As popularly reported, Merrill Lynch, the investment arm of Bank of America, recently leaked an equity report — “Medical cannabis has high POTential: a joint biotech & tools primer” — detailing a bullish outlook on the cannabis industry.

The 45-page report authored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s lead “Life Sciences Tools and Diagnostics” analyst, Derik De Bruin, along with several other in-house analysts, offers great news for investors, entrepreneurs and anyone with a financial stake in the legal cannabis industry.

The report is significant, as Merrill Lynch is arguably one of the most important investment firms in the country, and it is believed that this is the first report of its kind coming from a major Wall Street firm. It reveals extensive research and analysis across a diverse cross-section of areas coupled with an optimistic overall outlook of the industry.

On their view of the industry, Merrill Lynch stated:

The cannabis industry is poised for growth if cannabis legalization and use expand. As the cannabis industry expands, we expect to see a corresponding increase in cannabis medical research and the implementation of cannabis testing and labeling regulations, which should drive adoption and growth of life sciences tools within this market in our view.

Seth Yakatan, CEO of Kalytera, a company developing synthetic CBD to treat osteoporosis, Prader-Willi Syndrome and obesity, is enthusiastic Wall Street is taking note of the cannabis industry: “The cannabis industry continues to be looked to as one with enormous potential for growth, and this report’s development is a clear indicator that the trend isn’t going away. I’m very happy to hear that even large firms such as Merrill Lynch are taking notice of the industry in this light, and hope that others follow suit.”

Key findings of the report

Chris Goldstein, of Philly420 and PhillyNORML, was the first to report on the leaked version and offered key highlights of Merrill Lynch’s findings — culled from the reports analysis on three key areas: products, fields, and markets. Moreover, the report provides insights into the current and future legal status of cannabis, as legal issues surrounding cannabis will affect the industry’s bottom line.

More specifically, Merrill Lynch focused on the investment opportunities within “life science tools and diagnostics” — a sector within the industry that deals with lab analyses, testing and quality control.

Merrill is particularly bullish and enthusiastic about the “life science tools and diagnostics” sector, because in every state where cannabis is legal, state governments are becoming increasingly attentive to quality control issues, therefore mandating stricter attention to product consistency, quality and testing.

As the industry grows and matures, the role of these companies will no doubt become more and more important. By and large, before cannabis can be sold on the open market, it must be screened, tested and approved. 

Among other issues, a key safety concern is the use of pesticides, which has become a hot button issue. States are crafting stricter regulations around what kinds of pesticides may or may not be used by cultivators. While the report didn’t provide specific details on individual testing labs, Merrill Lynch reported that they are bullish on the sector, which they describe as “highly fragmented and rapidly evolving.”

Matt Karnes, managing partner of GreenWave Advisors — an independent New York City-based advisory and research firm whose research was cited on page 39 of Merrill’s revised report — concurs with the findings of the report: “The [Bank America Merrill Lynch] report underscores GreenWave Advisors thesis on the industry and in particular ‘lab testing’, a subset of the sector that we believe is emerging yet presents some challenges, specifically with respect to the inconsistency of regulatory frameworks, testing and reference standards which vary from state to state.”

Merrill Lynch believes the “life science tools and diagnostics” sector will be one of the most lucrative areas for cannabis investors to put their money. In fact, Merrill Lynch estimates that the market for testing equipment may very well grow to between $50 million and $100 million by 2020.

GreenWave Advisors, on the other hand, estimates the size of the market to reach $850 million by 2020. The reason for Green Wave Advisors higher estimates is that their forecast includes revenues from testing, consulting and other analytic services, while Merrill looks only at the companies who provide the tools and consumables. 

Key players in the industry

Merrill Lynch went on to identify who they believe are they key players who manufacture “life science tools” used to perform cannabis lab tests. The companies they identified include:

• Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT): A $2 billion dollar Massachusetts-based company
• Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A): A $4 billion dollar Silicon Valley company based in Santa Clara, California.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO): An $17 billion industry powerhouse based in Philadelphia

Merrill’s report also covers “pharma” companies developing “canna-pharma” products, including:

• GW Pharma (NASDAQ: GWPH)
• Insys Therapeutics (NASDAQ: INSY)
• Zynerba Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ZYNE)

Unlike GW Pharma’s plant-derived products, both Insys Therapeutics and Zynerba are developing drugs with synthetic cannabinoids.

Silicon Valley + Wall Street = A bright future for legal cannabis

As the industry continues to blossom, more and more wealthy investors are drawn to legal cannabis, including prominent billionaire Silicon Valley investors such as Peter Thiel, Paypal founder and one of Silicon Valley’s most successful venture capitalists, and Mark Zuckerberg’s pal, Sean Parker, who founded Napster and was an early investor and co-founder of Facebook.

Conveniently, Sean Parker is also one of the key proponents and big-money backers behind California’s “adult-use” cannabis legalization efforts. Not only has Sean Parker been putting significant financial and intellectual capital behind advancing California’s legalization efforts, Parker has been trying to consolidate and unify California’s dizzying number of competing ballot initiatives.

Merrill Lynch’s report, and the increasing backing of high-visibility investors such as Parker and Thiel, is good news for the industry. Merrill Lynch is one of Wall Street’s biggest players; Parker and Thiel are two powerful Silicon Valley forces.

A reality check?

While this is great news for the industry, it’s not necessarily time to break open the champagne — or your favorite Kiva edible. The lack of regulatory consistency, unresolved banking issues, the evolving legal landscape and uncertain political climate continue to create barriers to achieve critical mass throughout the mainstream investment community.

GreenWave Advisors’ Matt Karnes is bullish, but cautiously optimistic, “While we believe this is a significant move for a ‘bulge bracket’ firm, one of the largest and most profitable multi-national investment banks in the world, to publish a detailed report on the industry, we do not expect Bank America Merrill Lynch — or any other major firm — to write extensively on the sector in the immediate future.”

Karnes continues, “We also don’t believe coverage of any of the ‘pure play’ cannabis companies will be considered. But rather, research efforts will be focused more on opportunities that are tangential, or ancillary to the industry, companies with the potential for significant market valuations and investor returns.”

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Cannabis Reports Provides Comprehensive Tools For Cannabis Businesses

At first glance, Cannabis Reports would appear to be yet another web-based, cannabis consumer platform for reviewing and sharing information about different cannabis strains. However, upon talking with CEO and Founder David Drake, it becomes clear that Cannabis Reports, and their industry leading API, offers a supreme peek behind the cannabis curtain to both businesses and consumers alike. On the business side, Cannabis Reports provides dispensaries with a number of invaluable tools that will improve product listings, pricing and market competition. On the production side, businesses can see what products are being sold at what price, with what THC percentage, and so on, so that they can choose to compete or fill an entirely different niche. Lastly, consumers can research and review strains, as well as search for different purchasing locations.

To sum up, Cannabis Reports, based out of the technology hub of America, the San Francisco Bay Area, is providing local businesses and consumers with a platform that is above and beyond most others in the space. But how does the site work and why are they doing it? I recently had the chance to talk with CEO David Drake, who walked me through a screen-share tour of all aspects that Cannabis Reports has to offer.

What’s the aim of Cannabis Reports?

DD: Our aim is to improve the relationship between people and cannabis through education, outreach and technology. I graduated with a software and theatre degree, and I was a teacher for many years before getting involved in the cannabis space. I believe that, by providing quality information to people, they will be able to support a very open cannabis future for everybody.

We are the first to put all this information together as comprehensively and as functionally as we have.

