Attorney General Loretta Lynch has named Chuck Rosenberg the new director of the DEA. Rosenberg, currently the chief of staff to FBI director James B. Comey, will replace Michele Leonhart as DEA head. The Obama administration asked Leonhart to resign last month following her poor handling of reports that DEA agents hired prostitutes, as well as an incident in which agents left a detained someone for more than four days without food or water.
Lynch named Rosenberg acting administrator, though he is likely to direct the DEA throughout the remainder of the Obama’s presidency.
A senior administration official stated that Rosenberg will focus less on marijuana enforcement and instead direct attention to heroin and other drugs. He is also expected to update the DEA’s procedures regarding the classification, declassification, and reclassification of drugs.
Despite Leonhart’s resignation amidst scandals at the agency, she was well-regarded at the agency, and many expect that Rosenberg will have to restore morale there.
We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dan Humiston, founder and president of the International Cannabis Association, who represents a large demographic of hopeful entrants to the cannabis industry. While there are plenty of people across the U.S. who are looking to transition from a black market cannabis career to owning a regulated business in the legal industry, there is also much interest from people who see cannabis purely as a business opportunity and who may have never grown–or even consumed–it themselves.
In this interview, Dan talks about how he made the choice to transition from his successful career as a business owner to founding a cannabis business association, and what he predicts the future holds for the legalization movement.
Read the full interview below:
Ganjapreneur: How did you first get involved in the cannabis industry, and what was the transition like from your previous career?
Dan Humiston: In 1985 I opened my first tanning salon and over the next 30 years I grew my chain Tanning Bed Inc. to the largest chain in New York and one of the largest chains in the country. In the mid 2000’s, tanning industry sales started to fall and by the end of the decade it was apparent that I needed to find ways to reduce or repurpose the space of my stores which were over 4,000 square feet. In 2012 I saw a 60 minute report about the cannabis industry and started trying to figure out how divide my tanning salons into tanning salons and dispensaries. Oddly enough, the industry association would not provide information to non-industry companies because they said “they were an industry association formed by industry companies, so why would they willingly provide information for future competitors?” I attended a trade show in late 2013 but felt unwelcome because the show was designed and built for people already in the industry. Realizing that there are many other aspiring marijuana entrepreneurs that are looking for help, I decided to fill the void.
What are some of the International Cannabis Association’s primary goals?
The only goal of the ICA is to help people get into the cannabis industry. We are not an advocacy association because there are already groups doing a great job fighting to make cannabis legal. Our mission is to open the cannabis industry to anyone who is interested.
What are some of the ways that the ICA helps people get involved?
The ICA was founded by entrepreneurs and business people who were not in the cannabis industry. This foundation gives the ICA a unique perspective and understanding of the kind of information and access that professionals are looking for. The cannabis industry is transitioning from a criminal, underground industry to a legitimate industry. The ICA provides information in a format designed for the future of the industry, not the past.
What do you think the next two years have in store for the legalization movement?
Over the next two years I believe that a lot of states will pass medical marijuana laws and some states will pass recreational laws. I think that marijuana will be a important topic in the 2016 presidential campaign forcing Congress to seriously address the issue in 2017.
If a Republican wins the presidency, do you think we will see any kind of push-back from the federal government against states who have legalized cannabis?
The 2016 presidential elections are on everyone’s mind. The industry should expect change no matter who wins. Some of the changes will be good and some will be bad but all of the changes will create opportunities for solid, nimble companies. 2017 is going to be even more exciting.
Which market do you think will have the biggest impact on our economy over the next ten years: recreational, medical, or industrial hemp?
Industrial hemp has the potential to have the biggest impact on our overall economy over the next ten years because it impacts so many industries.
Of the states that may legalize cannabis in some form or another within the next two years, which are you most optimistic about?
California.
If California legalizes recreational cannabis, what would that mean for the industry as a whole?
If / when California legalizes recreational marijuana it will be a game changer. It will motivate other states to follow them to legalize recreational in their state. That will put the pressure on the Feds to change many federal laws including banking laws which will likely lead to changing marijuana from a schedule 1.
What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone starting a business in the cannabis industry?
Go to our NYC or LA Cannabis World Congress & Business Expositions to learn from industry experts and Network, Network, Network. There is so much opportunity: the fastest way to get involved and find your niche is to talk to both people already in the industry and people who want to get into the industry. So many people who attended one of our shows last year discovered the idea, met the partner, signed the licensing agreement or got the investment at our show and launched their cannabis business.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience, Dan! We look forward to seeing the ICA build bridges to help ganjapreneurs get the information and preparation they need to grow their cannabis businesses.
For more information about the ICA and the Cannabis World Congress and Business Expo, follow these links:
U.S. Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) have long been some of the staunchest anti-marijuana lawmakers in Congress. They’ve supported the War on Drugs, opposed marijuana reform at each opportunity, and came out strongly against the Obama administration’s decisions to allow states to legalize medical and recreational marijuana.
Tom Angell of Marijuana Majority reports that recently, the two senators have displayed what may be a change of heart, at least with regards to medical marijuana. The two anti-cannabis warriors have joined forces to pressure the federal government to lessen the burden on scientists who want to conduct research on the drug’s medical benefits.
