biggest grow operations in the Nation. Located in Colorado, Nevada, and Florida for the Charlotte Web Oil. Only 70 million O/S. Currently setting below .08. This little gem broke .67 last sector run. Ceo Friedman release this exciting video last week. Forecasting exciting times ahead for AGTK investors. Do not let this one pass you by!
http://www.cannabisfn.com/mdc/agritek-holdings-inc/
Hope its the DTCC updates I wanna hear.
That would kick New Years right in the nutts and bolts.
Go $INCC
INCC…..GETTING READY TO RIP IT INTO 2015……UPDATES COMING THIS WEEK!!!!!!!
NEXT
Just Canadian ...
Anybody Holding UNGS here? liking INCC as well at these prices..
Struc
Probably oversold for a reason.
See Canadian MMJ.
$attbf
Super over sold getting ready for reversal back to the highs.
http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/ATTBF/quote
http://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=ATTBF
Doji star in and accumulation distribution through the roof.
Check if out
Shark
WTWO NEWS!$!$ Converde Energy Inc. Formerly W2 Energy Inc. Receives Purchase Order and 20% Deposit from iKingdom Investments
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/converde-energy-inc-formerly-w2-161500566.html
KING
The Company will be sending an amendment to the Florida Secretary of State tomorrow to reduce it’s authorized to 2 Billion shares.
The total issued shares are : 1,733,756,425
Free Trading: 887,505,203
Restricted: 846,251,222
INCC .0029~~> Going to be HUGE in Q1, 2015 guys. Last run was awesome from tripz to .02++ but now the real run is about to begin. Remember my MYEC from tripz to .01++ then back down and went to sleep and then KABOOM it ran to .08++ cents? Well there you have it. INCC will be bringing sooo much to the table. Don't miss out guys, like seriously :)
#INCC CASH COW IN 2015 $$$$
Their material has been getting much better. Im watching.
The best news channel of cannabis ...
https://www.potnetwork.tv/cm/
http://www.twitter.com/potnetworktv
The trouble is finding any legit American MJ companies.
I decided to simply look north of the border.
Doesn't look too hard to figure out for me..
HEMP and a lot of other MJ stocks are reversing for new highs on this uptrend in anticipation of the news coming in December.
Ruling is scheduled to be released in December to reschedule marijuana down from schedule 1.
Schedule 2-5 lands the MJ sector in the BIG $$$
That is the green light for big funds to start buying.
RESCHEDULING = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Republican Congress May Not Act To Block Marijuana Legalization In Washington, D.C.
Doug Mataconis · Monday, November 17, 2014 · 4 Comments
Marijuana
Somewhat missed in Election Day’s Republican landslide was the fact that a referendum to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes had passed overwhelmingly in Washington, D.C. In the wake of that victory, though, was the question of whether or not the newly Republican Congress would try to block implementation of the measure under their power to block pretty much any law passed by the City Council or voters in the District of Columbia. So far at least, there doesn’t seem to be any inclination by Republicans to touch this issue at all:
Looming over the District’s historic decision this month to legalize marijuana has been another mandate that voters delivered on Election Day: A Republican majority on Capitol Hill with the power to interfere with the measure when it goes to Congress for review.
But congressional Republicans appear to have other things on their minds.
“To be honest, that’s pretty far down my list of priorities,” said Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), who was maneuvering late last week to force a vote on U.S.-Iran nuclear talks.
“I haven’t given it one thought,” said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who CNN reported Friday was mapping out a presidential run.
“Focused on other things,” added Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who will lead Senate oversight of the country’s military campaigns in Iraq and Syria when Republicans regain control of the chamber in January for the first time in seven years.
Republicans also are focused on making good on promises for early battles with President Obama on immigration and to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. In all, in the first days of Congress’s return to Capitol Hill since the election, there appeared to be little to no appetite for Republicans to pile on the vexing issue of marijuana legalization.
In fact, Republican congressional leaders may keep marijuana off their plate in the new year by design, said Cully Stimson, a senior legal fellow who tracks the issue for the conservative Heritage Foundation.
(…)
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), celebrated in libertarian circles, said on Election Day that the D.C. measure was an issue for city voters to decide. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), a favorite of family-values groups, has repeatedly blasted Obama for not enforcing federal drug laws.