How did you go from teaching to cannabis?

DD: In 2006, I left a teaching job on the east coast to head out to San Francisco. On the way out, I picked up a job doing some programming in Montana and that is when I really got involved with the politics of cannabis. Soon after, I started Cannabis Reports so that we could trace the cannabis genetics all the way back to its origin. We realized we could figure out the landraces and seed companies these strains were coming from and that, by doing so, the platform would become a great source of information for both businesses and consumers. The site and the idea for Cannabis Reports has come a long way from where it first started, as I’ve relocated to San Francisco and the site has grown immensely.

Whats The API?

DD: One of the biggest challenges when building software for cannabis is that it’s a very diverse industry with not a lot of definition or precedence. Sure there are other companies in the space who are offering information, in pieces, that is similar to what we do. However, we are the first to put all this information together as comprehensively and as functionally as we have. In addition to our API, which is being updated every day, we came up with a universal cannabis product code and have over 17,000 organized strains, seed companies, extract companies, chocolate companies and other product companies.. Businesses are building apps on top of this technology and using it to do research.

Our tracking goes all the way back to the countries that the strains come from.

How Does SR Work For Consumers?      

DD: We did all the genetics work for all the strains, when you pull up a strain like Jack Herer, you see the seed company it comes from and the various strains that make up the parents. Our tracking goes all the way back to the countries that the strains come from. We ran the genetics as far back as we could for these strains, so users can know exactly what strains combined to form the strain they have now.

With this data and with all of this information, as you start to fill out reviews for strains, we start to build a personal profile for you. When you fill out a review, you fill it out for euphoria, appetite gain, creativity, calming, pain relief, and then anxiety. With our genetics information, we take your feedback and build a profile as to how individual strains impact you.

For example, in my profile you can see an Afghani Landrace, Colombian Landrace and Acapulco Gold. Even though I’ve never actually tried these before, I’ve experienced the genetics a number of times in other strains. We can start to make assumptions about how those will make you feel based on responses to related, or unrelated, strains. If you are searching for pain relief, Cannabis Reports can use your feedback to refresh you as to strains you have used before that may have worked, or even suggest different strains that contain the same genetics. You can even search by country of origin. This whole process really gets us back to talking about cannabis on a more interesting level.

How About Producers?

DD: In addition to being a resource for the average cannabis consumer, Cannabis Reports offers an in depth business platform where we provide plans for producers and dispensaries. You can sign up as a cultivator, chocolate maker, extract maker, delivery service or dispensary business for example. We have a different set of tools designed specifically for whatever side of the business your company is operating in.

Let’s take a company that makes cannabis chocolates for example. Of course they offer a customizable inventory platform, where businesses can track sales and trends. Cannabis Reports takes it further than that though. Businesses are encouraged to upload their lab testing, providing more transparency to the consumer side. Perhaps most important, SR uses a unique identifier called a universal cannabis product code(UCPC), so that businesses can get accurate, up to the minute data and market research.

Easy For Producers

This system tells businesses how well this particular chocolate bar is selling and what the different price points are. Businesses get all this information about their individual items so they can learn what their market looks like and how well their individual items are performing.

Additionally, businesses also get QR codes that they can add to their labeling. Consumers can scan this QR code with their phone and it’ll take you directly to the product’s website, where you can find product information, photos, add a review, find more locations where the product is for sale or get a lab test result. They also get bar codes that they can use for inventory purposes and for tracking purposes. These are all very powerful tools for businesses to have.

And Dispensaries?

DD: Dispensaries get the most data and a couple more powerful tools. They of course get their normal, feature pages where they have the menu listing and reviews. Their menus are set up and live managed by the businesses themselves, providing for real time inventory and product updates. The interface that dispensaries can use to manage their menu and add new products is fantastic. All the outside product information is preloaded, so as soon as you start typing in a name, your products come up. You can then add the product and set it at your price point. The platform pulls in all the other information about that product with no further need from the dispensary.

If businesses want to know the market data of Chiesel as a strain, they’ve got it. If they want to add a new edible to their system and they don’t know how to price it, they can hop in and see, “What are the prices around me?” And be able to determine what their prices should be. Additionally, it’s super easy for them to add stuff new products. If they want to add Kiva products, they type it in and we already have all the photos and descriptions loaded up. It’s just a couple clicks away.

Valuable For Dispensaries

Market Data

DD: Another great tool that Cannabis Reports has worked into the backend of its system is comparative market data. Businesses can see how they’re performing compared to other locations around them as well as the market as a whole. Then, they can look for new and exciting products in the area, which locations are selling them and exactly how much they should be paying for that product.

If your chocolate company wanted to come out with a new chocolate, they can look at the area and see price per milligram of chocolates right now. Our data might show that nobody has a 150 or 300 mg chocolate out, so that could be a good gap to fill. Additionally, producers get a list of all the dispensaries around them, so they can have their sales team expand their product availability. Plus, once a dispensary picks up your product, the producers can actually add themselves to dispensaries.

With our genetics information, we take your feedback and build a profile as to how individual strains impact you.

As they start to grow and enter new locations, they don’t have to wait for the dispensary to go update their menu. They can just say, “We’re available here now.” Then they can add the availability and their items to that menu so that that information is up to date. This is a great way for producers to really legitimize themselves and get their lab tests and information out to the public. It’s very inexpensive and we don’t sneak in add-ons. It’s all there for a low monthly cost.

They get this information for edibles, extracts, product, everything. The dispensaries get a whole bunch of really cool data, and then they can get all of their information out through our API. Our API is completely documented so we have 17,000 products, strains and extracts. This is available for them to build on so they can get all of their data out. They can use this platform to power their website and their internal menu.

This is a great way for producers to really legitimize themselves and get their lab tests and information out to the public.

UCPC

DD: Perhaps the most valuable tool to this process is the access to the universal cannabis product code. One the main challenges we faced was how to organize all this data that we were collecting. We worked with producers to come up with a 25-digit code. In it we encoded the location that the strain came from, the strain itself, company who made it, product name and then the batch number. We have the ability to track batches of product so that people can upload new lab tests or new product information.

You really get to track where the actual product came from and get a usable code to use, which is great for consumer safety, if you need to do a recall, you can actually identify it by batch number or by company or by product. This system is currently being adopted by a number of different businesses and we are in talks with a number of different states that are interested in our tracking platform.

For more video information, visit here. What do you think is the best application of a technology like Cannabis Reports? Join the conversation and comment below!

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Gary Johnson – President of Cannabis Sativa Inc., Former 2-Term Governor of New Mexico and 2012 United States Presidential Candidate

Gary Johnson, in addition to being a former 2-Term Governor of New Mexico and a 2012 United States Presidential candidate, is also one of the cannabis industry’s biggest political advocates. Recently, he made a transition that is rarely seen in America today, and that is the shift from high level politics to cannabis. While Gary may or may not be a candidate for President again in 2016, he is already the President of Cannabis Sativa Inc., a company poised to innovate the future of casual cannabis by branding and marketing the highest-quality consumer products available. Gary’s accomplishments span a much wider range than just politics; He has climbed the highest mountain on each of the 7 continents including Mt. Everest and he is likely in better shape, at the age of 62, than anyone you know. Now, if you are anything like us, then you have a million questions you would want to ask a guy like him. Fortunately, we caught up with Gary at the break of dawn before he had a chance to get off and running for the day!

You ran for President of the United States back in 2012 as the Libertarian candidate. Where is your 2016 campaign at currently?