Grassley and Feinstein sent letters to the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last week that urge the departments to “determine ways to remove any unnecessary barriers that stand in the way of research into the potential medical benefits of marijuana.” The senators contacted the departments last October as well, informing them that while they “do not support the use of smoked marijuana as medicine,” they “are concerned that existing regulations may have the unintended consequence of inhibiting additional research on potential medical uses for marijuana; specifically, cannabidiol,” or CBD.
Grassley and Feinstein’s main concern is with current federal regulations that oblige scientists to undergo extra reviews each time they make even small changes to their research methods. Marijuana research proposals are also subject to a review by the Public Health Service–in addition to the Food and Drug Administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other reviews–a step unique to marijuana among drug research.
The Justice Department and the HHS gave inconsistent replies. Assistant attorney general Peter J. Kadzik argued that current review protocols are necessary and not overbearing. He specifically noted that additional DEA requests for review, required when a researcher plans to “deviate from the previously approved research protocol (other than the quantity of controlled substance),” are important because “material deviations in the research protocol could potentially alter the scientific merit of the research and have impacts on the health and safety of the human research subjects.”
In contrast, HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell stated that the agency is “committed to supporting the efficient and timely development of safe and effective new medicines and is actively considering options within our regulatory paradigm to enable more scientific study on marijuana.” She also noted that HHS is working with the FDA “to alleviate any unnecessary burdens that inhibit research and development in this area.”
In response, Senators Feinstein and Grassley drew attention to the agencies’ confliction responses in two new letters to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and HHS Secretary Burwell. The senators request that the two agencies look into whether CBD should be reclassified under the Controlled Substances Act:
“This request is based on the fact that a scientific and medical evaluation of CBD has never been conducted by the federal government, despite the growing anecdotal evidence that it may effectively treat intractable epilepsy in children. Many individuals across the country are suffering from serious medical conditions that might be alleviated by CBD. It is therefore critical that this evaluation be completed so that it can be determined if CBD should be down-scheduled and used as a medicine, or remain as currently scheduled.”
The senators requested a written response by July 5.
The price of weed tends to be cheapest in those states that have legalized recreational marijuana. According to the site PriceofWeed.com, where people can submit the price of black market or legal marijuana in their area, you can buy an ounce of high-quality marijuana for under $300 in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Alaska. This is lower than the national average of $324.
Oregon beat out Colorado to boast the lowest weed prices in the country: you can get an ounce of marijuana there for just $204. In contrast, prices are the highest in North Dakota, where an ounce costs around $387.
In Washington D.C., where cannabis has been legalized recreationally but is not available for commercial purchasing, the price of an ounce is around $346.
Many factors, of course, are at play here, including the price of black market marijuana before legalization, the tax rates that were instituted as part of legalization, and the number and location of growers.
The marijuana industry is growing at a rapid pace, and the tech sector of the marijuana industry presents a lot of business opportunities for people looking to cash in on the next great American industry. According to David Goldstein, co-founder of Potbotics Inc., the top five tech trends in the marijuana industry are: Internet based technology, smart machines, analytics, software-defined application and infrastructure, and security.
There was a snow storm in Denver the night before we arrived. As a result, during our approach to the Denver International Airport, we had to make several passes to wait for the heavy winds to calm down. When we finally came in to land, the jet banked and bounced at the last second, drawing a collective gasp from the passengers, but then it leveled its wings, settling onto its landing gear and coming to a stop. I thought we were going to die, but we made it: we were going to the Cannabis Cup. On a business trip. For real.
Full disclosure: I still have a day job. I was traveling with my brother, our lead content coordinator, and I had taken several days off from work to make the journey. I didn’t lie to my boss about where I was going, but I didn’t exactly say that I was going to the HIGH TIMES Cannabis Cup in Denver–on 4/20–and that I would be going to a Snoop Dogg concert.
Whatever happened, it was going to be a kick-ass weekend. My brother and I got our luggage and went to pick up our rental car. A Chevy “Spark.” Yep. Things were getting started off right.
On the first day of the event, we met up with Ganjapreneur.com CEO Andrew Rosener, and the entire Ganjapreneur team loaded into our appropriately-named vehicle and drove to the Denver Mart. The parking lot was full of thousands of people, and an overwhelming sense of positive energy and anticipation was evident as soon as we got out of the car.
As we got to the front of the line, a member of the security staff asked to do a bag check. My brother told him, “I do have some marijuana in there, sir.” The guy laughed and gestured us in: it was a “BYOC” event with designated recreating areas, so it was generally assumed that everyone present had a stash.
Needless to say, the event was awesome.
Within the first thirty minutes of walking around and soaking in the excitement, we noticed that Keith Stroup was at the NORML booth so we took the opportunity to meet him and ask if he would be willing to do a short Q&A. He graciously agreed, and Andrew asked him about how much ground the legalization movement will gain in the next two years, how it feels to witness the progress being made in Colorado and Washington, and what advice he had for aspiring ganjapreneurs.
It was an honor to meet such a prolific figure and activist in the industry, and the experience set the tone for the rest of our trip.
As we moved throughout the indoor section of the event, it was amazing to reflect on the fact that so many people are professionally involved in so many different aspects of the cannabis industry.
There were extraction system manufacturers, payment processing services, cleaning systems, construction specialists, grow light manufacturers, and countless other business services represented among the vendors. It was easy to see that the industry was booming: not only were these business services present, but the displays were extravagant and the representatives were experts in their fields. This was a marketplace, and the market was decidedly competitive.
