First American marijuana brand

[Halcyon Daze]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22738895

A former Microsoft executive is planning to create the first American marijuana brand, using drugs imported legally from Mexico.

Jamen Shively, a former corporate strategy manager, says his Seattle-based enterprise could grow to be a leading brand in an increasing market.

He says he is looking to target both social and medical users of the drug.

Russell Trott reports.

[Scarecrow]

not sure how to feel about this. could go both ways, either towards competitive quality products, or towards mass-commercialization and the addition of random chemicals and taxes

...probably both

[Pinion]

You can't dismiss the economic potential of cannabis, especially when (in the US at least) the legal situation is beginning to change. It will be very interesting to see how this progresses.

[Belching]

I doubt they would add things to the product, especially if they want to establish themselves. In America it is so easy to get great quality weed cheaply. If a brand has an adulterated or significantly more expensive product, they aren't going to stick around. People are going to get it from other sources.

I listened to this great Planet Money the other day about the US marijuana market, and strongly recommend it: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/05/07/182010027/episode-456-marijuana-arbitragehttp://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/05/07/182010027/episode-456-marijuana-arbitrage

[botanika]

Wonder if Apple will follow suit. Ipot.

[Scientician]

[woof woof woof]

OWWW shit,... this was exactly the problem one of the guys in the CNN Piers Morgan show addressed.

This is a big no no in my opinion,... Importing part is ok,.... but making a brand and commericalizing it with advertisements.... I don't think that that is conductive to a mature/educated attitude.

[CβL]

It is inevitable that we will see it become commercialized and as a result, safety concerns will be secondary for at least some, and probably the majority of the companies. Whether any regulation can be mustered to control cannabis - is an interesting prospect. I don't imagine the existing cannabis industry (largely illegal operations) will move into the legal market as quickly as the legal market will grow from new entrants - just a hunch, no evidence. If that's the case, then the new cannabis industry is entirely at the whim of lobby groups (i.e. existing corporate interests, due to the new entrant's low mass). The alcohol and tobacco industries will see fit to distance themselves from cannabis and to even elevate themselves if they can (through advertising). I think they will of course enter the market, but not through things like 'Marlboro greens - green out bro!', but rather alternative brands, that are separated in some way so that the average consumer would not know they're related (the same way that Unilever doesn't want you to know that 30% of brands for sale in a given supermarket are them). I can see the cannabis industry being heavily regulated from lobby group pressure - if the corporates want to maintain status quo or buy time, then they will go this route - but I think that they know that there's huge amounts of money to be made and this approach will require them to work together (as they do).

I wonder if the Dutch situation is anything to go by - there the rates of cannabis smoking are very low, as it is associated with old, or weird people - it's not "cool". I'm guessing that advertising will fix this - they will make it cool, fun, funny and hip. Thus the numbers will stay high, and probably go higher due to the American way of advertising and believing said advertising.

Lastly, how will the angle of pain-relief be broached? Will the cannabis industry go head to head with pharmaceutical pain relief? I suspect the FDA will not allow any claims to be made, and will keep cannabis relegated to recreational substance. Pharma will eventually crack a somewhat effective cannabis medicine, and its price will be extremely high. Very likely it'll be modified cannabidiols (CBDs) in future, or maybe they'll settle for a small number of natural cannabinoids - and then they're free and away to make obscene profits, and to justify it too.


Just making guesses =)

Edited June 26, 2013 by CβL

[gtarman]

I think the illegal status of weed is keeping it real, keeping it small, local and sustainable. If you ask me legalizing it is just offering up one more thing for corporations to bastardize and ruin in the pursuit of profit.

Many of the little guys that are economically supported right now by growing and selling it will become just like the independent grocer who gets forced to close down when a Coleworths opens up next door and takes all their business.

[Distracted]

I wonder once this starts taking off if the punishment for growing your own weed will be more than it was when weed was illegal.

Edited July 3, 2013 by Distracted

[C_T]

heh, interesting proposal Distracted and not out of the question

much like tobacco