I am not yet a declared candidate. It is something that I hope to do, but for me to be a declared a candidate, all sorts of rules apply that I just really don’t want to be a part of. But like I said, it is my hope to be able to run as a Libertarian party nominee.

I’ve come front and center with just how rigged it is and really part of that is the presidential debates that exclude everyone but Democrats and Republicans from participating.

You completed the most successful third-party campaign in the history of America back in 2012. Over 1.2 million votes had your back. How did that make you feel?

I was disappointed. I should like to clarify that that campaign would be the most successful, most votes captured by a Libertarian candidate, but there have been third-party runs that have been much more successful than my own. If you look at John Anderson, if you look at Ross Perot, or Ralph Nader; They garnered more of the percentage vote than I did.

Even though it was the best run by a Libertarian candidate, it was still disappointing. I thought there would have been more votes, but there wasn’t. I’m not delusional about this process and in that context we are suing the presidential debate commission. Basically it’s a rigged game. I’ve come front and center with just how rigged it is and part of that is really the presidential debates that exclude everyone but Democrats and Republicans from participating.

Would you say that’s a bigger micro-chasm of the political system overall?

The debates are set up by Republicans and Democrats. They have no desire whatsoever to see anyone but a Republican or a Democrat on that stage. 80% of Americans right now say that they would like to sees a third-party candidate and 42% of Americans right now are registered as independent. That’s the largest political affiliation in the country, and yet no one really has any idea as to why that’s the case. Well, the presidential debates are a big part of that.

80% of Americans right now say that they would like to sees a third-party candidate and 42% of Americans right now are registered as independent.

In your mind what do you think is holding back the federal legalization of cannabis in America?

Right now, I believe that it’s a five-year time frame for when cannabis becomes legal in all the states. I think that California will vote ‘yes’ to legalize cannabis at the ballot box in 2016 and that will provide an immediate trickle-down effect. Overnight, you will see twenty or more state legislatures send it to their governors and they will sign off on it. Up until now, legalization of cannabis has, for the most part, with the exception of just a few, been a ballot box initiative. In 2016, I think that will change.

What could the federal government be doing? There’s no excuse for Obama to not de-schedule cannabis as a Schedule 1 narcotic, which would go a long way towards getting this right, if you will, nationwide. That power to reclassify cannabis as something other than a Schedule 1 narcotic lies with the surgeon general and of course, the surgeon general has a job because of Obama.

Let’s say that you ran successful presidential campaign. You’re elected. What would you do to impact the cannabis industry?

Well, apart from legislating cannabis of course, I’m dotting I’s and crossing T’s to make cannabis completely non-criminal from a federal standpoint. Apart from that, as President of the United States, I would immediately deschedule cannabis as a Schedule 1 narcotic and start a process of pardoning and releasing those who have been convicted for nonviolent drug crimes. For the most part, federal prison is made up of individuals who have been caught selling small amounts of drugs on numerous occasions, leading to mandatory sentencing.

Up until now, legalization of cannabis has, for the most part, with the exception of just a few, been a ballot box initiative. In 2016, I think that will change.

That same phenomenon occurred after the prohibition of alcohol was appealed. It’s kind of an untold story really, about the pardoning of those that had been convicted and the releasing of those that were currently in prison. Currently, it is my understanding that there are fifty people in federal prison or in prison nationwide on life sentences for selling cannabis. Now, I understand that in a lot of cases, they might be large quantities of cannabis, but in the prohibition that we’re currently living through and have lived through, somebody’s got to sell those large quantities.

What do you think the benefits are to American in terms of full legalization?

I genuinely believe, and this is one of the reasons I began working with Cannabis Sativa Inc., that cannabis makes the world a better place. When you look at medical cannabis, our product directly competes with legal prescription drugs, from the standpoint of painkillers, anti-depressants and of course, the list goes on and on and on. But our products are as effective, if not more effective. Our products don’t kill people. Statistically, legal prescription drugs kill 100,000 people a year. On the recreational side, I have always maintained that legalizing cannabis will lead to less overall substance abuse because people will find it to be a safer alternative than other substances out there.

Our products don’t kill people. Statistically, legal prescription drugs kill 100,000 people a year.

When you see other countries with a more progressive cannabis policy, how does that make you feel about the state of America?

Actually, there are only five places in the world where cannabis is truly legal. Don’t get me wrong, other countries have said that they’re going to put legalization in place, but they really haven’t yet. Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Washington, D.C. are the only places in America. Uruguay, I guess, has said all the right things. Portugal has effectively decriminalized all drug use and Holland has the same drug laws on the books that we do; It’s just that they’ve chosen to ignore those laws. Really, the United States is leading this charge and it doesn’t make me feel good about this country because this country should have never prohibited this in the first place. The incarceration of tens of thousands of individuals combined with the fact that we’ve got millions of Americans with felonies that, were it not for our drug laws, would otherwise be tax-paying law-abiding citizens.

You have spent a good amount of time around other politicians. How many politicians would you say are openly pro-cannabis?

There are really none, which is amazing to me considering that 58% of Americans support legalizing cannabis. Among politicians at the federal level; congressmen, senators,  governors; there are none. They might be mouthing a few nice words, but really the number is zero. On the local level, yes, it’s happening more and more, but relative to 58% of Americans supporting it, politicians are being left in the dust by this.

Right now, you have a situation where the majority is the 58% of Americans supporting the legalization of cannabis and the minority says, ‘Not only can you not use cannabis, but you belong in jail if you do’. That’s the definition of tyranny.

I’d like to point something out that people should be outraged over. I think the US Constitution exists to protect the minority against the will of the majority. The Bill of Rights. That’s what the US Constitution is all about. Right now, you have a situation where the majority is the 58% of Americans supporting the legalization of cannabis and the minority says, ‘Not only can you not use cannabis, but you belong in jail if you do’. That’s the definition of tyranny. That’s the definition of the minority ruling over the majority and putting the majority in jail for something. That’s the classical definition of fascist. It represents the rise of power of a minority that holds grip over a majority by putting them in jail.

Gary were you always a pro-cannabis advocate or did you have to kind of come out of the cannabis closet?

In 1999, I was introduced at an event in Colorado leading up the vote on the legalization of cannabis. The gentleman who introduced me said, “I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news. The good news is I’m going to introduce Governor Gary Johnson, the highest ranking public official to ever advocate on the part of legalizing cannabis. The bad news is, Gary Johnson is still the highest ranking elected official ever to advocate on the part of cannabis.”

For me, starting my second term as governor, this was something that I took a really hard look at. Based on the evidence that I saw, there was no other course than legalizing cannabis and I really began to advocate for legalization at that time. Basically, my last four years in office, I probably debated and talked about this issue more than anything else, simply because people were genuinely interested in what I had to say. People were recognizing that what we were doing was not working. It was and still is very, very costly. We were locking up our friends, family, and coworkers. They might not be making the smartest choices, but do they belong in jail for it? Well, they’re not harming anyone other than arguably themselves.

Have you dealt with any politicians who wanted to know more about it? Have any closet advocates come to you in secret and said ‘I want to know more, but I just don’t have that option?’

Yeah. Many, many, many. During my last term in office, my last four years, I found that phenomenon growing. As it went along, more and more politicians, some from the the highest levels of government, came to me. I was associating with these people and they genuinely wanted to know what was going on. Privately, those were the conversations we were having.

When do you think the cannabis industry is going to have a real say in politics? How soon will a presidential candidate have to be in touch with the cannabis community to win an election? Do you think it will be in the year 2020? 2024?