The outdoor section of the Cannabis Cup was geared more toward consumers, and it seemed to be at least three times the size of the indoor section. Recreating was permitted outdoors, and accordingly, nearly everyone had a joint, blunt, spliff, or portable dab rig in their hands. The booths featured items such as apparel, innovative paraphernalia, art, and even the Tinderesque dating app HighThere! whose founder we interviewed earlier this spring.
There was also a large circle of food trucks (cue the munchies jokes) serving everything from crock pot creations to bags of Doritos filled with taco meat and cheese.
We took lots of photos, but we weren’t the only ones recording. CNN and other news organizations had journalists walking around, there was a HIGH TIMES drone camera flying above the crowd, and there were multiple airplanes pulling giant banners in circles around the Denver Mart.
Over the course of the weekend, there were also several educational seminars and panels on a variety of subjects. We attended many of these, but the most inspiring was probably the “Future of American Legalization” panel with some of the nation’s leading cannabis activists and advocates, including Keith Stroup, Mason Tvert, Charlo Greene, Sean McAllister, Michael Kennedy, and Rick Cusick. The room was packed and although most had been indulging in ganja, everyone’s undivided attention was focused on what the panelists had to say about which states would be next to legalize.
Another seminar we attended was titled “How to Get a Top Pot Job,” and it was also packed. There were some grumbles, however, when all of the panelists said they would not be able to hire anyone with a felony conviction, and also when the vast majority of them said they did not let their employees consume cannabis on the job. The one exception was Ricardo Baca, editor for the Denver Post, who said that he employs a few pot critics who are specifically required to get high and write about it.
On the night of the awards ceremony, my brother and I had partook of some indica and unfortunately failed to document what transpired as the winners were announced. Andrew was given the honor of presenting the award for Best Vaporizer, and he told us a story the next morning about how he had been tasked with babysitting stoned celebrities backstage.
If that wasn’t enough weed culture for us, we capped it off on Monday (April 20th) by attending the Snoop Dogg concert. It was a great show, and an excellent way to wrap up the weekend on a seriously high note.
Ultimately, we left Denver feeling very optimistic about the future of cannabis. There is a huge amount of momentum within the industry, and this was most evident in the diversity of those in attendance. With 50,000 people from all demographics, regions, and walks of life, the one constant was the respect they shared for one another–respect based on the mutual understanding that prohibition must end.
Possessing a plant which is less harmful than alcohol should not get anyone sent to prison, and the cannabis industry–which will exist whether or not it is legal–is better off managed by everyday citizens than by violent cartels and for-profit incarceration facilities. This is why we believe the general public will not tolerate the failed policies of the “drug war” for much longer. The future of the industry is looking brighter each day.
After the Oregon Legislature’s new marijuana committee hit an impasse Monday night, Oregon Senate president Peter Courtney formed a special Senate committee designed to help move beyond the issue.
Although the committee had mostly reached a consensus on SB 844, which aims to prevent the diversion of medical marijuana to black markets, the committee failed to decide whether to allow local communities to block the creation of medical marijuana facilities.
The special Senate committee is charged with bringing a consensus on the issue. Sen. Ginny Burdick (D.-Portland), the chair of the committee, believes she can achieve a bitpartisan majority in the Senate, which would help to sway the House. Burdick supports allowing localities to ban medical marijuana facilities. Voters could then put the issue on the ballot by gaining 4% of the vote in the last governor’s race.
A majority of the House currently wants any ban on such facilities to go directly to a people’s vote, so that medical marijuana patients won’t be immediately forced to lose access to the drug.
In Ohio, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters stated Tuesday that he believes the state’s current marijuana laws are “useless,” and that enforcing them is a “major waste of resources for law enforcement.”
Deters, a Republican known as one of Ohio’s toughest prosecutors, announced on Monday that he established a committee to study the positives and negatives of marijuana legalization. The task force will work in conjunction with ResponsibleOhio, the group bringing a legalization measure to the state’s fall ballot.
Deters stated that legalization is “coming across the county. The key is how to regulate.” However, he would not go so far as to outright support the change, nor will he necessarily support ResponsibleOhio’s measure.
No other non-judicial officeholder in Ohio currently supports legalization. ResponsibleOhio has been working to garner support for its proposal in other places, such as the state’s Fraternal Order of Police. The union’s president, Jay McDonald, said he has not yet been convinced by the ResponsibleOhio proposal, though he has conducted a comparative study of it with those that passed in Oregon and Colorado.
Meanwhile, the executive director of the Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association, Robert Cornwell, said that ResponsibleOhio has not approached them, and needn’t. “We will oppose the legalization of marijuana. Our board made that clear in March.”
The Larc School, a private school for children with disabilities located in Bellmawr, New Jersey, made headlines earlier this month when Roger and Lora Barbour, parents of 16-year-old Genny Barbour, filed a lawsuit against the school for barring their daughter from taking her prescribed cannabis oil on school grounds. Genny, who suffers from epilepsy and autism, began taking the oil in August 2014 to help reduce the number of seizures she experiences. According to her medical records, this treatment has been successful.
