Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
A group of "ganjapreneurs" looking to break into the budding business of marijuana attended the Cannabis Career Institute seminar Sunday.
Attendees shelled out about $300, which includes the cost of a state-specific text book, to attend the daylong course at a downtown hotel. The curriculum included a handful of speakers who taught different aspects of the marijuana industry - from growing the plant to starting a cannabis business, to navigating the legal and regulatory requirements for the ventures.
Many attendees came with ideas of their own.
A pastry chef was looking to explore launching her own marijauna-infused desserts business. Another attendee wanted to develop a website to publish and sell the monthly stock trading history of publicly-traded marijuana companies.
Encinitas resident Catherine Ceresa wants to develop a phone application that connects marijuana consumers to retailers in their area.
"We're not gangsters and bootleggers, we're young entrepreneurs," she said. "We're moments from marijuana prohibition ending and that's an exciting place to be."
California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, but efforts to legalize recreational use have stalled. Voters in four states and Washington D.C. have approved ballot measures to legalize marijuana. In San Diego, the medical-marijuana business environment has proven to be fiercely competitive. There are limited spots, since the city has decided to allow a total of 36 dispensaries, and applicants are racing for approval from the city's planning commission.
The first legal pot dispensary – called A Green Alternative – was given the go-ahead Jan. 29. The owner compared the decision to winning the lottery. Two others were approved Thursday.
Bob Calkin, who launched the career cannabis course about six years ago, said he designed the seminar to be a comprehensive one-stop shop for starting a marijuana business. It attracts all kinds of attendees, from the simply curious, to the hopeful entrepreneur, to the seasoned professional looking to network.
Attendees receive a lifetime membership to the program, so students can attend as many classes as they want – a perk in an industry that is constantly changing, said one student.
"This industry just moves so quickly, even with our legislation," said the woman, who asked not to be identified.
"It's like business in dog years. Every year in this industry, it's like you go through seven years of what a normal industry would go through."
The seminar is offered across the country and addresses legal requirements specific to states and jurisdictions.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana seminar attracts entrepreneurs | UTSanDiego.com
Author: Lyndsay Winkley
Contact: local@utsandiego.com
Photo Credit: C.C.I.
Website: San Diego News, Local, California and National News | UTSanDiego.com
Attendees shelled out about $300, which includes the cost of a state-specific text book, to attend the daylong course at a downtown hotel. The curriculum included a handful of speakers who taught different aspects of the marijuana industry - from growing the plant to starting a cannabis business, to navigating the legal and regulatory requirements for the ventures.
Many attendees came with ideas of their own.
A pastry chef was looking to explore launching her own marijauna-infused desserts business. Another attendee wanted to develop a website to publish and sell the monthly stock trading history of publicly-traded marijuana companies.
Encinitas resident Catherine Ceresa wants to develop a phone application that connects marijuana consumers to retailers in their area.
"We're not gangsters and bootleggers, we're young entrepreneurs," she said. "We're moments from marijuana prohibition ending and that's an exciting place to be."
California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, but efforts to legalize recreational use have stalled. Voters in four states and Washington D.C. have approved ballot measures to legalize marijuana. In San Diego, the medical-marijuana business environment has proven to be fiercely competitive. There are limited spots, since the city has decided to allow a total of 36 dispensaries, and applicants are racing for approval from the city's planning commission.
The first legal pot dispensary – called A Green Alternative – was given the go-ahead Jan. 29. The owner compared the decision to winning the lottery. Two others were approved Thursday.
Bob Calkin, who launched the career cannabis course about six years ago, said he designed the seminar to be a comprehensive one-stop shop for starting a marijuana business. It attracts all kinds of attendees, from the simply curious, to the hopeful entrepreneur, to the seasoned professional looking to network.
Attendees receive a lifetime membership to the program, so students can attend as many classes as they want – a perk in an industry that is constantly changing, said one student.
"This industry just moves so quickly, even with our legislation," said the woman, who asked not to be identified.
"It's like business in dog years. Every year in this industry, it's like you go through seven years of what a normal industry would go through."
The seminar is offered across the country and addresses legal requirements specific to states and jurisdictions.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana seminar attracts entrepreneurs | UTSanDiego.com
Author: Lyndsay Winkley
Contact: local@utsandiego.com
Photo Credit: C.C.I.
Website: San Diego News, Local, California and National News | UTSanDiego.com
