Will Investing In Marijuana Change Things?

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In reading the recent NPR article, “The Green Rush Begins: Investors Get In On Pot’s Ground Floor,” one cannot help but wonder if federal policies regarding marijuana, a drug which remains a controlled substance, are encouraging states to experiment and decriminalize marijuana. With two states already legalizing the recreational use of marijuana and twenty states where medical marijuana is legal, will marijuana be the next “investment market?” Cultivating and selling marijuana can add up to a hefty prison term, however, it appears possible now — if not probable — that more federal changes regarding marijuana are on the horizon. With more and more investors getting in on the “legal marijuana industry” and infusing millions of dollars into these operations, the question remains: Will this “pot” of money cause the Department of Justice to take marijuana off the drug schedule list? Unless the federal government takes marijuana off of the Schedule I Controlled Substances list, any regulations come with the risk of adverse federal reaction when the power changes. Time — and money — will tell.

To Listen to the audio from NPR.com, Weekend Sunday Edition, February 16, 2014 click here.

In reading the recent NPR article, “The Green Rush Begins: Investors Get In On Pot’s Ground Floor,” one cannot help but wonder if federal policies regarding marijuana, a drug which remains a controlled substance, are encouraging states to experiment and decriminalize marijuana. With two states already legalizing the recreational use of marijuana and twenty states where medical marijuana is legal, will marijuana be the next “investment market?” Cultivating and selling marijuana can add up to a hefty prison term, however, it appears possible now — if not probable — that more federal changes regarding marijuana are on the horizon. With more and more investors getting in on the “legal marijuana industry” and infusing millions of dollars into these operations, the question remains: Will this “pot” of money cause the Department of Justice to take marijuana off the drug schedule list? Unless the federal government takes marijuana off of the Schedule I Controlled Substances list, any regulations come with the risk of adverse federal reaction when the power changes. Time — and money — will tell. - See more at: http://www.bbknowledge.com/public-safety/will-investing-in-marijuana-change-things/#sthash.5zgaJ9Cl.dpuf

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

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