Well, I hope that’s the case in 2016. This ought to be a millennial issue amongst millennials and it should be an issue for everybody, given the resources that go into it. I really believe that the idea of cannabis prohibition has passed and it could well be 2016 that this is the case.

If I were to offer prediction today, it would be Hillary against Jeb. Is that really where we are at in this country, where we only have two families that can govern? I guess so.

What do you think of the crop of 2016 presidential candidates so far? If you couldn’t vote for yourself, who do you think would be the right fit for this country?

Based on what I’m seeing right now, I would vote the libertarian nominee, whoever that will be. If I were to offer prediction today, it would be Hillary against Jeb. Is that really where we are at in this country, where we only have two families that can govern? I guess so.

Who do you think would be the worst option for the country to the cannabis industry?

Well, certainly there are a bunch in that category. The first terrible choice that comes to mind is Chris Christie. That guy’s horrible.

You were a two-term governor of New Mexico. How would you describe the legacy that you left in New Mexico now that you’ve had a good time to kind of reflect on it?

I think my legacy is the fact that I genuinely was an effective governor. In my heart of hearts, we took on all the issues. It wasn’t just cannabis. That’s the one that gets a lot of attention, but it was A through Z, and these were issues that needed to be addressed and we did just that. I was fiscally conservative, as fiscally conservative as any governor in the country. From a civil liberties standpoint, I think I did better than any other governor in the entire country. For the most part, that’s who people are. With a broad brush stroke, I think people are fiscally conservative and socially liberal.

While in office, you earned the nickname Veto Johnson or Governor Veto, because you used your veto powers more than most other governors. Why do you think you had to use it so much and should the public see that as a good thing or a bad thing?

In fact, I may have vetoed more legislation as governor than the other 49 governors in the country combined. That’s how much I used that veto pen. New Mexico is a state that’s 2 to 1 Democrat. I got elected as a Republican. I vetoed that many bills and for the most part, they were spending bills. Wouldn’t you think that I would’ve just got ridden out on a rail as opposed to getting re-elected by a bigger margin the second time than the first time? All of what I just said speaks to the fact that people liked the veto.

I have always maintained that legalizing cannabis will lead to less overall substance abuse because people will find it to be a safer alternative than other substances out there.

What is the goal of Cannabis Sativa, Inc.?

The goal is to brand the best cannabis products in the world. The same brand recognition that comes with Coca Cola; That’s what we hope to be. We hope to cultivate a business that becomes so big that we need a thousand bottlers to bottle our product. That is our long-term goal and we are working towards it. That would be under the overarching trademark brand name ‘hi’. We believe that, at some point, we can bring in a billion dollars worth of swag sales because it’s a great logo that people will want to wear. People will put it on their car because of what it says, ‘hi’. In my opinion, ‘hi’ sends the message that we’d like the cannabis industry to have. There’s nothing threatening about this.

In my opinion, ‘hi’ sends the message that we’d like the cannabis industry to have. There’s nothing threatening about this.

You joined the company as the president a short while back. Given that you want to take it to being a billion dollar company, where are you guys at right now?

For the moment, we still label it as a start-up. We’ve really been trying to grab for the brass ring and we keep grinding it out. Although it is a start-up, everyone is knocking on the door to work with us, so I truly believe that the model that I described earlier will actually prevail at some point, but it’s not magic. It’s grinding it out. We’re grinding it out.

One of the big impediments to the industry right now is that, in the 24 states where it’s legal medicinally and 4+ states that have adult recreational use, everything that gets sold in those states has to be grown, processed, and packaged in those states by, for the most part, residents of those states. Ultimately, that is no good for the consumer. Pretty soon, that is going to change, but right now it is a tough model to operate in. That’s the barrier that we really have to overcome. Our company, Cannabis Sativa Inc., can’t go in and start manufacturing in Colorado. It’s against the law. We can’t go into any state directly and manufacture. That is something that needs to change, and it will.

Being a former governor and presidential candidate, how do you think your presence impacts the image of the industry as a whole? What does that do for Cannabis Sativa Inc. to have a leader like yourself who’s so reputable?

I think my professional and political background opens doors more than anything. Of course, opening doors is one thing. Once you get in the door, you have to actually offer something of value. Believe me, we’re working really, really hard to have a great offering to go along with knock, knock, ‘Come talk with us’. Everybody opens the door, now I’m focused on what happens next. To date we’re still a start-up, kind of posers in this whole thing. I think my experience and reputation could help propel Cannabis Sativa Inc. to the next level.

I think my professional and political background opens doors more than anything. Of course, opening doors is one thing. Once you get in the door, you have to actually offer something of value.

What does Gary Johnson do in his free time?

I built my dream home up here in Taos, New Mexico. One of my passions is snow skiing, so I ski a hundred days a season at Taos. Taos is as good of skiing as anywhere on the planet. Off-season, I mountain bike, road bike, run and swim. I’m about as fit a 62 year-old as you’re going to find.

Have you done a marathon or a triathlete event recently, or is that in your past?

Competing from a mountain bike standpoint is not in the past, no. I still compete. I competed in skiing events this winter and I do still compete in cycling events. I train as much as ever and I do well for being a 62 year-old. I’m finding myself middle of the pack now when it comes to the overall race, which is not a bad thing. There’s nothing wrong with that.

I’m about as fit a 62 year-old as you’re going to find.

Are you still dominating your age group ? That’s the question.

Yeah, you could say that. I’m doing very well for my age group!

I want to talk about your climbing Mt. Everest. Now to my knowledge, no US president has ever done that, by the way. Was that the hardest thing you’ve ever done?

I don’t think so, but it kind of epitomizes my life, I think. My goal was to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. In December, I went and climbed Mt. Vinson in Antarctica, which for me was the seventh of the seven.

My goal was to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. In December, I went and climbed Mt. Vinson in Antarctica, which for me was the seventh of the seven.

It took 21 years to accomplish. It wasn’t a do or die kind of thing, but I did work at it. People ask me, “Hey, what kind of training do you do to do these things?” Well, just my ordinary life. I believe I could go and climb Mt. Everest tomorrow. That’s the fitness level that I have.

If you had to advise someone to enter the cannabis industry or politics, which would you tell them to go into and why?

I don’t know if I’d advise anyone to go into politics, but I think there’s some really big opportunities in the cannabis industry and I think it is way more fun. It’s just fun to be involved in something so irreverent and something so cutting-edge. In that regard, I would advise anybody that wanted to know to, yeah, give the cannabis industry a shot. See what happens. I think that if you are an absolute small operator, if you have goals to be in your state running a dispensary, cultivation system or the whole chain, that that opportunity is still wide open for anybody who wishes to pursue it. That person, at some point, is going to need a partner to be able to have the manufacturing equipment needed to produce the best product. That’s where we come in. We really want to go out and make partners with a thousand of those pot entrepreneurs that are small time. By small time, we’re just going to give them a ‘Coca Cola’ product, or a ‘Coca Cola’ line that they can fulfil just like a bottler would fill Coke cans. That goes back to my analogy of what we hope our business will end up being.

For me, money has always represented freedom, not possessions, and it doesn’t take that much money to have freedom.

Who has been the biggest influence to you in your life?

I take bits and pieces from a lot of people. My main influences seem to come from people who have made mistakes or have not lived their life to the fullest potential, as opposed to those who have. I look at people that aren’t successful, those who aren’t living their lives to the fullest, and that gives me great energy. Certainly more than looking at people who have achieved success.