The School’s Offer and Subsequent Lawsuit
To avoid violating federal law by having the cannabis oil brought onto campus, The Larc School offered that Lora Barbour, Genny’s designated caregiver and under New Jersey’s medical marijuana law, the only person who may administer her medicine, take her daughter off campus for her midday dose. This wasn’t viable for the family, who wanted the school to adjust its policy to allow her to take the medicine with her lunch. The Larc School, concerned about the possibility of violating federal law if it allowed Lora to do this, refused.
Minor patients suffering from the list of approved conditions may participate in New Jersey’s medical marijuana program under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian who can act as the child’s designated caregiver.
New Jersey’s medical marijuana law says nothing about minors’ use of the substance in school, leaving it up to the schools and courts to work out whether students may consume medical marijuana on school grounds.
Marijuana is Still a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance
Without an official guideline for medical marijuana use in school under the Compassionate Care Act, The Larc School finds itself in a difficult position. Despite its proven medicinal benefits, marijuana is still a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act. Its possession and use is still illegal in most states, including New Jersey. Allowing its use on school grounds could spell trouble for The Larc School, significantly compromising the education of its other students.
This case pits the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act, which raised the penalties for individuals found in possession of illegal substances while on school grounds, against the New Jersey Compassionate Use Marijuana Act, which created New Jersey’s medical marijuana program. Genny and other students who may need medical marijuana now or in the future are the victims. It raises issues about the lack of a designated medicine administrator while Genny is in school, and about her rights as a patient to seek and receive adequate treatment for her medical needs.
Genny’s Law?
Genny’s case is a landmark case – how the court ultimately rules on her case will set the tone for how schools will handle students’ medical marijuana needs in New Jersey and possibly throughout the nation in the future. Depending on its resolution, it could potentially spur an amendment to the New Jersey Compassionate Use Marijuana Act to avoid such lawsuits in the future.
Agriculture officials in Kentucky stated that hemp production in the state will exceed 1,700 acres in 2015, up from just 33 acres last year. The increased investment is from processors aiming to create new products from the newly-legalized plant.
One such investor, Andy Graves, said his company, Atalo Holdings, has invested $1.5 million in hemp. Graves, CEO of the company, said they plan to process hemp into oil and food products. He stated that nearly 550 acres of hemp will be processed at the company’s Clark County facility, in central Kentucky.
This is the second year Kentucky has been testing hemp as a potential cash crop. James Comer, the Kentucky State Agriculture Commissioner, said that 121 participants, including 24 processors, will be participating this year.
As marijuana legalization goes mainstream, entrepreneurs have rushed to develop businesses in the recreational and medical consumer markets, as well as several other auxiliary niches. One such entrepreneur is Mike Siffin, founder of Hash Brothers Entertainment LLC, who recently unveiled his plan to create a crowd-funded board game for adult cannabis consumers. Siffin was interviewed by the cannabis business news website Ganjapreneur.com as part of an ongoing series of interviews that the site conducts with cannabis start-ups, business experts, and investors.
In the interview, Siffin discusses how he gave up a long career in software sales to start his new venture in the cannabis industry. “Prior to founding Hash-Brothers, I had a 25-year career in software sales in Silicon Valley. It was a good, solid career but I can’t say I honestly loved selling software. Plus, being in sales in the Valley is a grind. I wasn’t an executive, I was a guy carrying a bag for 25 years and that bag and its associated quota didn’t get lighter year after year, it got extremely heavy.” Siffin also explains that part of his mission is to normalize cannabis in the sphere of public consciousness. “Cannabis is a simple herb, grown naturally on our planet and, if allowed, can provide both recreational as well as medicinal benefits. I felt that I might be a good candidate to help lead the charge and advocate for legalization and legitimization.”
Siffin’s board game, “Pipes and Lighters,” is designed for cannabis consumers of legal age and includes elements of chance, strategy, and creative input from the players. The game uses a unique “lazy Susan” board and pits players against each other in a constantly-evolving cycle of trivia, performance, and rules that are made up by the players themselves. “I see Pipes & Lighters as an experience,” Siffin explains, “that can be played across multiple adult generations from the 21 year old grandson to his 88 year old grandma.” So far, the Pipes & Lighters Kickstarter campaign has raised over $10,000 and has just under two weeks remaining.
The full interview is available on Ganjapreneur’s website.
About Ganjapreneur:
Ganjapreneur launched in July 2014 and has since established a significant presence in the cannabis business world. The website regularly publishes interviews and commentary from leading minds in the industry, and has also launched a B2B business directory, a live feed of job listings from marijuana job boards, a domain name marketplace for start-ups and venture capital firms, and a mobile app for Apple and Android devices which aggregates daily cannabis industry news, business profiles, and other information.
The Kansas House of Representatives passed a bill last week to soften penalties for marijuana possession, allow for the study of hemp cultivation, and authorize some medical marijuana use in the treatment of seizures.
HB 2049 passed the House by 81 to 36 on an “Emergency Final Action” vote, which eliminated the need for further debate before the bill continued to the Senate.
The bill would make first-time possession offenders subject to a Class B instead of a Class A misdemeanor, thereby reducing maximum jail times to six months from a year and the maximum fine to $1,000 from $2,500.
The bill was amended to allow access to medical marijuana for seizure patients. Proposed by Rep. John Wilson (D.-Lawrence), the amendment would authorize certain facilities to grow low-THC strains, produce oils from it, and to distribute the oils to card-carrying patients.
Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman stated that marijuana should be legalized “across the board” in an interview with the Daily Beast last week.
Freeman, a longtime marijuana user, was badly injured in a 2008 car accident in Mississippi, when his 1997 Nissan Maxima left the highway and flipped several times. The accident shattered his left shoulder, arm and elbow, and he has yet to regain the full use of his left hand. Now 77, the actor says that marijuana is the only effective pain treatment he has found.
“I have fibromyalgia pain in this arm, and the only thing that offers any relief is marijuana. They’re talking about kids who have grand mal seizures, and they’ve discovered that marijuana eases that down to where these children can have a life. That right there, to me, says, ‘Legalize it across the board!’”
Freeman noted that the legalization movement “is really a long time coming, and it’s getting legs—longer legs.” He also compared the drug with alcohol, stating that the latter “has no real medicinal use. Maybe if you have one drink it’ll quiet you down, but two or three and you’re fucked.”
An Illinois Senate Committee approved legislation that would decriminalize the possession of up to 15 grams of marijuana Wednesday.
The Illinois Senate Criminal Law Committee approved House Bill 218 by a vote of 9-3. The bill was passed by the House last week and now heads to the Senate floor for a vote.
The measure, which was introduced by Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D.-Chicago), would make possession of nearly half an ounce of marijuana punishable by a “uniform cannabis ticket,” with fines ranging from $55 to $125. Cassidy stated that the bill, which would prevent police from arresting people for small amounts of marijuana, would help to prevent racial discrimination in enforcement.
The bill has 16 co-sponsors, and its primary sponsor in the Senate is Michael Nolan (D.-Elgin). As introduced, the upper limit on possession would have been 30 grams, but amendments brought the amount down to 15.
A House analysis found that passing the bill would decrease the number of Illinois prison system inmates by 115, and could save the state $29,335,700 over the next ten years.
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) has established a committee to oversee the development of Oregon’s recreational marijuana industry. The committee comprises fifteen industry experts and law enforcement officials, as well as an attorney and the Multnomah County health officer. It will be chaired by Chris Lyons, the former executive director of the Oregon Lottery.
OLCC Executive Director Steven Marks stated that the committee “will provide a balanced approach” to the industry’s regulation. The committee includes five members with backgrounds in the medical marijuana industry — two growers, two dispensary owners, and the executive of a marijuana genetic testing lab.
The agency also created two permanent subcommittees: one will work on licensing, compliance and law enforcement, and the other is charged with advising the OLCC on how to track marijuana from farm to market.
The full list of committee members can be viewed here.
Our latest featured ganjapreneur has made it his mission to normalize cannabis and overcome stereotypes with entertainment products geared toward the consumer. Mike Siffin, founder of Hash Brothers Entertainment, has recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for a cannabis-themed board game called “Pipes and Lighters.”
Designed on a unique “lazy Susan” board surface, the game is based on elements of chance, strategy, and creative input from the players. In this interview, Mike discusses how he came up with the concept, how the game works, and what his motivations were for leaving his well-established career in the tech industry to pursue opportunities related to legal cannabis.
Read the full interview below:
Ganjapreneur: So, where did the idea for a cannabis-themed board game come from?
Mike Siffin: The idea came to me while I was with my wife visiting our good friends in Arizona. While sitting poolside on their patio, we had just finished smoking some Cannabis and I happened to set the pipe and lighter down directly on the Lazy Susan, and a thought occurred to me as an epiphany. Specifically, kids have virtually unlimited games to choose from, e.g., Monopoly, Life, Mouse Trap, Chutes & Ladders, but what about the adults who enjoy Cannabis and games? Thus, my epiphany and “Pipes & Lighters” was born. Part of the epiphany was the Lazy Susan component, so I hired the design team from Quandary Group and when they designed our board game, they added a unique, patent-pending feature: the ability to convert our Lazy Susan surface into a “Munchies Board” by flipping it over! Pipes & Lighters isn’t just a board game, it’s a novel entertainment experience that incorporates Cannabis Trivia, Culture and all things relating to Cannabis for people to enjoy.
What is the general concept or objective of the game? How does a player win?
The easiest way to explain would be to watch the Kickstarter video. That said, here is a brief overview of the rules. Pipes & Lighters is an interactive adult board game which entails three specific trivia question components that relate to the historical and cultural applications of Cannabis. Specifically:
– “Who Am I?” – “What Am I?” – “Where Am I?”
There is a “Categories” component where the reader of the Category will call out a Category, e.g. “What’s in a Burrito?” Players will then have to order quickly in sequence everything included in a Burrito, e.g. Chicken, Cheese, Salsa, Guac, Sour Cream, however if one stumbles, repeats an answer or answers with an irrelevant answer, they are eliminated in that round of category.
“Wild Cards” will provide “challenges” that may help or hinder a player from moving forward toward the center of our game board.
“Action Items” are assigned when a player correctly answers a Category question and then “spins” the lazy Susan game board surface and where the purple arrow lands, you are assigned an action item. Action Items include “Vices” as well as the ability to “Make a Rule.” There are 3 “Vices” (Vice, Vice Bud, Social Vice) and 1 “Make a Rule” landing spots. Wherever the player who spins the board lands (indicated by the large purple arrow on the Action Item section), that player or the group as a whole will need to perform a “Vice,” e.g. take a “hit” or a “drink” or a “bite” of munchie food.