Last week, as Republican leaders preached party unity and a need for teamwork to defeat Obama on broader issues, Paul and Cruz declined to comment on the D.C. marijuana measure.
“The preferred option may just be to not divide the Republican caucus on a divisive issue,” Stimson said. “Democrats and pro-pot advocates will work to cleave off libertarian-leaning Republicans. I could see [House Speaker John A.] Boehner .?.?. or [soon-to-be Senate majority leader] Mitch McConnell saying, ‘We’re just not going to bring it up.’ I could see it playing out that way politically.”
Stimson, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense, said a brawl between conservative and libertarian factions within the GOP is inevitable later next year, when Congress must decide whether to reauthorize provisions of the Patriot Act that allow for domestic surveillance. “Do you really want to pick at that scab too early?”
Such political considerations seem poised to benefit the almost 7 in 10 D.C. voters who backed Initiative 71. The ballot measure that passed Nov. 4 legalizes possession of up to two ounces of marijuana in the nation’s capital. It also allows city residents to grow up to three mature plants at home.
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) said he intends to codify the initiative into law and transmit it to Capitol Hill for review early in January.
That would start the clock ticking on a 30- to 60-day review period.
Unless Congress acts to block it during that window, marijuana legalization would then become law. Such a block has happened only three times in 40 years, and it would require not only the House and Senate to both pass a bill, but the president to sign off on the congressional measure halting the District’s law.
With the District’s residents having spoken overwhelmingly on this issue, there really is no reason for Congress to block the measure in this case. Admittedly, there are going to be some issues about how legalization will impact activity in the parts of D.C. that are under Federal Government jurisdiction, such as the various monuments and the National Mall, but that strikes me as something that can be resolved rather easily. As a broader point, though, if the residents in D.C. want legalized marijuana then I don’t see why the Federal Government should be stepping in to stop them from having it.
>>$$FutureWorld (FWDG) Announces Q3 Financial Results & Operational Update
Company Revenues Up 25,472% from Prior Quarter Ending June 30, 2014
ST. PETERSBURG, FL, Nov. 17, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FutureWorld Corp. (FWDG), a leading provider of advanced technologies and solutions to the global cannabis industry, today announced financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014.
"We are thrilled with the substantial amount of progress we made in the quarter, and are even more excited about some of our newest initiatives which will provide even greater growth for years to come.
The launch of our PersonalAnalytics test kits has been amazing, with incredible press coverage by major news outlets and customer feedback around the globe," commented CEO Sam Talari.
"On the corporate side, we have been developing our three subsidiaries to the point of self-sufficiency.
All three will bring enough revenue to sustain growth going forward. We expect triple digit revenue growth from all three subsidiaries in 2015 and beyond.
We have also started a fourth subsidiary called Futureland Properties, LLC in Colorado. We expect to build out our first grow facility in Colorado in the 1st quarter of 2015 with more grows in the third quarter.
We had $285,787 in cash at the end of the quarter, and thus we feel that the Company is well-positioned to execute on our business plan and to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by the recent legalization votes in Washington DC, Oregon, and Alaska. We continue to innovate in the space and believe that 2015 will be a transformative year for FutureWorld."
Financial Highlights:
Quarterly revenues were $79,016, with gross margins of 40.6% with $285,787 in cash at the end of the quarter.
The majority of our revenues was from sales of our PersonalAnalytics products, of which was initially introduced to the market only beginning on September 6th, 2014 at the HIGH TIMES Cannabis Cup in Everett, Washington.
On the balance sheet, our total assets increased 85.0% over the quarter ending June 30, 2014 to $532,274.
Operational Highlights:
PersonalAnalytics test kits are now available for sale at major outlets in Colorado and other States.
PersonalAnalytics test kits are also available online at http://cbscientific.com/. We also recently purchased control interest of the provisional patent for an Onsite THC Potency Test Kit that will give the Company major control in the industry.
Operational & Financial Proforma:
URVape - We have signed a major contract with a supplier in Colorado that will expand URVape pens throughout the State. We expect sales in low seven figures by the end of 2nd quarter 2015. We are also in the process of completing the spin-off of URVape through a merger with a public company. We believe this to be the most efficient process.
CB Scientific - The test kits have been a true phenomenon in the industry. We have been selling the kits globally and have received major endorsements from major players in the cannabis industry. We expect sales of close to low seven figures by the end of 2nd quarter 2015. We are also considering merger talks to spin-off the company as its own public entity.