What is success? For me, money has always represented freedom, not possessions, and it doesn’t take that much money to have freedom. I’ve had the good fortune to have achieved that. I can do what I want to do when I want to do it. It’s not a first-class ticket anywhere. I’m very, very frugal, but that’s success for me. That’s what I’ve always deemed success to be and on that basis, I’ve achieved it. It’s something I’m really proud of.

Can you suggest a book that you’ve read lately that maybe our entrepreneurs can check out?

One of my recent favorites is the survival epic, “In the Kingdom of Ice” by Hampton Sides.

From an entrepreneurial standpoint, anybody that believes themselves to be an entrepreneur should read, “Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand. That’s kind of an entrepreneur’s bible, if you will.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

It’s the advice that I give out, and it wasn’t advice that I got, but my advice to anybody, and it’s worth exactly what you’re paying for it, which is nothing. My advice to anyone is take whatever skill you have, whatever it is, and apply it entrepreneurially. It’ll never, ever be easier to do that then tomorrow, and it’ll be unbelievably difficult to do it tomorrow, but never, ever will it be easier than doing it tomorrow. So, take what you do best, do it as an entrepreneur and the rewards will be a hundred fold over just having a job.

How do you think the migration of Greg Johnson from politics to cannabis impacts the overall landscape of the cannabis industry? How about public perception? Join the conversation and comment below!

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Joel Schneider, CEO of Bud+Breakfast Opens 3rd Location

July 16^th marks the official launch of Bud+Breakfast’s San Ayre, Colorado location. San Ayre represents Bud+Breakfast’s third location and they have now doubled in capacity. The first continental, cannabis friendly, breakfast took place this morning and happy hour kicks off at 4:20 every day. Bud+Breakfast is the premier cannabis-friendly lodging and hospitality company in the United States. Their mission is to provide the legalized cannabis community with luxury accommodations in a safe, comfortable and social environment. Bud+Breakfast is building strong partnerships in the communities they serve and has developed an employee culture that values integrity, open-mindedness, confidentiality, and communication.

What is Bud+Breakfast?

Bud+Breakfast is the premier cannabis-friendly lodging and hospitality company in the United States. Now with three locations, Bud+Breakfast provides cannabis enthusiast with a safe, social and education environment unlike anything else in America.

“Cannabis is legal in Colorado, but there is no where to smoke it! Until now.” – Joel Schneider – CEO Bud+Breakfast

Start Your Day the Bud+Breakfast Way!

Everyday at Bud+Breakfast begins with a complementary continental breakfast they call the ‘Wake and Bake’. Every morning, eggs are cracked and bowls are packed as guests gather in the sunny, communal dining area for a breakfast session. Guests can choose how they wish to get their day going, by either grabbing a fresh cup of coffee, complementary mimosa or an uplifting Sativa strain. A team of skilled, on-site chefs then prepares a gourmet breakfast. Also, Bud+Breakfast has partnered with local bakeries in their surrounding areas to provide bagels, croissants and muffins. In addition, the hotel provides cereals, yogurts, coffee and juices etc.

4:20 Happy Hour

Bud+Breakfast offers the only cannabis friendly, 4:20 happy hour celebration around. Providing hors d’oeuvres as well as complimentary beer and wine. Most importantly, Bud+Breakfast provides the freedom to consume whatever recreational marijuana products you desire.

Who Should Go?

Bud+Breakfast is targeting cannabis enthusiasts ages 21+ across the country. Whether you live in an unfriendly cannabis state and want to experience the culture of legalized cannabis for the time or you are a Colorado resident who simply wants to get away for the weekend, Bud+Breakfast has something for everyone.

“Come out and smoke with your friends and the people you like to travel with. Doesn’t matter if you are with friends you have known forever, or new friends you are meeting for the first time, B+B will provide you a safe haven to become a bigger part of the cannabis community.” – Joel Schneider – CEO Bud+Breakfast

Cannabis Deals

B+B has partnered with local dispensaries to provide the quickest, safest and most consistent delivery of cannabis available. Guests receive discounts, deals, special attention and fast tracked service from a reliable, vetted dispensary. Guests also have the option to consume cannabis using any of a variety of devices provided by B+B, which are cleaned daily.

Bud+Breakfast on 60 Minutes

Amenities

Bud+Breakfast offers a number of amenities to heighten their guest’s experience, including all the smoking devices you could want (cleaned daily). The hotels also offer in-house infused oil massages, operated by Primal Therapeutics. The massage oils are high in THC, CBD and CBN, utilizing a full cannabinoid spectrum to allow for maximum healing potential.

Off all the amenities provided by the hotel, the most important might be freedom. Bud+Breakfast offers guests the freedom to consume cannabis anywhere on the property, at any time. You can smoke in the dining room, in in the hot tub, around the fire pit, sitting on the patio, wherever! B+B is truly a nirvana for the cannabis enthusiast.

Additionally, a knowledgeable, well trained staff is on hand at all times to educate guests as to the variety of cannabis delivery systems offered at B+B. The overall goal of the staff mirrors that of the company, to create a safe, secretive and social experience around cannabis.

“When B+B started, we were the little engine that could. A year later, we have proven the concept and are working to expand. We’ve already doubled in size. Our locations are open 7 days a week and we are no long the little engine that could. We are the little engine that can and will succeed.” – Joel Schneider – CEO of B+B

Growth

With the opening of the San Ayre location, Bud+Breakfast now has 3 hotels and 22 total rooms to choose from. Although the company is only a year old, CEO Joel Schneider does not see B+B as a static company and is anticipating wide-scale growth in the near future. B+B has received numerous inquiries from existing hotels, hoping to join the Bud+Breakfast brand. Interested investors, businesses, hotels or consumers can check out the Bud+Breakfast website here for more details.

Would you visit a cannabis friendly hotel? What amenity would you most want to see while you were there? Join the conversation and comment below!

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 What Do The Top Presidential Candidates Think About Cannabis?

Who are you voting for in the upcoming 2016 election? Well, if you are reading this article, chances are each candidate’s stance on cannabis legislation is important to you. That being said, this list has been compiled in order to inform you as to what exactly each potential nominee thinks and has said about cannabis. The following names represent, in our eyes, the top potential nominees on the Democrat ticket.  Did you miss the Republicans? Click Here.

Hillary Clinton

Who is she?

Former Secretary of State for the Obama Administration – Former Senator (NY) – Former First Lady

Her stance on cannabis:

The former First Lady is taking a ‘wait and see’ approach before making her official stance on cannabis. She plans to use models like Colorado and Washington to gauge the pros and cons, and will then decide on her position. Additionally, she has expressed interest in learning more about the medical applications for cannabis.

“States are laboratories of democracy. I want to wait and see what the evidence is.” CNN, June 2014

Can she win in 2016?

Hillary Clinton is the obvious frontrunner for the Democrat party. She has the name, the experience, the connections and the political savvy needed to successfully navigate the election process and she has been part of multiple winning campaigns in her career. For activists, her undecided stance on cannabis can either be calming (because she isn’t against it) or concerning (because she isn’t for it).

Joe Biden

Who is he?

Vice President of the United States

His stance on cannabis:

Joe Biden’s stance on cannabis has evolved over time. While in the senate, Biden was extremely anti-legalization. In fact he was an outspoken supporter of numerous criminalization bills that increased and mandated penalties for cannabis crimes. As the VP, while he continues to reject legalization, he has supported the separation of state and federal enforcement.

