Cannabis is the new “Pot of Gold” for states, investors, producers and consumers - by Dennis Serpone

“Buy Bitcoin…invest in Tesla…you should have bought Moderna!” Well-meaning advice from friends, stockbrokers, or people who already own them and would like to see you push the volume up or, maybe, are just rubbing it in. Whatever the reason, we work to make money, we invest to make money.

The new, well relatively new in Massachusetts, is the advice…“Get into cannabis”  if you really want to make big money. Originally, there was only medical dispensaries, then it became recreational dispensaries, followed quickly by CBD oil retail stores. There’s no doubt that cannabis/marijuana/THC has incredible qualities that have proven, yes proven medical benefits. The government has funded numerous studies to explore and certify those benefits. From the recreation side, anyone who smokes will attest to how much they enjoy the calming and social benefits that comes with smoking alone or with friends. Now you don’t even have to smoke, eat THC infused gummies or sodas and you’re “gone.”

The newest, hottest area for making money is to get a cannabis delivery license…quick pot delivery, Uber pot delivery, pot express. You don’t have to dress up, get in your car, drive to a dispensary, and wait in line. Instead, you call, place your order, and shortly your order is at your doorstep. 

China is supposedly going to a cashless society with a digital currency, Bitcoin may become the required form of payment for cannabis so the government can track every sale.

When the first state made recreational pot usage legal, the other states one by one have followed suit. Soon all the states will legalize either medical and or recreational cannabis use. Why would the states capitulate to its various forms of ingestion…tax revenue of course.

What a boon to the slush funds of state politicians. However, the money is spread from the lowest echelons of municipal power to the highest. Cash payoffs, influence pedaling, and outright arm-twisting to get the coveted right to sell, grow, or deliver marijuana is blatantly evident. 

The effects of the THC products are known and recognized. Smoking weed can be mind-numbing, bring you to a state of euphoria, cause uncontrollable laughter, or make you paranoid. However, weed has also been proven to relieve pain, and help cancer patient’s deal with the effects of chemo-therapy. Now, enter the medical cannabis dispensaries. If you have an ailment that your doctor determines may be helped by the smoking or ingestion of a variation of THC, you can obtain a medical card to buy cannabis. Medical dispensaries by the hundreds sprung up around the country before recreational facilities. Now, there are over 60 recreational dispensaries in Mass. The demand for approved locations to build dispensaries and the fight for licensing makes the quest of restaurateurs to win a liquor license, look like child’s play.

I have to guess that every town official is badgered by the politically connected to win a location, and then a license approval. If you look close, somewhere you’ll find a mayor’s brother, a selectman’s cousin or a consortium of political donees in the fray. The cannabis market and all its tentacles are huge…across the country.

Seeing the huge potential of any business that supports this burgeoning industry,  I recognized early on that not only will brokerage services be needed but consulting and investor resources could mean the success or failure of a project. Using the same model of integrity, superior service, and extensive experience that I brought to restaurant and hotel brokerage industry, my newest creation, with president, Edward Williams, Cannabis Business Brokers is quickly becoming a nationally recognized resource for buyers, sellers, and investors.

From the same marijuana plant, CBD oil is extracted. Government research labs have determined that this miracle oil absolutely helps autistic children calm down and focus. For the rest of us this oil is a God-send as an anti-inflammatory agent, pain-reliever, and a wonderful sleep aid.

Dennis Serpone is the founder/CFO of Cannabis Business Brokers, Lynnfield, Mass.