HempTech - We have invested heavily in R&D for the past two quarters and have developed the most sophisticated solutions for grows in any industry, especially the cannabis market. Our control systems would allow for complete energy, water and irrigation efficiencies all with one touch. We expect sales of close to low seven figures by the end of 2nd quarter 2015.
Futureland properties - The Company is to finance and build a 3500+ plant cannabis cultivation greenhouse for a client on 237 acres of property purchased by the Company, through FutureLand properties LLC, and leased back to the client. This large cultivation facility will be potentially one of many on the same piece of real estate. We expect sales of close to low seven figures by the end of 2nd quarter 2015.
About FutureWorld Corp
FutureWorld (Other OTCQB: FWDG), a Delaware corporation, is a U.S. Diversified Holding Company formed to capitalize on the burgeoning Cannabis markets globally. FutureWorld, together with its subsidiaries, focuses on the identification, acquisition, development, and commercialization of cannabis related products, such as industrial Hemp. FutureWorld, through its subsidiaries such as HempTech and CB Scientific, provides personal and professional THC and CBD test kits, pure CBD oil solutions, smart sensor technology, communication network, surveillance security, data analysis for smart cultivation and consultation for the industrial hemp and legal medicinal cannabis. Our wireless agricultural smart sensor networks offer precision to the agriculture, irrigation systems, and greenhouses for the global cannabis and hemp industry. FutureWorld and its subsidiaries do not grow, distribute or sell marijuana. To request further information about FutureWorld, please email us at info@futureworldcorp.com, log onto our website at http://www.futureworldcorp.com or visit us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/futureworldenergy.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements covered within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, plans and timing for the introduction or enhancement of our services and products, statements about future market conditions, supply and demand conditions, and other expectations, intentions and plans contained in this press release that are not historical fact and involve risks and uncertainties. Our expectations regarding future revenues depend upon our ability to develop and supply products and services that we may not produce today and that meet defined specifications. When used in this press release, the words "plan," "expect," "believe," and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current expectations. They are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, changes in technology and changes in pervasive markets. This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 27E of the Securities Act of 1934. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approval for anticipated actions.
Contact:
Media Contact
FutureWorld Corp
Investor Relations
http://www.futureworldcorp.com
info@futureworldcorp.com
cox@futureworldcorp.com
(727) 474-1816 ext. 103
Why Congress Probably Won't Block Marijuana Legalization In Washington, D.C.
Law & Regulation 11/14/2014 @ 10:06AM 7,850 views
At a press conference yesterday, Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia’s congressional delegate, urged her colleagues to respect the will of the voters who overwhelmingly approved marijuana legalization in the nation’s capital last week. She was joined by three congressmen, including Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), who said trying to block legalization in D.C. or in Alaska and Oregon, where voters also said no to marijuana prohibition last week, would flout “fundamental principles” that “Republicans have always talked about,” including “individual liberties,” “limited government,” and “states’ rights and the 10th Amendment.”
Norton noted that “we’ve had a threat to try to overturn our legalization initiative.” She was referring to Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), who after the D.C. vote told The Washington Post, “I will consider using all resources available to a member of Congress to stop this action.” Although there is no doubting Harris’s sincerity, those resources probably will prove inadequate.
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Image: Comedy Central)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Image: Comedy Central)
Initiative 71, which passed by a margin of more than 2 to 1, allows adults 21 or older to possess two ounces or less of marijuana, grow up to six plants at home, and transfer up to an ounce at a time to other adults “without remuneration.” It does not authorize commercial production or distribution, although the District of Columbia Council is considering legislation that would. “I see no reason why we wouldn’t follow a regime similar to how we regulate and tax alcohol,” incoming Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press conference after the election.
In theory, there are a couple of ways that Congress could try to stop all this from happening. It could pass a joint resolution disapproving Initiative 71, or it could bar the District from spending money to implement the measure. But neither of these approaches looks very promising.
Initiative 71 cannot take effect until after D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson submits it to Congress for review, which he is expected to do when the new Congress is seated in January. “I will treat Initiative 71 in the same manner as I would any measure passed by the Council and transmit it to Congress without delay,” he said last week. Although Mayor-elect Bowser indicated that she would like to wait until the D.C. Council has approved legislation authorizing the licensing of commercial growers and retailers, the timing is up to Mendelson.
