jews d in the The Business Of Marijuana Many have high hopes for Michigan’s budding industry. SUSAN PECK SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS M ichigan’s “green rush” is officially on. Legalized medical marijuana laws have opened the gateways to a multibillion- dollar industry promising to create economic growth across the state, and interested entre- preneurs are eager to stake their claim. In the eyes of an increas- ing number of industry ana- lysts, cannabis has already become too big to fail. Up nearly 26 percent since 2015, it’s one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S., according to ArcView Group Cannabis Investment & Market Research, and medical marijuana alone could reach a net worth of $5 billion annually by 2020. By that same year, economists predict the legal marijuana industry could generate up to $556 million annually for the state of Michigan. “It can gen- erate significant revenue and jobs,” said Dr. Gary Wolfram, a professor of economics and public policy at Hillsdale College. “It will create a robust marketplace that will provide a positive economic impact.” As it stands now, each city in the state can determine whether it will award medical marijuana licenses for busi- nesses in its jurisdiction. There is a $6,000 fee required with the license application, along with a stringent list of qualifications applicants must meet. Cities like Troy, Ferndale, Waterford, Hazel Park, Warren, Harrison Township and Harper Woods are currently in the process of deciding which businesses they will allow. Ordinances are expected to pass early this year. CHANGING FACE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA With the huge influx of oppor- tunities within the lucrative cannabis industry, many are entering the arena in need of professional guidance to follow the stricter state and municipal regulatory laws that ultimately help to legitimize the industry. “This industry isn’t full of Cheech and Chong-type ston- ers or something out of Reefer Madness. There’s a solid cred- ibility to the new cannabis busi- nesses that we didn’t see in the past,” says Mort Meisner, CEO of GROW Cannabis Marketing firm in Royal Oak. “There are many extremely experienced business-minded people who want to comply with the laws and are passion- ate about what they’re bringing to their communities in the way of health and financial benefits.” Ganja-preneurs, or people investing money in the indus- try, are developing businesses that will be licensed under the Medical Marijuana Facilities Licenses Act (MMFLA) that cre- ates a system for the licensing, regulation and tracking of all medical marijuana in Michigan. The business categories are: grower; processor (extraction/ manufacturing); provisioning center (dispensary); secure trans- portation; and safety compliance facility (independent testing lab- oratory). Since December 2017, the state of Michigan has accept- ed applications for these licenses and is creating an entirely new administrative agency under LARA (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs) to ensure public safety. Florida-based company Franwell will run Michigan’s software program METRC (Marijuana Enforcement, Tracking, Reporting and Compliance) for seed-to-sale tracking. “All products will be traceable back to the grower and the plant from which they are sourced, to handle issues involving product safety, com- pliance standards and recalls,” said Scott Denholm, executive director of METRC. CHANGING ATTITUDES A very personal side to medical marijuana has changed the opin- ion of the industry for many. Seeing medical success stories firsthand like the one of 8-year- old Bella of Grand Blanc, who suffers from a genetic disorder that causes constant seizures, has had a big affect. “Bella’s mother took her to the top pediatric neurologists at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, but nothing could stop her seizures,” Meisner said. “They read about a successful treat- ment using medical marijuana containing cannabidiol, or CBD, that quiets the electrical activ- ity in the brain and got a doctor from Detroit to prescribe it. “It worked and gave the little girl her life back, just like it does for so many others. It’s hard to turn your back on an industry that can safely help people, including young children suffer- ing so much.” Current medical marijuana laws allow prescribed usage for seizures, cancer, glaucoma, chronic pain, muscle spasms and atrophy, HIV/AIDS and severe nausea. You must get qualified by your doctor and apply for a card with the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program before you can purchase any form of mari- juana. GREEN DREAM TEAM HELPS LEGITIMIZE THE INDUSTRY A growing group of topnotch professionals across the country, including Michigan, are provid- ing their legal and business acumen to promote successful, legitimate canna-businesses. Meisner, a 30-year veteran in public relations and a national media agent, and his partner, 24-year-old son Mark, who holds an MBA from Niagara University, own and head up GROW Cannabis Marketing, providing cannabis business services that include PR, marketing, brand management and development, web development, video produc- tion, social media, graphic and logo design, crisis management, packaging and more. “I also work together with a team that includes the best attorneys, financial advisers, real estate agents and HR spe- cialists to assist the business people in the cannabis industry who want to do it the right way,” Meisner said. “We wouldn’t lay our own good reputations on the line unless we were abso- lutely convinced that medical continued on page 12 10 January 25 • 2018 jn FOR MORE INFORMATION Grow Cannabis Marketing 322 E. Lincoln Ave. Royal Oak, MI 48067 Grow-cannabismarketing.com (248) 613-0948 Cannabis Legal Group 520 N. Main St. Royal Oak, MI 48067 cannabislegalgroup.com (248) 541-2600 Bricks + Mortar Group 2769 Coolidge Hwy., Suite 100 Berkley, MI 48072 bricksmortargroup.com (248) 671-4676 Iron Laboratories 1825 E. West Maple Walled Lake, MI 48390 info@ironlaboratories.com (248) 313-9000 THC 1-2-3, Green Solutions HR 13854 Lakeside Circle Suite 350 Sterling Heights, MI 48313 Thc123.com greensolutionshr.com (586) 707-1437 Green House Dispensary 103 E. Walled Lake Drive Walled Lake, MI 48390 greenhouseofwalledlake.com The Reef Dispensary 6640 E. 8 Mile Road, Detroit, MI 48234 findthereef.com (313) 915-4800