The “Make a Rule” landing spot will allow the player who lands there to make a rule, e.g. all players during the next round of questioning must answer the questions in a “British” accent. If a player fails to do so, even if they get the answer correct, they are out for that round! This adds a creative element for the players and ups the stakes. The first player to successfully make it around all 42.0 squares on the game board wins! Once the game is over, our game is engineered with a compartment centerpiece that will store the players’ pipes and lighters and then they can share and celebrate with friends. Again, post-celebrating they can flip over the game board, convert it to the “Munchies Board,” and share their favorite culinary delights with their fellow players.
How does Pipes & Lighters fit into the recent resurgence of board games as a cultural niche? Will it appeal to people who enjoy complex strategy games, or is it more geared toward socializing?
Really both. It is as mentioned a very interactive, fast paced game where people will indeed have to use their brains to taste the strain! There are a multitude of trivia questions that are farcical, educational, historical and entertaining. Plus, as mentioned with the “Categories” section, people are engaged and with the focus groups we’ve tested the game, their responses have been both positive and encouraging. Another nice thing about this game is that although intended for Cannabis users,’ it doesn’t exclude anyone from playing or having fun. For example, if someone doesn’t smoke, they can substitute a hit with a drink or food, say they’ve been on a diet, they’d take a bite of their favorite “munchie” instead. To specifically address your question, I see Pipes & Lighters as an experience, an event if you will that can be played across multiple adult generations from the 21 year old grandson to his 88 year old grandma, there’s definitely something for everyone to enjoy! Also, please note that Hash-Brothers has a vision to not simply provide board game products, but also electronic game versions (mobile/video) and web services. Or vision is to be “The Leader in Cannabis Entertainment!”
Can you give us any hints or details about Hash Brothers’ upcoming projects?
We plan to develop mobile, video and other electronic versions of “Pipes & Lighters,” as well as any future games we develop. We plan to expand the “brand” of Hash-Brothers Entertainment into several avenues of entertainment, again as it relates to cannabis history and culture.
What was your career before founding Hash Brothers?
Prior to founding Hash-Brothers, I had a 25-year career in software sales in Silicon Valley. It was a good, solid career but I can’t say I honestly loved selling software. Plus, being in sales in the Valley is a grind. I wasn’t an executive, I was a guy carrying a bag for 25 years and that bag and its associated quota didn’t get lighter year after year, it got extremely heavy. In fact, I believe 25 years selling in Silicon Valley equates to roughly 1,170 years in “Dog Years!” Prior to joining the workforce, I graduated with a B.A. in Behavioral Science from San Jose’ State University.
When did you first start to look at the cannabis industry as a career opportunity?
Once legalization occurred here in Colorado. That, coupled with my personal reasons – I’ve lost 3 close family members to Cancer (Dad – Colon, Brother – A.L.L. Leukemia and a late Wife – A.L.L. Leukemia). So, I made a promise to myself and Family that if I was in a position to lead the charge of legalization, legitimization and most importantly, the medical application of Cannabis, I would hold nothing back.
I feel that Cannabis has been unfairly maligned and vilified. Cannabis is a simple herb, grown naturally on our planet and if allowed, can provide both recreational as well as medicinal benefits. I felt that I might be a good candidate to help lead the charge and advocate for legalization and legitimization. So, if I am able to successfully launch Hash-Brothers, LCC a minimum of 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the Leukemia Research Foundation.
When does the Kickstarter for Pipes & Lighters end, and what are some of the rewards?
Thanks for asking. Our Kickstarter began April 18th and runs until May 23rd. Examples of the rewards are our entry level “Pipes & Lighters” game (all functions minus the engineered lazy susan base – the game will still spin, just doesn’t include the compartment centerpiece base), as well as our exclusive, patent-pending version of “Pipes & Lighters” that contains as mentioned earlier the uniquely engineered board game surface and centerpiece. There are also tee-shirts, bumper stickers, social shout-outs, et al. So, if you want to obtain our game, Kickstarter is where to find it.
Have you met many other entrepreneurs with cannabis start-ups? If so, what would you say are some common traits in people who have left more conventional careers to enter the cannabis industry?
A few. When I have encountered them I feel their backgrounds’ are often similar to mine in the sense that they were at a point in their lives where they had exhausted their initial careers, but still wanted to be actively involved in the business community and thus, a new industry emerged from out of the shadows. At that point, people like myself were offered an opportunity to participate in an industry which has so much potential, yet is still very much in its infancy. I can’t speak for others, but in my case – and I believe others would most likely concur – I’d like to see the legitimization of Cannabis occur and with it the removal of the negative stigma often associated with it.
What is one piece of advice that you would offer to an aspiring ganjapreneur?
To believe in what your doing, and to have a solid grasp on why you built your company to begin with. In my case, the reasons were very personal, but – whatever your motivation – do not be deterred from your goal of bringing your company to market. You will encounter good days and bad, but do not allow this to prevent you from bringing your dream to fruition.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Mike, and best of luck with the Kickstarter campaign! We are looking forward to seeing more entertainment products from Hash Brothers in the future.
The Pipes & Lighters Kickstarter campaign is already over half-way funded: click here to visit the campaign and reserve your copy today. To learn more about Hash Brothers Entertainment, you can visit their website. Questions? Comments? Post them below!
