This Tuesday, I was honored to be selected as the pro-legalization side in the first-ever public debate on marijuana legalization at Texas Christian University.  Opposing me was Ben Cort, a board member of Project SAM, the nation’s anti-legalization lobby. At one point in the debate (and I’m paraphrasing, since I […]

Oregon, the third state to vote in favor of cannabis legalization, will actually be the fourth (fifth, if you add in Washington, D.C.) state to legalize marijuana on July 1st of this year. Cannabis commerce among adults over the age of 21 won’t be legal until 2016 (likely the latter […]

Gary Johnson is a story that can only occur in America. Rising from basically a handyman business to a multi-million dollar construction company CEO would be enough for most people. Utilizing his personal story and political principles of personal freedom, self-reliance and limited government to successfully getting elected as governor […]

Once again Steve Cohen, US Congressman from Tennessee (TN-09), has shown great leadership in taking on the misguided and cruel drug war. He recently called out Attorney General Eric Holder to end the ludicrous Schedule I legal status for cannabis, just the latest of Cohen’s many courageous challenges to the […]

It is really remarkable the number of business avenues the cannabis industry unlocks. Of course, people know about growers, processors and retailers. However, these marijuana businesses need lawyers, accountants, security and maybe even consultants of various types. Additionally, enterprising entrepreneurs often see a niche to fill within the industry as […]

The evidence that marijuana has gone mainstream is everywhere: from politics to entertainment to culture to your personal discussions with friends and family. Poll after poll demonstrates majority support for cannabis legalization and super-majority support for medical access. Once the third-rail of politics, now it seems to be one of […]

The International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) held in San Francisco last month, was a great event and a great success. While, like any business conference, entrepreneurs were there looking to network and learn important information that can help their businesses succeed, the ICBC stressed the importance of political activism and […]

Congressman Earl Blumenauer has been a longtime champion of sensible marijuana law reform. As a state legislator in Oregon, he voted to decriminalize personal amounts of marijuana all the way back in 1973. He has been at the forefront of cannabis law reform ever since, even when it wasn’t near […]

Yesterday, news hit that Senators Rand Paul, Kirsten Gillibrand and Cory Booker were to introduce a bipartisan medical marijuana bill in the United States Senate. Now, the qualifiers can be taken off, as the senators announced the bill this morning with a press conference. The marijuana law reform movement has […]

Republicans and Democrats have a hard time agreeing on much these days as gridlock dominates our political discourse. Cannabis law reform is one of the few areas that has some politicians looking to reach across the aisle. Once seen as a lefty-hippie position or an right-wing Ayn Randian libertarian stance, […]

As I have previously blogged, Wichita, Kansas, will be voting on a marijuana decriminalization measure on April 7th. Local cannabis law reforms can be a great way to move the marijuana movement forward as it is a relatively inexpensive way to educate voters and can be a great tool to […]

I once heard a prominent member of the cannabis industry state that unless you have insurance and a bank account, than you aren’t a real business. Getting insurance is not always easy in the cannabis industry, but there are numerous companies that will provide insurance to marijuana businesses. Banking on the […]

I have met countless parents who have had to go through the heartache of having their child removed from their home due to cannabis alone. These people were good parents, and often were licensed medical marijuana patients. They worked hard and provided for their child or children. The only reason […]

For quite awhile Canada’s medical cannabis industry was built on a home-grow model. That changed last year when Canada’s government created a much more limited model that put the task of growing medical cannabis into the hands of corporations. There have been many issues as a result. Per Canada.Com: Almost […]

Born into a working class family and still in a working class family, I understand how tight money can be, especially during tough economic times. The cannabis industry isn’t a get rich quick scheme for most people, but it is a growing industry that will only get bigger, certainly in […]