“I think the idea of focusing significant resources on interdicting or convicting people for smoking marijuana is a waste of our resources. That’s different than [legalization]. Our policy for our Administration is still not legalization, and that is [and] continues to be our policy.” TIME, February 6, 2014

“I still believe it’s a gateway drug. I’ve spent a lot of my life as chairman of the Judiciary Committee dealing with this. I think it would be a mistake to legalize.” ABC News, December 2010

Can he win in 2016?

Cannabis activists will be happy to hear that Biden has yet to announce his intentions to run for the big chair. At age 72, Biden would be one of the oldest chiefs of the U.S. and clearly would pursue anti-cannabis legislation. He continues to mourn the loss of his son, Beau Biden, and unless Hillary Clinton stumbles massively, seems to have little incentive to throw his hat in the ring.

Bernie Sanders

Who is he?

Multiple Term Senator – Vermont

His stance on cannabis:

Senator Sanders is out of Vermont, a state with a bright cannabis future. The governor of Vermont, Peter Shumlin, said he favors and would sign recreational legalization if it hits his desk. Sanders is a reflection of that policy. Bernie fully supports the legalization of medical cannabis, but has also expressed concern about regulating recreational legalization, mostly because of his past dealings with other illegal substances.

“The state of Vermont voted to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and I support that. I have supported the use of medical marijuana. And when I was mayor of Burlington, in a city with a large population, I can tell you very few people were arrested for smoking marijuana. Our police had more important things to do. Colorado has led the effort toward legalizing marijuana and I’m going to watch very closely to see the pluses and minuses of what they have done. I will have more to say about this issue within the coming months.” Reddit AMA, May 19, 2015

Can he win in 2016?

The real question is, can he even win the nomination? He seems to appeal to a different demographic than Clinton and has polled well so far. However, like Biden, his age (73) seems to be one of a couple different hurdles. Sanders’ far-left politics and socialist ideologies have led many pundits to believe he simply won’t be able to garner enough mainstream support to actually pull the nomination away from Clinton.

Martin O’Malley

Who is he?

Former Governor – Maryland

His stance on cannabis:

Personally, O’Malley is against the use of both medical and recreational cannabis. Despite that fact, he has previously signed bills thru bills that decriminalized cannabis and assisted in establishing a medical cannabis program in MD.

“I’m not much in favor of it. We’ve seen what drug addiction has done to the people of our state, to the people of our city. This drug, its use and its abuse can be a gateway.” Mark Steiner Radio Show, January 7, 2014

Can he win in 2016?

Not Likely. Voters will likely either support Clinton or Sanders before jumping on the back of O’Malley, who seems to represent a meeting point between the two. Also, many political talking heads point to the recent Baltimore riots as detrimental to his campaign.

Who do you think would be the best choice for the cannabis industry? Who would you least like to see elected? Why? Join the conversation and comment below!

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Tripp Keber, CEO of Dixie Elixirs is featured on the latest @Cashinbis show. Dixie Elixirs has established themselves as the trusted source for innovative, safe, effective and delicious cannabis products. Tripp, a well known powerhouse of the cannabis industry, sits down with Host Tim Strombel to talk about Dixie’s new developments, entering the California market and common mistakes that young entrepreneurs make. No matter if you are new or old to the industry, there is something for everyone in this episode. Don’t forget to join the conversation by leaving a comment!

Entering CA is a watershed moment for Dixie Elixirs. We’ve spent 5 tireless years working to bring…
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White House Lifts Ban on Cannabis Research

The Obama administration announced Tuesday that it will remove current policies that have continually hampered cannabis research over the years. The policy update will eliminate the Public Health Service review requirement which, to sum up, was a long tedious bureaucratic process that could take over a year and stifled many researchers before they could even get out of the gates. In fact, due to this arduously slow process, the research industry had long considered cannabis more difficult to study than cocaine and heroin as it was the only Schedule 1 substance forced to go through this review process.

“This announcement shows that the White House is ready to move away from the war on medical marijuana and enable the performance of legitimate and necessary research.” Bill Piper – Director of the Drug Policy Alliance’s office of national affairs

Over the years the United States has prided itself on being a world leader. Becoming the best at as many things as possible. Perhaps that is in part the reasoning behind the latest change in the United States policy on cannabis. Countries like Australia and Germany are seeing unprecedented donations made to medical cannabis research and becoming the world leaders in the space. Lifting these restrictions, especially at this time, certainly reflects the fact the government is acknowledging that in terms of research on cannabis, we have fallen well behind. The effort to become a world leader starts at the top and this specific move has been well received by state representatives.

“The White House is right to lift a major barrier to conducting essential medical marijuana research…The onerous requirement took too long and cost too much to complete, discouraging research that would have furthered our understanding of medical marijuana and its potential treatment of illness and disease.” – Senator Kirsten Gillibrand(D-NY)

Senate support of this act should come as no surprise as just weeks ago the House of Representatives and Senate both passed legislation that, in essence, protects cannabis businesses and consumers from federal prosecution provided they are operating within state laws.

Activist groups like Americans for Safe Access are hoping to push the envelope even further and move cannabis out of the Schedule 1 section of the Controlled Substances Act. The category was meant to house substances like cocaine and heroin; drugs that serve no medical benefit to the community. This move by the Obama Administration will certainly lead to a progression in cannabis research. This research, combined with a recent statement made by the US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, indicate that declassification may be imminent once medical benefits are proven through comprehensive studies.

“Dr. Murthy’s comments add to a growing consensus in the medical community that marijuana can help people suffering from painful conditions. It’s crazy that federal law still considers marijuana a Schedule I drug, a category that’s supposed to be reserved for substances with no medical value. In light of these comments from his top medical adviser, the president should direct the attorney general to immediately begin the process of rescheduling marijuana.” – Chairman Tom Angell – Marijuana Majority 

What do you think about this cannabis research policy reform? Will it ultimately lead to reclassification and federal legalization? Join the conversation and comment below!

Photo credit: Christopher Skor & Craig Garner

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Under the Leaf: Wayne Zallen of Grow Condos (OTC: GRWC)

Wayne Zallen, CEO of Grow Condos, spent over 40 years of his life as a self-employed entrepreneur and businessman before starting Grow Condos, his first publicly traded company. Grow Condos specializes in the development of warehouse condominiums for Cannabis related business ventures. Whether you are a grower, extractor, baker or anything along those lines, Grow Condos can find you a property and tailor it to your needs. However, they don’t stop there. They offer one of the only ‘lease to buy’ options in the industry, providing a more affordable way for businesses to own their entire operation. Wayne has loved the Cannabis industry for years and is fueled by his interactions with other professionals in the space. He recently took time out of his hectic schedule to share his passion for the industry and what makes his entrepreneurial mind tick.

What is Grow Condos all about? What is at its core?

At its core, Grow Condos supplies Cannabis entrepreneurs the realistic and affordable chance to build out and own the property where they do business. We are real estate developers specializing in industrial warehouse condominiums for the Cannabis industry. After we acquire land we build it to the exact specifications the industry requires; accounting for water, sewer, ventilation and power needs. Once we finish the shell the entrepreneur can come in and finish building out the space.

What makes us even more excited about what we do is the unmatched opportunity we provide the Cannabis entrepreneur. For example, an aspiring business can come in with $200K and build out the space exactly how they envision it, allowing them to maximize productivity and generate cash flow more quickly. The best part for us is that we provide the entrepreneur the chance to actually BUY the space after three years, giving the business the chance to develop further independence. Not only can they become more self reliant with this method, but they also save money by not having to build out a new location. Under normal circumstances, a business might rent their space and be forced to relocate when their lease expires. We give you the chance to OWN your business entirely.