D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) has demonstrated that there is such a lack of anti-cannabis information in the media these days, it’s easier to simply use satire instead.
The anti-marijuana article in question — ‘Edible Marijuana Candies Kill 9 in Colorado, 12 at Coachela‘ — was originally posted on the satire news site topekanews.com. D.A.R.E. posted a copy of the article to its website on March 30, where it remained for close to a month before controversy sparked the organization to remove the falsified news story.
The article describes a scenario where candies made of “sweetened Jello, vodka and minced marijuana” have taken the black market by storm, somehow resulting in a string of binge-related overdoses. According to the author, four teenagers get pregnant every time someone smokes a joint — the author also claims that cannabis is “one of the most dangerous drugs on Earth.”
The absurdity of these claims is surely enough to spark a smile for someone who is at all familiar with cannabis, but as a taxpayer-funded representative of safe drug choices, D.A.R.E. has demonstrated an undeniable disconnect with the reality that is modern marijuana use.
D.A.R.E. America Regional Director John Lindsay did say that the article was an accident, and that he was sorry. “This article slipped through our filter,” he said. “Listen; stuff happens, and you can quote me on that.”
If you’re looking to fund your cannabis startup or have an exciting new product that you’re sure is going to rock the market, there are a few things you should know first. Money comes in different flavors. And, investors, depending on their taste, are more likely to fund some ventures than others.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean your project needs to be strictly unique or innovative to get funded.
There are equity lenders and debt lenders. Most new entrepreneurs think of equity investors when they think of financing. An equity investor gives you money to make money, based on, among other things, how intriguing your project might sound. Of course, you will also need a solid business plan, assets and an exit strategy.
These kinds of investors are hard to come by.
Debt investors, on the other hand, really don’t care about your project or product. Debt investors sell money. They want interest and they want to know they’re going to make money on the venture.
Tevis Verrett of Triumvirate Funding is a debt investor. He described the world of investing as having tiers.
The first tier, and most desirable, includes banks. To get these kinds of loans you need, among other things, stellar credit and 10 or more years of experience in your area of business. Verrett says, “You have to prove your pedigree” with these kinds of lenders.
And you probably won’t get anywhere because most banks won’t touch marijuana.
This brings you to the next tier: private commercial money, which includes hedge funds and venture capitalists such as Verrett. This type of investor has money sitting idle and typically looks at six to ten percent interest on their money. Verrett says, “We have the same expectations as the bank. We look very carefully at every person. There are three things every banker looks at:
Who am I lending to?
How long will you keep my money out?
How will I get my money back?”
However, if you find a marijuana-friendly investor like Verrett and have good credit and the right qualifications, your chances of finding funding at this tier are good.
The third tier is semi-hard money, which is a little more forgiving than the other two tiers. Here the dream is vetted by way of a business plan — and backed by assets.
And if you don’t qualify for one of the above, there are still tiers of investing you can explore.
One of the most important questions investors will want to know is what is your exit strategy?
According to Verrett, “If a person doesn’t have a clearly defined exit strategy, it doesn’t matter how good their credit is, or how much collateral they have, they are not going to get a loan.”
An exit strategy could mean growing your business until it’s large enough to be acquired. Another strategy would be to get it off the ground and profitable enough to attract more investors. Still another one would be to grow large enough so you merge. The new conglomeration will attract new, conventional funding at a lower interest rate, which can pay back the original loan.
There is money out there to fund endeavors, but ganjapreneurs need to have realistic expectations about what this means. Verrett says too many dreamers come in thinking his or her idea is going to be the game changer, but “That isn’t how the game is played with money.”
The old cliché that it takes money to make money may be true in this case. At the very least, you will need some assets to get a loan. If you’re looking for funding based solely on a brilliant idea, you are likely in for a rocky road ahead. However, if you approach an investor with a business plan, assets and a clearly defined exit strategy, you odds increase dramatically.
A committee in the Texas State House of Representatives rejected three bills on Friday that would have reduced penalties for the marijuana possession in the state.
House Bills 325, 414, and 507 were voted down by the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. HB 507 had garnered the most legislative support, and its sponsor says that it has a chance of being revived.
The bill would make possession of under an ounce of cannabis a civil infraction, like a traffic ticket, rather than a class B misdemeanor, thus removing the threat of jail time and a criminal record. The bill failed 3-2 in committee.
Its sponsor, Joe Moody (D.-El Paso), said that its failure was likely due to the absence of certain committee members, including one of the bills 40 co-sponsors, Rep. Terry Canales (D.-Edinburg), as well as another potential supporter, Todd Hunter (R.-Corpus Christi). Rep. Canales was forced to miss the hearing because of a family emergency.
A bill that would authorize medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawaii cleared an important hurdle on Monday.
Many feared the bill, HB 321, dead last week, but negotiators in the House and Senate approved it in committee, sending it on to the full legislature, where it is likely to pass.
The Senate President replaced the chair of the Senate committee in charge of crafting the bill after the former chair, Sen. Josh Green, refused to accept the House’s version of the bill, which set dispensary licenses to be awarded on merit. Green maintains that a first come, first serve system is better:
“In states that have done it the other way, without a transparent process, there’s litigation, there’s really a lot of problems and that’s not the way to do things,” he said last week.