Once Mendelson submits the initiative, Congress has 30 legislative days to pass a resolution overriding it. If a resolution is not enacted by the end of that period, the initiative automatically becomes law. Getting a bill through both chambers in that amount of time will be a challenge, even with Republicans taking control of the Senate and expanding their majority in the House. And that’s assuming Republicans—who, as Rohrabacher noted, often talk about the virtues of federalism and local control—think nullifying a policy endorsed by 69 percent of D.C. voters should be one of their first acts in the new Congress.
“I think a resolution of disapproval is unlikely,” says Bill Piper, director of national affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance. “Overturning a ballot measure passed by 70 percent of the voters doesn’t really look good for the incoming Republican Congress. If the council transmits [the initiative] in January, I think that pretty much reduces or eliminates the chance that Congress will overturn it outright. It just doesn’t fit with what they’re talking about doing, which is rebranding themselves as not being obstructionists.”
Dana Rohrabacher (Image: Office of Dana Rohrabacher)
Dana Rohrabacher (Image: Office of Dana Rohrabacher)
Nikolas Schiller, communications director at the D.C. Cannabis Campaign, which backed Initiative 71, agrees that Republicans will not be eager to nix it. “We believe that a new Republican Congress will not interfere with something that deals solely with personal liberties,” he says.
Even if the House and the Senate both passed a resolution against Initiative 71, it would still need President Obama’s signature. “The White House is already on record opposing interference with D.C.’s marijuana law,” Piper notes. Last summer, after the House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment introduced by Andy Harris that was intended to stop the D.C. Council from decriminalizing marijuana possession, the White House objected:
“The Administration strongly opposes the language in the bill preventing the District from using its own local funds to carry out locally passed marijuana policies, which…undermines the principles of States’ rights and of District home rule. Furthermore, the language poses legal challenges to the Metropolitan Police Department’s enforcement of all marijuana laws currently in force in the District.
Strictly speaking, “states’ rights” do not apply to the District of Columbia, which was created by Congress and is subject to much more extensive federal control than the states are. But as Obama suggests, the arguments for federalism—in particular, the idea that political decisions should be made at the lowest feasible level to facilitate citizen influence, policy experimentation, and competition among jurisdictions—apply to D.C. as well as the states. Given the president’s views on the subject, it seems reasonable to assume that he would take a dim view of attempts to nullify Initiative 71.
Harris’s anti-decriminalization amendment, which was omitted from the final appropriations bill because of resistance in the Senate, would have prohibited the D.C. Council from spending money “to enact or carry out any law, rule, or regulation to legalize or otherwise reduce penalties associated with the possession, use, or distribution” of marijuana or any other Schedule I drug. For more than a decade, Congress used a similar spending restriction to block implementation of a medical marijuana initiative that D.C. voters approved in 1998. If Harris cannot get a resolution of disapproval overturning Initiative 71, he could try another appropriations rider. Since Republicans will be running the Senate, he should have a better chance of getting an amendment approved.
Andy Harris (Image: Office of Andy Harris)
Andy Harris (Image: Office of Andy Harris)
In practice, however, an appropriations rider would not accomplish much even if it were included in a bill signed into law by the president. Unless Congress is still working on appropriations for the current fiscal year come January, Harris would have to wait until spending is authorized for fiscal year 2016. “They could do an appropriations rider that might take effect in September, October, November, December,” Piper says, “but Initiative 71 will already be in effect by then.”
Since the District already will have eliminated penalties for marijuana cultivation, possession, and sharing within the limits set by the initiative, telling it not to spend money on doing so will be ineffectual. There would have been a similar problem if Harris’s anti-decriminalization amendment had been enacted this year, since the appropriations bill to which he tried to attach it was signed months after possessing up to an ounce of marijuana was changed from a misdemeanor to a citable offense punishable by a $25 fine.
A spending restriction enacted toward the end of next year would be more effective at preventing D.C. from proceeding with plans to license and regulate marijuana businesses. The D.C. Council could pass a marijuana regulation bill by the middle of 2015, and if it survives congressional review it could take effect before Congress passes a new appropriations bill. But legalizing commercial production and distribution of marijuana is a process that could take another year or two, with the first licensed pot shop opening anywhere from the summer of 2016 to the beginning of 2017. There would be plenty of time for Congress to interfere if it decided to do so.
