Pot Barons??? on MSNBC

Ok so I've watched this show and I have mixed feelings about it. First off, any publicity is good, I firmly believe that and the overall theme of the show is positive in my opinion, as far as how it portrays the industry as a whole. That being said, I'm not 100% sure how I feel about some of the people they showcase on the show. Some of them seem so clueless about the very thing they claim to be "passionate" about, and it just comes across as fake and Donald Trump'esqe to me. There are a few of them that seem to be more down to earth and real, but a few just seem over the top on the douche meter.

Something I am really curious about is how they are planning to go to other states to open stores? Like the last few episodes it shows them flying to Nevada and Chicago to flesh out the new prospective markets...??? How can they do this, I'd think that every state is going to have a residency clause in the licensing, so how are they planning to get around that?? Are they just gonna setup some shell company with a resident as a figure head?? That sounds a lot like money laundering to me? Or are they just finding other rich a-holes in those states and saying hey I'll throw you a bunch of money to get started and we will split the profits, etc...

If that is the case, well then we have just lost the game as far as legalizing and it being a movement of the people..your average Joe entrepreneur who just wants to break into the industry when it goes legal in his or her state, won't be able to because the folks in states that have gotten a head start can build such a huge capital reserve they can go to each state that legalizes and buy their way in. This will lead to monopolies, etc...the same thing happened in the petroleum industry years ago and the monopolies had to be broken, which didn't actually happen FYI...

I'm sure I'm just being naive, and in reality it a business like anything else, but I for one was really just hoping that this time it could be different and that the industry to grow and thrive differently. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against people making money, it just seems like the ones that are currently, like those on this show, if not now, will eventually be doing it at the expense of other people....

From what I gathered from the show was that some of the companies were going to expand to other states through franchise opportunities. Kind of like subway does. I have a cousin that owns one of the shops on the show and in his case, each store has a different owner under the same name HCH. You might find it easier to get into the edible or elixir side of the business and produce a specialty product no one else has thought of, rather than thinking a dispensary is the only way to go. Millions will be made on the side market of products beyond just selling flowers.
Just a thought but the big boys are looking at the big cities for the most profit. Once legalized in your state, you might look at the 3rd or 4th largest city in the state as a market with less competition.

Blindnslow said:

From what I gathered from the show was that some of the companies were going to expand to other states through franchise opportunities. Kind of like subway does. I have a cousin that owns one of the shops on the show and in his case, each store has a different owner under the same name HCH. You might find it easier to get into the edible or elixir side of the business and produce a specialty product no one else has thought of, rather than thinking a dispensary is the only way to go. Millions will be made on the side market of products beyond just selling flowers.
Just a thought but the big boys are looking at the big cities for the most profit. Once legalized in your state, you might look at the 3rd or 4th largest city in the state as a market with less competition.

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Yeah, seeing is how I live in Texas...I'm sure behind closed doors there are powerful people in the know that will be made aware months and months ahead of the actual public announcement of any kind of legalization so they can jump in an prepare. I think a market in Texas would make Colorado look like chump change That is really what makes me mad. For those of us that have been following this legalization story for years and years and have actively tried to support it, and would like to try to get into the industry, we will have to fight over the scraps while these rich "Pot Barons" will be able to just come in and take over. I for one want to get into the growing area, I'd love to be able to have a few decent sized greenhouses and supply these dispensaries. Make a decent living, but not try to be some "baron" and become ultra rich off MJ. I don't want to try to get into the actual dispensary or retail aspect, just that much more red tape and also I think here in Texas it might be more dangerous, especially if by some miracle Texas legalizes sooner rather than in last place. I say this because of our proximity to Mexico and the cartels. Something tells me, the cartels will not react kindly to legal dispensaries just a few miles north, taking away their business. I'm actually surprised we have not seen this already, the cartels have enough money they could pay people to go to any state in the US and reek havoc...

Just wait until Nevada goes legal in 2016......oh my

doublejj said:

Just wait until Nevada goes legal in 2016......oh my

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Actually I think the biggest proverbial bomb to drop will be California...when the entire west coast from Seattle to San Diego is legal, that's gonna be a hell of a large population to ignore....also as long as there are a year or two without the sky having fallen it will go a long way to swaying the rest of the country. After that if New York were to go, it would be a forgone conclusion for the rest of the states after that because the rest of the states would have so much influx being brought in, they would be raking leaves in the wind to try and stop it, as if they are doing anything now regardless.