Why did you start Grow Condos, Inc.?  Do you have a personal interest in the cannabis industry or did you just see it as a great business opportunity?

I would say it was a combination of personal interest and business opportunity. Awhile back my partner and I were in the Internet business, importing products from China. We purchased a 12,000Sq/ft warehouse and used it to operate our inventory. We only took up part of the space so we leased it out to other businesses as well. We eventually sold our Internet venture and around the same time a number of the contractors leasing from us folded. This left us with an empty space and a mortgage payment. So we put the warehouse up for rent.

What we figured out was exciting. Not only were Cannabis cultivators looking for a space to lease, but they would also pay higher rent than the average business. We started leasing to the Cannabis industry and realized it was a much more stable industry and we could worry less about our tenants. Soon I found another building just down the road. I built it out and had it fully leased within 4 weeks of completion. All with NO advertising. Right then we saw a niche in the market where we could create a great business that directly helped the Cannabis industry. We dove in headfirst.

Grow Condos is located in Eagle Point Oregon, now that Oregon has voted to legalize marijuana how has that impacted Oregon’s real estate market and Grow Condos?

I would say that legalization has certainly had a positive impact on the real estate market. Southern Oregon is part of the emerald triangle, which makes it a great spot for outdoor gardens. Rural properties, in places where land and water access is abundant, are getting sold almost as soon as they hit the market. Commercially speaking, the demand for industrial warehouses cultivators can use for indoor operations far outreaches the supply. That is perfect for Grow Condos because, not only do we want to supply that demand, we also want to set businesses up for long term success but creating a warehouse that fits their exact needs and one they can eventually buy.

Wayne, from your perspective, what is most important to running a successful public company?

I think it’s important to keep your investors happy. At Grow Condos we constantly focus on getting cash flow positive on our new real estate properties. Once we acquire a property, we plan it, build it and list it. The demand for type of service in the Cannabis market is so high, especially when you talk about warehouses custom built for the industry. It simply affords entrepreneurs the chance to get the most out of their money. That’s why we love this business. We can make our consumers happy while providing investors the return they had hoped for. That’s been our key to success.

From a personal standpoint, what is the most rewarding aspect about being CEO of Grow Condos?

The two things I find most rewarding are satisfying the people of the industry and the shareholders of our company. I love working with the businesses that occupy our buildings because there are some great people in the Cannabis industry. It also makes me very proud that I can provide investors with a great opportunity and then deliver them results. I take that mission personally and I invest a lot of myself towards that goal.

Where do you want to see Grow Condos in the next 12 months?

Grow Condos has a number of projects in the works and we’re hopeful to be generating much more cash flow over the next year. We have a 45,000Sq/ft project in Eugene that should be completed, as well as developing projects in Nevada and Portland. Overall our goal is to get as many projects finished as possible, allowing us to fulfill as much of the current demand as possible and purchase more real estate to develop.

What do you personally see will be the tipping point for the Federal Government to change marijuana from its current Schedule 1 status?

I think California is the key. California is the most populated state in America by over 10 million people, so whenever they make the move to recreational legalization I think the federal government will have no choice but to take notice. Personally this whole movement amazes me. I’m in my 60’s now and I never thought any sort of legalization would happen in my lifetime. However, now I live in Oregon, a state where it is both medically and recreationally legal. These are very exciting times. The cow has left the barn and it’s never going back in.

Tell us about a normal day for you. What does it look like?

I would say it is hard to use the word normal. Everyday presents its own unique challenges. In general though, I spend a good amount of time coordinating with all of our vendors(realtors, builders, engineers) to keep our projects moving along at high speeds. I will also spend time creating plans and projections for our properties or talking with investors to raise capital for future or current projects. Basically my normal day consists of me doing all I can to constantly be moving Grow Condos forward at all times.

While at your office, what is the one thing we will never find you without?

Unfortunately it would have to be my cell phone. Real estate is such a social business I find myself living on my phone more often than I would like to admit.

How do you end your day? What is the last thing you do before you leave to set yourself up for future success?

I always establish my plan for the following day before I leave the office. That prevents me from spending too much time in the morning deciding which direction to go. I can show up and hit the ground running. It is a tactic I learned over the years that has certainly contributed to my success.

How do you set yourself up for daily success? What’s the one thing you always have to have in your office? Join the conversation by commenting below!

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Years ago, Brian was impacted by the blossoming online coupon industry, where companies like Groupon were generating great revenues by simply facilitating discounts from businesses to customers. That business model intrigued Brian so much that he sought out an industry that could greatly benefit from a company like this, but didn’t have one readily available. That search led him to the Cannabis industry and the creation of Canna-Saver. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Canna-Saver launched in 2013 and has quickly become the authority on online Cannabis coupons. Canna-Saver has been dubbed the Groupon of Cannabis by CNN and is poised to not only take over the entire state of Colorado, but also scale itself to service the entire country.

Simply put, consumers love saving money and Canna-Saver is making that process easier than ever before.

Before entering the Cannabis industry, Brian researched how he could improve upon what already existed in the space. What revealed itself to Brian was a great need in the market for both consumers and dispensaries. On the consumer side, finding usable coupons or deals was almost impossible. In addition, if you were able to find something, chances are it would become outdated by the time you took advantage of it; either expiring or the dispensary would be out of that product. Not only was the coupon difficult to come by, there was no way to search for a specific product or neighborhood, further complicating the process of coupon use. This is where Brian captured his opportunity to enter the space, launching Canna-Saver. On Canna-Saver, customers can search for products and coupons by location and pull those locations up on a map, greatly improving discount utilization. Simply put, consumers love saving money and Canna-Saver is making that process easier than ever before.

The ‘Groupon’ for Dispensaries

Canna-Saver, though a company designed with the end consumer at the forefront, provides countless benefits to dispensaries as well. Working as a certified public accountant for over fifteen years, Brian learned the importance of inventory management in business. He took that knowledge and directly applied it when developing Canna-Saver. He created a marketing and advertising tool so simple, dispensaries could use his site to instantly promote new products or liquidate old stock. The process is simple. Dispensaries login to their account, fill out a pre-designed template, add a photo and post their deal. They can set a time limit or remove the coupon the instant the product sells out. Most importantly, by using Canna-Saver, dispensaries have unprecedented control over their inventory.

In 2013, Canna-Saver was awarded the ‘Invention of the Year’ at the Cannabis Business Awards.

By building a website that is truly more technologically advanced than its competitors, Brian has clearly set Canna-Saver ahead of anything else in the industry. Unlike most high priced traditional advertising, where you might pay out the nose for a page add or a website banner, Canna-Saver offers the total package of advertising, and typically at a much more affordable cost. With an established presence in the industry, especially high in Google rankings, and nearly 100,000 website views per month, companies can instantly improve their web footprint by working with Canna-Saver. In addition, dispensaries have the chance to advertise however they want, be it coupons, banners, print, emails or even social media. Canna-Saver prides itself on building long lasting relationships with both its customers and its businesses. Brian made this clear when he told us:

‘We won’t nickel and dime you. We want to make sure businesses get everything they can out of working with us. I would much rather give a business a little extra publicity on us rather than charge them a couple extra dollars. We’re in this for the long haul. We want to form long lasting relationships and continue to be there for them now and in the future.’ – Brian Shapiro – Canna-Saver

In 2013, Canna-Saver was awarded the ‘Invention of the Year’ at the Cannabis Business Awards. In addition it was featured on CNN as the Groupon of Cannabis. Though popular on social media(20,000+ followers across their platforms), Brian continues to reinvent his grassroots style marketing platforms. For example, the company distributes Canna-Saver branded lighters for dispensaries to hand out, free of charge, to consumers. This genius move allows thousands of consumers to see his logo, literally first hand. In addition to strategies like this, the company was also represented by industry star Tommy Chong, who was a spokesman for Canna-Saver in 2014 and wore t-shirts to promote the brand throughout countless press opportunities and performances. Brian uses innovative ideas like this to constantly add value to his business and his clients. He takes pride in introducing strategies to the Cannabis industry that have not been utilized before. Brian Shapiro and Canna-Saver have already revolutionized parts of the Cannabis industry, but perhaps the best is yet to come as Brian told us to ‘stay tuned’ because he has much more up his sleeve.

