Mark Kleiman, pot’s go-to guy

Posted on December 10, 2013 by admin

Los Angeles Times – December 4th, 2013

Come New Year’s Day, in Washington state and Colorado, marijuana will be legit, courtesy of two ballot initiatives. How do you create a legal business out of an illegal one? After 13 years of Prohibition, the country at least had an earlier legal liquor market to refer to. That’s where Mark Kleiman comes in, the go-to expert on these matters. A UCLA professor of public policy and author and coauthor of books like “Marijuana Legalization,” he’s heard all the jokes about “hemperor” and “your serene high-ness.” He was consulted by Washington state’s liquor control board, which has to come up with the nuts and bolts for the new law and which asked him for, well, the straight dope.

Spread the word…

Posted on November 15, 2013 by admin

The road is clearing up for marijuana dispensaries

Posted on November 8, 2013 by admin

After so many years of hiding in the corners and sneaking their product to cancer patients that suffered, the marijuana business is becoming a little more respected. As people suffer the effects of long recoveries and painful cancers, they are reaching out for something that makes life a little more bearable.

Some of the businesses have waded through all the bureaucratic red tape and have come out on the other side a lot stronger. Even merchant account servicers were terrified to be their money processor for fear that the Federal Government would take down their business because of their association with a Marijuana dispensary.

That was then

The Department of Justice has clarified that if the dispensaries are within the correct operating procedures and doing everything legally, to leave them alone. This will allow them to hunt for banking opportunities as well as merchant account servicers and have little to no fear for those institutions and reprisals by the government.

Opportunity knocks

Finding merchant account servicers that will process a marijuana merchant account is still far and few between, but they are out there. They are brave little merchant account servicers that have watched all the new laws being passed and are very aware of the risk. As long as the dispensary continues to follow the rules and, stays out of their own product, they will have a fine business to work.

On the go

Many dispensaries are on the go businesses, and technology has heard the cry for convenience. Look up all the card processor machines and find the one that works the best for you. From the Square on top of your cell phone to the top of an iPad, the correct answer is out there for the type of marijuana account you work.

High Risk

This is still a high risk business, and you will pay a little more for your merchant account. Don’t fret; the merchant account servicer will take good care of you, making sure that all your credit cards and debit transactions are safe and secure. You will be run through the Gateway that encrypts all transactions. As a customer of a merchant account servicer you also are protected from fraudulent transactions. Your fees might be a little more than you expect, but at least your options for payments have grown.

Now you know

History has taken some twists and turns with the little herb we call Marijuana. Now times have changed and people are relying on it for pain relief and suffering of cancer patients. It helps them eat and not suffer the consequences, and they can gain some weight back. It’s too late for some, but with the diligent work of others, many will not fall off the radar and make it through their treatments.

Look for a Marijuana merchant account servicer that can help you if you are in this type of business. As long as you are working through the rules vetted by the Government and on the right side of the fence, all should be good. Look for the right account and keep your nose clean. Good luck!

How to finance your medical marijuana business

Posted on November 8, 2013 by admin

With more and more states emerging as potential cannabis markets, many entrepreneurs are now interested in starting their own medical marijuana business. As the industry is growing rapidly, many new small business owners who are looking to capitalize with the new market are asking the same key question, how much capital they need and how to finance their medical marijuana business?

According to a few estimates, you may need $15k to $100k to start a medical marijuana business application which will grant you the license to legally do so. Consultants and law firms are charging more and more money as more people become interested in getting a license and starting their own Marijuana business. This indicates that obtaining a license, setting up a website, getting a marijuana merchant account, a shop and going through documentation and legal complications may require a good amount of capital for starting.

So how can you raise funds to finance your medical marijuana business when the banking sector is turning more hostile towards medical marijuana industry due to legalities involved as medical marijuana is still illegal under federal law?

Options for funding your Medical Marijuana Business

Private Investors

With absence of the banking sector, private investors are a great source for funding your business, but it can come at a high cost. With no other alternates available, private investors are charging as high as 25% in interest rate. This rate is often not healthy for sustainable business especially for the medical marijuana industry that also has to pay unusual high federal taxes.

Angel Investing and Venture Capitalist

The other option to get funds is finding an angel investor. In this case, a rich doctor or a successful entrepreneur who agrees to invest in your business by sharing the equity of your business.