Will it? The signals are mixed. Harris’s anti-decriminalization amendment passed the House Appropriations Committee by a mainly party-line vote of 28 to 21. The spending bill including his amendment passed the House by another party-line vote of 228 to 195 (although voting for the spending bill did not necessarily indicate support for Harris’s crusade against decriminalization). Next year there will be 12 more Republican representatives.
Then again, this year the House repeatedly voted against federal interference with marijuana reform. On May 30, 219 members, including 49 Republicans, voted for a Rohrabacher amendment telling the Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration not to spend money on efforts to undermine medical marijuana laws. On July 16, 231 members, including 45 Republicans, approved an amendment barring the Treasury Department from punishing banks for serving state-licensed marijuana businesses. On the same day, 236 members, including 46 Republicans, rejected an amendment that would have barred the Justice and Treasury departments from implementing guidelines aimed at increasing cannabusinesses’ access to banking services. All of those votes dealt with D.C. as well as the states.
“I think if there were a vote on the House floor, the momentum would be on our side,” Piper says. “I don’t think it would be a slam dunk for Andy Harris.” Piper adds that when a bill aimed at protecting medical marijuana laws was introduced in the Senate this year, there seemed to be at least 50 votes for it. Piper says 60 votes probably would be needed under Senate rules to approve a rider. “Republicans have picked up some seats,” he says, “but the seats they picked up weren’t mainly held by progressive Democrats. So it’s not clear to me they have the votes in the Senate.”
Rand Paul (Image: Jacob Sullum)
Rand Paul (Image: Jacob Sullum)
One Republican senator is already on record as opposing federal interference with Initiative 71.”I think there should be a certain amount of discretion for both states and territories and the District,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told reporters on Election Day. “I’m not for having the federal government get involved. I really haven’t taken a stand on…the actual legalization…but I’m against the federal government telling them they can’t.” Paul’s views might be influential, especially since he will be chairing a committee that oversees the District’s government.
“If [legalization opponents] went to the Appropriations Committee,” Piper says, “they could avoid Paul, except that he probably would speak out against such an amendment on the floor and rally the Republicans.” Another Republican senator, Pat Roberts, who was re-elected to represent Kansas last week, has said states should be free to legalize marijuana, and he may extend the same leeway to D.C. The question for Republicans who have not taken a public stand on this issue is whether they hate marijuana more than they love liberty, limited government, and local control.
Medical Marijuana Shops Bring Business To Security Firms
Medical marijuana dispensaries have attracted two predictable byproducts of the valuable buds sold in an increasing number of stores: thieves and security systems.
"There is a lot of smash and grab," Dan Williams, founder of Canna Security America, told CNN Money about pot-shop crime. Williams' Denver-based company specializes in providing security systems, including cameras and panic buttons, for medical marijuana stores.
It's not just the merchandise that's luring criminals. Pot shops tend to have bundles of cash on the premises, as unsympathetic federal laws have forced many stores to operate in hard currency, say security experts interviewed by CNN.
Small security companies, like Canna, have an opportunity to make money from the growing industry, as more established firms like ADT have pulled their services from some medical marijuana shops.
Contacted by The Huffington Post, an ADT spokeswoman said in a statement that the company does not work with businesses selling pot. “ADT has made a policy decision not to sell security services to businesses engaged in the marijuana industry because it is still illegal under federal law," the statement said.
Across the country, 18 states and the District of Columbia allow the production and use of marijuana for medical purposes. Two states, Colorado and Washington, also have approved it for recreational use.
An estimated 2,000 to 4,000 businesses now produce pot legally under state laws, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month. And it's big business: Total sales added up to well over $1 billion last year.
But even as the legal business has grown, there is still a healthy black market for marijuana, which sells for around $2,000 a pound wholesale, CNN reported.
Home > Boards > Free Zone > Industry Specific > Canadian Weed!
MJ stocks got a little beat up today...I'm feeling A BOUNCE very soon!!!
11/04/2014 @ 12:43AM FORBES
Why Legalizing Medical Marijuana Will Make Investors Extremely Wealthy
By Mark Fidelman Contributor
I never thought I’d see more people invest in marijuana than smoke it.