Medical marijuana has been legal in Hawaii for 15 years, but patients either had to grow plants themselves or obtain cannabis on the black market. If the bill passes, dispensaries could begin opening as early as July 2016.
The U.S. Supreme Court has requested an opinion from the Obama administration on Nebraska and Oklahoma’s lawsuit against Colorado’s cannabis legalization.
“The Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States,” read the statement released by SCOTUS on Monday.
This is not an unusual request — and it does not indicate whether or not the court is ready to move forward with the case.
“Because this involves issues that impact how the DOJ does its job, and because the DOJ has been grappling with the tension between state and federal marijuana laws for years, SCOTUS would like the Justice Department’s views on the case,” explained Dan Riffle, director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project.
The plaintiff states are arguing that since the advent of Colorado’s cannabis industry, there has been a marked increase in drug crimes in their states, which border the land of legal marijuana. They claim that the Colorado government is in violation of federal law by allowing legalization to move forward, and want the feds to reverse Colorado’s voter-approved initiative to legalize and regulate marijuana like alcohol.
The governor of Puerto Rico signed an executive order Sunday authorizing the use of medical marijuana there. The order, which went into immediate effect, legalizes the use of the cannabis plant and some or all of its derivatives for medical purposes.
In a statement, Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said, “We’re taking a significant step in the area of health that is fundamental to our development and quality of life. I am sure that many patients will receive appropriate treatment that will offer them new hope.”
Puerto Rico’s health secretary will have three months to write a report regarding how the order will be implemented, what impact it will have as well as what steps should be taken in the future.
The president of Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives, Jaime Perello, expressed support for the executive order: “It’s a step in the right direction. One of the benefits that patients say they receive the most is pain relief.”
Jenniffer Gonzalez, a legislator who is opposed to the order, claimed that it leaves controlled substance law in a “judicial limbo.”
For entrepreneurs and investors who are keeping tabs on the nascent cannabis industry, staying informed about the state of the legalization movement is extremely important. To serve this need, Ganjapreneur, a website dedicated to cannabis business news and culture, has recently upgraded their mobile app for Android and Apple devices with several new features and news categories.
The app originally launched in fall 2014, only a few months after the site itself announced its presence on Ganjapreneur.com. Built as a news reader which also contains business listings, job openings, and interviews with prominent business owners and cannabis experts, the Ganjapreneur app’s user base grew quickly and it gains an increasing number of users on a daily business.
“In such a volatile market, if you’re an investor — or thinking of investing — staying informed is critical. Our app aggregates relevant news articles and editorials from around the web, and new content is posted throughout the day,” said Noel Abbott, Ganjapreneur’s CTO.
One of the new features is a section for videos from Ganjapreneur’s YouTube Channel, where they recently published an interview with NORML founder Keith Stroup, which was recorded during the High Times Cannabis Cup in Denver, Colorado. Another feature is an expanded job list, which links daily to job openings that are posted on all of the internet’s leading cannabis industry job boards.
Ganjapreneur has also recently begun to monetize their website and mobile app, listing several sponsorship opportunities designed for B2B cannabis products and services.
“There aren’t a lot of great resources out there for the professional audience in this industry, and a lot of the outlets that have popped up have shot themselves in the foot by focusing too hard on the get-rich-quick mentality of some who are pursuing opportunities in legalized cannabis,” Abbott said. “Our goal is to be business-focused while staying relevant to the unique identities of the pioneers and activists who got us to where we are today. These are the people who built this industry, and we want to help them grow and succeed.”
About Ganjapreneur:
Ganjapreneur launched in July 2014 and has since established a significant presence in the cannabis business world. The website regularly publishes interviews and commentary from leading minds in the industry, and has also launched a B2B business directory, a live feed of job listings from marijuana job boards, a domain name marketplace for start-ups and venture capital firms, and a mobile app for Apple and Android devices which aggregates daily cannabis industry news, business profiles, and other information.
A bill in the Louisiana Senate that would help doctors prescribe medical marijuana was approved by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee Wednesday.
Senate Bill 143, sponsored by Sen. Fred Mills (R.-Parks), would put the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy in charge of administering the medical marijuana program. The state’s Department of Agriculture and Forestry, in turn, would oversee cultivation.
Following recommendations by law enforcement, medical marijuana would be available only in “medical form.” This excludes “raw or crude” and smokeable forms of cannabis.
After being amended in committee, the bill’s list of qualifying conditions were limited to glaucoma, chemotherapy cancer treatment symptoms, or spastic quadriplegia. The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners would be charged with submitting new qualifications to be considered by the state legislature.
In his arguments for the bill, Mills, who is himself a pharmacist, stated that medical marijuana was legalized in Louisiana in 1991. However, medical marijuana use under the bill was required to be in “accordance with FDA and DEA administrative guidelines.” The new bill would strike this provision from the 1991 law.
We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dan Humiston, founder and president of the International Cannabis Association, who represents a large demographic of hopeful entrants to the cannabis industry. While there are plenty of people across the U.S. who are looking to transition from a black market cannabis career to owning a regulated business in the legal industry, there is also much interest from people who see cannabis purely as a business opportunity and who may have never grown–or even consumed–it themselves.
Our latest featured ganjapreneur has made it his mission to normalize cannabis and overcome stereotypes with entertainment products geared toward the consumer. Mike Siffin, founder of Hash Brothers Entertainment, has recently launched a 