Finding a venture capitalist who can invest money in a promising business by sharing the profits is another option. This way, merchants can save the high interest rate, but they need to share the percentage of their business with their investors. The medical marijuana business is doing excellent in terms of profits and growth in states where it is legal, so finding a good angel or venture capitalist is not difficult if you know how to connect with them. A good option is to visit your local business chamber and connect with some of the angel organizations.

According to Adam Bierman, CEO of popular dispensary consulting firm, one pound of pharmaceutical grade marijuana costs $1000 to produce but it sells at $7,500 retail price. This indicates that the huge margin of profit in the medical marijuana industry can lure in big investors easily if you know how to sell your business plan. According to estimates, the $1.5 billion industry in 2013 will expand to $3.3 billion within next two years. With more than 100% promising growth in just next two years, investors are rushing in but you need to make sure that you are finding the right investor with affordable interest rates or favorable equity sharing.

Will my Marijuana Use Prevent Me From Getting Life Insurance?

Posted on October 21, 2013 by admin

This is often a tricky question, but when it comes to Marijuana use, everything is tricky from its legality to finding a medical marijuana merchant account for your medical marijuana dispensary. According to the latest reports, 18 States in America along with Washington DC have allowed the medical use of marijuana but it is still outlawed under the federal law. This adds to the confusion for users of medical marijuana about many related questions, including if they can get a life insurance or not for using marijuana.

To be true, many insurance companies are still confused how to go about the new legality of marijuana in 40% of the States in America. This is a common scientific fact now that marijuana has medical benefits, the reason why it is now legal in many states. Today, the use of medical marijuana is becoming more and more common in United States, something that most life insurance companies were not prepared for.

So what are the scenarios for a person using medical marijuana when it comes to getting life insurance? There may be multiple answers. First, you may run into the company that simply will not allow you to get life insurance for smoking marijuana. These companies are still living in past or don’t know about how to get around the new laws related to legality of medical marijuana in many states.

Some of the other companies may look good for getting life insurance, but they will ask you to pay more for your life insurance as they put you under the category of smokers. In such cases, if you are tested positive for THC, they will not reject your application but you will ask to pay more as a smoker even if you’ve never smoked a cigarette in your life. For these companies, smoking cannabis even for medical use is enough to make you pay higher rates designed for cigarette smokers.

The third and most proactive insurance companies are well aware of all the legality and news related to medical marijuana and they allow you to get life insurance very easily. To find such insurance companies, you can also visit online medical marijuana dispensaries where you buy your medical marijuana, that will share that information with you. With the resolution of medical marijuana merchant accounts, hundreds of online medical marijuana dispensaries are selling medical marijuana online and provide useful information about all the related topics.

The problem with the third type of insurance companies is that they do not have standard laws related to marijuana use. They all have different set of terms and conditions for the cannabis smokers so you need to explore these insurance companies to find the one that best suits you and your lifestyle. For example, American General only allows you to smoke twice a month otherwise your rates will be increased as a regular smoker. Columbus Life provides you with a life insurance based on drug tests. If it is for medical use, you can get a better rate but if heavy use is proved, you will be declined.

In a nut shell, getting a life insurance on normal rates is possible but the choices are limited. So you need to dig into details before getting life insurance from any renowned insurance company.

A step by step guide to setting up your medical cannabis merchant account

Posted on September 27, 2013 by admin

First and foremost, you need to know that when you set up your merchant account you will be in a high risk account. Don’t be too afraid of that. Most of the nation’s accounts with the merchant’s servicers are in the high risk pool. When you set up your marijuana merchant account, you will need to secure a servicer that is willing to do business with you.

1. Make sure your license is in place and you can provide proof of business when you sign up for your merchant account.

2. Find the best servicer on the market. Negotiate your fees.

3. Be prepared for obstacles and higher per transaction fees.

4. Notice that you have a high risk account

5. Be prepared for a hold back on every transaction for the first 3-6 months.

6. Look for someone that can get you a wireless credit card processor to process payments no matter where you go. You might need extra batteries and a wifi connection to get things working. Be prepared for that.

7. Follow the rules and all should work out just fine.

Due to the areas that medical marijuana clinics work, their connections have been unstable at best. There are now marijuana merchant account services ready to help take care of the challenges faced by these sellers. They have offshore banks ready and prepared to assist in the business practices of medical marijuana clinics and sellers.
Do your research to locate the best one for you and your business. Good luck with your endeavor.

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