There is so much sensationalism around the Cannabis industry, especially in CO. Sure there are people making money in the industry, but those same people are also putting in the same work hours that any successful entrepreneur does. This is not, as many in the financial industry seem to think, money growing on trees. It is a common misconception to think that Cannabis is a weed, so all you need to do is drop a seed in the soil and riches spring up with light and water. Growing medicine takes a true understanding of the plant (as well as the nuances between strains). and a pristine growing environment. But even that is not the difficult part. The author writes: I cant help but think that this business, more than virtually any of its competitors, has truly uncovered the profitable sweet spot that exists in the legal grey zone between federal and state laws governing the marijuana trade. Indeed, one could even go so far as to say that this legal no mans land is the very reason that a small handful of well-heeled businessmen and women have been able to amass growing pot empires. He is correct in surmising that those that know how to safely (or as safely as possible) navigate the dangerous line between State and Federal law will ultimately be very successful if their medicine is of superior quality. What he does not say is how difficult this is to do. It takes the advice of top notch attorneys and CPAs, the hiring of strong lobbyists, The expertise of fantastic commercial gardeners, an understanding of commercial real estate, electrical engineers and HVAC specialists and the list goes on. Most importantly it takes the passion and cojones of someone who is willing to put their own personal liberty on the line to produce medicine for those who are in need. The business acumen is secondary to this, because in CO these guys did not start off with a regulated territorial monopoly and they did not start off with deep pocketed funding sources. They came to market as a Mom and Pop cottage industry of individuals who believed in what they were doing. The fact that for many of the best, financial gain has followed them, is still a byproduct of their passion for a cause and one can never be faulted for succeeding in something they have fought for as hard as these people have. fool/investing/general/2014/01/04/the-making-of-colorados-marijuana-millionaires.aspx
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 14:18:35 +0000