But those investments are exactly what’s about to happen given a recent survey from some of the most influential and social analysts in the BioPharma space. In fact, according to Investing.com and our research, two-thirds (2/3) of the analysts love the potential of the marijuana industry since the $50 Billion market is already developed, albeit illegal. The process of stepped legalization has started and continuing prospects look promising.
Yet there are dual dilemmas facing public medical marijuana companies in the United States. First, even if it’s legal for in-state cannabis companies, no businesses are federally legalized to sell the plant or the plant’s derivatives in any shape or form. Will the federal government’s tacit overlooking of the national cannabis laws continue?
Second, public companies are by nature of their investors, interstate and qualify for none of the single state exemptions. According to Chet Billingsley, CEO of Mentor Capital, Inc. (OTC: MNTR) “Marijuana investors repeat the tale of Joe Kennedy in the 1930’s and how he amassed a stock position before the lifting of prohibition and made a fortune from the re-legalization of alcohol. Many public companies are copying this model. They are positioning to have market share and established market presence when marijuana prohibition lifts.
This makes the analysis of public marijuana stocks an indirect art rather than a financial science. Like selling picks and shovels to gold miners, there are legitimate investment purposes today in the marijuana industry by those that supply land, extraction equipment, insurance, financial services, software, consulting and the like. The establishment of brand identity, without actually “touching the bud,” as they say, is also key in establishing a footprint in advance of the lifting of marijuana prohibition. But, many other companies do little more than attach “canna” to their name and must be suspect.
Investors interested in the sector may look for cash on the balance sheet to mitigate the need for the company to issue shares for financing, a low number of outstanding shares and limited new stock distribution to insiders as healthier signs in a cannabis company working to establish a presence ahead of nation-wide legal acceptance of cannabis.“
Dr. Tro Kalayjian, Chief Medical Analyst for Chimera Research, agrees telling us, “The biggest impediment to investing in medical marijuana, particularly in the United States, is federal law. That also makes for the most interesting investment catalyst when legalization occurs.”
What is so appealing about the prospects of a federally approved company devoted to cannabis is that after spending a few days with people that suffer from glaucoma, rheumatoid arthritis, Tourette Syndrome and cancer was the fact that now, the plant will be seen as a positive force and less of a negative one. All of them told me they would welcome legalization of medical marijuana given its proven health benefits. For them, they’re hopeful that this will be a year where cannabis may shed its federal prohibition.
Indeed, Cheryl Shuman, the industry’s leading voice and now medical marijuana business advocate couldn’t help but tell me that, “As a cancer survivor that credits marijuana with providing me with a better quality of life and allowed me to build a successful internationally respected business in the sector, I strongly believe Marijuana is the investment opportunity of our lifetime. Each and every day I get to play matchmaker to investors and cannabis related businesses. Every one of them is interested in investing in the green rush.”
Many consider Shuman “The Martha Stewart of Marijuana” because she heads up a loose global network medical marijuana advocates who working together to target politicians, the media and big pharma. But while some of the States and its pro-recreational marijuana allies try to enable young people to be use marijuana for recreational purposes, Cheryl is trying to inspire and enable investors, politicians and the general public to consider the medical benefits of the plant.
Yes, plenty of recreational marijuana advocates are also pushing for federal approval, but their ability to resonate and enlist followers isn’t taken seriously given their recreational “get high” positions on cannabis. That will take time to change and will require new players to add some professionalism to the industry.
According to Shuman, those professional companies are right around the corner. In a soon to be published survey she helped me conduct with Nemus Bioscience and Mentor Capital (disclosure: we all jointly conducted a large survey to investors in BioTech), investors not only anticipate Federal legalization of cannabis for medical reasons but nearly 75% believe that investing in those professional companies is a great idea.
So with the legal marijuana market estimated to grow 64% to $2.34 billion in 2014 from $1.44 billion last year, the potential for companies like Nemus to help legitimize the industry and to draw profits from it appears to be on the horizon.
So here’s my prediction: When the case for medical marijuana reaches critical mass with the general public and new companies introduce safer more effective cannabis-derived treatments, you will see real political reform here. That is when the political naysayers will no longer have the moral high ground to maintain the status quo, and that is when patients in need of safer cannabis-derived medical treatments will demand the reforms that will enable them to easily access the drug.
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