The Netherlands Drug policy aims to keep away the sale and use of hard drugs. Cannabis remains a controlled substance in the Netherlands, and the system of legal cannabis regulation is tolerated through “coffee shops”. There has been several debates regarding the Dutch coffee shop model and their semi-legal status. Although selling cannabis remains “illegal, but not punishable” for the coffee shops, the pragmatic approach selling system is subject to a number of rules.

For the first time we have a clear view on how much money is spent in the Dutch coffee shops every year. A recent report from the research office Intraval (based in Groningen) brought in light some very interesting details concerning the revenue from the sales of cannabis products. The research team consisted of sociologists, psychologists, criminologists, social geographers and lawyers specialized in investigating criminality and addiction issues.

The research took place in 2013, with the participation of over 30 coffee shops and 700 customers to detail their cannabis purchasing trends. Research office Intraval, calculated at the request of newspaper Trouw, that an average coffee shop in the Netherlands has sales of 1.7 million euros per year.

Based on these figures, Trouw requested that Intraval make an estimation on the total revenue of 600 coffee shops in the Netherlands. According to the research, the amount annual sales revenue lies between 875 million and 1.25 billion euros. The average turnover per shop is thus between 1.4 to 2 million euros. Although the debate continues, this is a big discussion that includes legal, social and economic parameters for the cannabis industry. While tourists typically purchase from coffee shops, locals may grow their own cannabis, as 5 plants for personal use is tolerated. As a grower, you’re limited to one growing technique per grow operation, for example, a hydroponics grow tent, grow lighting,an extractor system, and high quality cannabis seeds to meet your needs.

Although the debate continues, there is a big discussion that includes legal, social and economic parameters of growing your own cannabis. Many people believe that is better if someone can choose the cannabis seeds of their own taste and grow operation.

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MassRoots (OTC:MSRT)

With 275,000 active users, MassRoots joined the ranks of publicly traded companies in the legal marijuana industry. Boasting over 75 million user interactions, this “semi-anonymous” app-based community is showing a paradigm shift in the way cannabis is approached on a business and social level. Looking at the MassRoots website and referring back to our interview with MassRoots CEO, Isaac Dietrich, they believe that they can capitalize on the expanding market and grow alongside the legalization of cannabis.

Who’s MassRoots?

Haven’t heard of MassRoots yet? It is a social networking app (available on both iOS and Android) that offers a similar environment to Instagram, but involves a community where users are not concerned with any stigma associated with the smoker lifestyle. Instead of uploading content on major platforms that makes you sound like a ‘stoner’ to some of your coworkers or your cousin’s friend’s roommate that added you two years ago, you can surround yourself in an environment that casually (and positively) supports the culture revolved around using cannabis. Share photos, updates, and videos in a space that retains a certain level of anonymity for its users. The key to comfort is that MassRoots (OTC:MSRT) doesn’t ask users for full names or email addresses that commonly are required from other apps and websites. This maintains the mask of “semi-anonymous” and has so far proven beneficial in the aim to make users feel more comfortable with their interactions on MassRoots and being open about their interaction with cannabis.

Market Growth

ArchView’s market research projects that the cannabis industry could grow to a $10.2 billion industry by 2018. With 23 states currently prescribing medical marijuana, more states are sure to follow suit soon. After MassRoots took on Apple and won the fight regarding social apps involving cannabis on the App Store, the societal shift is quiet but obviously present.

MassRoots was launched in July of 2014 and had previously raised six figures in seed money. Opening their stock to public trade early this morning, MassRoots is officially the first marijuana tech IPO in history. With over 50 million shares released starting at $0.10 per share on the OTCBB Exchange, we will see how far this stock progresses in the future.

The Future

Self titled as “The Voice of the Cannabis Community”, MassRoots aims to scale to one million users in the near future and plans to offer an API in order to develop games, apps and other cannabis industry systems into the platform. There are also talks that there will be a “self-service advertising portal” similar to Facebook.

There is currently a beta available for MassRoots For Business that seeks to bring in interesting advertisers. We aren’t expecting for you to deal with annoying insurance girls or airline destinations on the platform, but businesses that offer products and a lifestyle that is directly associative to MassRoots users. Expect to see targeted sponsor posts, order ahead systems, dispensary menus and in-app purchase abilities of ancillary products.

With at least 8 states gearing up to have some form of cannabis legalization on the ba lot in 2016, there is a high likelihood that the marijuana industry will have a high probability of expanding.

It seems like the green has planted roots and will only continue to grow.

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