What do you think about Canna-Saver? Share a word with us below!

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Where does your state stand on Cannabis legislation?

We at Cashinbis have compiled the latest information on each state to provide you the most comprehensive state-by-state listing on the Internet. ‘The State of Cannabis’ is a three part series leading up to the 4th of July. To many, Independence Day represents a time to celebrate being the most free country in the world. But how free is your state when it comes to Cannabis legislation? Simply keep reading to find out. Keep in mind that this information is ever changing and this list will be updated as new information becomes available. In addition, each state has its own idea as to how to regulate, enforce and tax Cannabis legislation so we encourage you to find out more about your state. The only way to stay ahead of the green rush is to stay informed.

Alabama – Currently debating Senate Bill 326 that would legalize medical Cannabis for patients having a serious medical condition. In 2014 Gov. Bill Brentley signed Carly’s Law, intended to introduce medical Cannabis options for epileptic conditions. However, the bill only provides a defense from prosecution. Meaning legal medical possession could still amount to arrest and jail before being dismissed. In addition, the bill only allows CBD-rich Cannabis extracts, which is a very specific part of the plant and excludes most other patients. Lastly, and this is important for every state, the bill requires a ‘prescription’ from a medical doctor. It remains federally illegal to ‘prescribe’ Cannabis because it is still classified as a Schedule 1 substance. Instead patients need to obtain a ‘recommendation’. Long story short, Alabama lawmakers did a great job of making medical Cannabis legal….and impossible to get. In terms of recreational use, support is improving but nowhere near caught up to the medical side.

Alaska – Medically and recreationally legal with restrictions.

Arizona – Medically legal with restrictions– 2015 legislation both for and against further medical legalization failed to pass. 56% Support recreational cannabis legalization provided it is taxed and regulated similar to alcohol. Future legalization could depend heavily on California and Nevada. – 2013 Survey

Arkansas – 2012 Voting – 48.56% Supported medical Cannabis legalization which failed the bill. Arkansas remains one of the harshest states in regards to Cannabis laws.

California – Medically legal with restrictions – 2016 recreational use legislation expected to pass. 55% of likely voters support recreational Cannabis legislation. About three-quarters of adults (74%) who have tried marijuana say it should be legal, while only a third (35%) who have never tried it favor legalization. Residents aged 18 to 34 (61%) are more likely than older adults to say marijuana use should be legal (47% age 35 to 54, 52% age 55 and older). – 2015 Survey

It remains federally illegal to ‘prescribe’ Cannabis because it is still classified as a Schedule 1 substance. Instead patients need to obtain a ‘recommendation’.

Colorado – Medically and recreationally legal with restrictions – 58% Show continued support – 47% Have never tried Cannabis – 80% Have not used recreationally since recreational sales began Jan 1st, 2014. – 2015 Survey

Connecticut – Medically legal with restrictions – 2015 saw the introduction of 4 key bills. Two involve allowing seriously ill minors access to medical treatments(currently Conn is one of only a few states that denies medical Cannabis to minors). The other two bills center on decriminalization and recreation legalization. Results of those bills are not finalized. 63% Support recreational Cannabis legalization. 67% Support reducing current Cannabis crimes(small quantity) from a felony to a misdemeanor. – 2015 Survey

Delaware – Medically legal with restrictions – On June 2nd, 2015 the Delaware House of Reps passed legislation decriminalizing Cannabis. Possession offenses will now come with a $100 fine instead of arrest and jail time. The bill is currently on its way to the Senate and will then, if it passes, be signed into law by Gov. Jack Markell. Markell has already voiced his support, saying he would sign the bill into law. 56% Support recreational Cannabis legalization. %68 Support decriminalization – 2015 Survey

Florida – 2015 Legislation garnered 58% of the 60% needed to pass into law. Activists recently announced intentions to resubmit for 2016 ba loting. 84% Support medical Cannabis legalization – 55% Support recreational. – 2015 Survey

Georgia – 2015 bill introduced to repeal ban on medical Cannabis use for cancer and glaucoma died when it failed to advance before the crossover deadline of March 13th. 84% Support Medical Cannabis Legalization – 46% Support recreational Cannabis legalization. – 2015 Survey

Hawaii – Medically legal with restrictions – 2015 bill supporting recreational Cannabis legalization failed. However, with recreational support at an all time high, legalization seems imminent. 69% of Hawaii voters think that jail time for marijuana offenses is inappropriate, and an overwhelming 57% favor legalizing marijuana for adults and regulating it like alcohol. – 2015 Survey

Idaho – 2015 Legislation passed the House of Representative and the Senate before being vetoed by Gov. Butch Otto. 61% Support medical Cannabis legalization provided it is obtained via a doctor’s prescription. – 2010 Survey

Illinois – Medically legal with restrictions – Gov. Bruce Rauner is currently overlooking bills that would extend the state’s medical Cannabis pilot program another year, taking them through 2018. In addition, a second bill would add PTSD to the list of qualified medical conditions treatable in the state. Two final bills awaiting the Governors signature would decriminalize Cannabis possession and ensure the equal treatment potential offenders. All bills are expected to be signed into law in 2015. 60% Support removal of criminal penalties pertaining to recreational Cannabis use. – 2015 Survey

However, with recreational support at an all time high, legalization seems imminent.

Indiana – Medically and recreationally illegal – Two bills were introduced this year that would allow for the creation of a state medical Cannabis program. Both failed when they failed to advance before the crossover deadline February 25th. Multiple sources list Indiana as one of the last states that could potentially legalize Cannabis. However, in a twist of irony, the ‘First Church of Cannabis’ has been established in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Iowa – 2015 medical Cannabis legislation was left in limbo when the Iowa legislature adjourned its 2015 session on June 5th. Multiple Cannabis policies were in progress, some of which had already passed through the Senate. These bills would have improved both the medical Cannabis system in Iowa as well as reduced the penalties for recreational possession(From 6monthsjail/$1,000fine for a single gram to 30daysjail for up to 5 grams). Advocates are hopeful for a 2016 passing of these bills. 81% Support medical Cannabis legalization provided it is obtained via a doctors prescription. – 2014 Survey

Kansas – Illegal medically and recreationally. Both 2015 bills failed to pass when they failed to advance before the crossover deadline February 27th. 70% Support medical Cannabis legalization – 54% Support recreational Cannabis legalization provided it is taxed and regulated similar to alcohol.

Kentucky – Illegal medically and recreationally. 2015 acts to establish a medical Cannabis system as well as legalize medical use died when they failed to advance out of committee by March 24th. 52% Support medical Cannabis legalization with less support for recreational use. – 2014 Survey

Coming up in Part2 – Louisiana to North Dakota

On a scale of 1-America, how free do you feel? Would you like to add to this report? Join the conversation by commenting below!

Photo credit: Blake Verdoorn

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