Invest in MJ Blog

MassRoots, Inc. (MSRT), one of the largest and fastest growing social networks for cannabis consumers, is pleased to announce it has filed an application to become one of the first cannabis technology companies listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market. Last year, MassRoots was one of the first cannabis-related companies to go public through a Registration Statement on Form S-1, as opposed to a reverse-merger.

MassRoots has demonstrated tremendous growth in recent quarters, more than doubling its userbase since the beginning of 2015 to a half million users. The Company recently started monetizing its digital properties and is expecting to rapidly scale its revenues over the next several quarters. Sitting at the intersection of cannabis and mobile technology, MassRoots offers a direct play on the regulated marijuana industry without ever touching the plant itself.

“Uplisting to the NASDAQ Capital Market would be a significant milestone not just for MassRoots, but the cannabis industry as a whole,” stated MassRoots Chief Executive Officer Isaac Dietrich. “We believe that uplisting to a national exchange like the NASDAQ would enable MassRoots to attract a broader range of institutional investors, increase share liquidity and help shift the paradigm about investing in the regulated marijuana market.”

These days it’s harder than ever to break through, especially in an industry whose bandwagon is quickly filling up like the SF cable car. There is so much noise, everyone is screaming and trying to get their message across, staking their claim in the green rush. It’s great in the sense that without gatekeepers more people are able to express their ideas, but the downside is that it’s harder than ever to actually be heard. I, personally, like when the best ideas win.

So, how do you find your breakthrough idea? Many people know generally where they want to go, but it takes more than that. There are five major ways to get to your “idea destination”. You don’t even have to do all five. Pick one and execute it well. That’s enough to make your name in the cannabis industry. 

Start with a niche strategy then expand strategically outward

You can’t just say I’m going to be the expert in something. In that category, you will compete with the entire world. You have to narrow it down. The secret to that however, is that you don’t want to be pigeonholed doing that. You need to move into new territory from there. It’s all about circling the area around a niche. A good niche is one that you can become the master of, because the big players in the industry only talk about it periodically. Where do you get the seed for finding a niche? Well, solving your own problem is one way. If you are in a situation, others are too. Also, draw from your personal experiences. Notice needs and find a solution. 

BOULDER, Colorado and SAN DIEGO, California—June 16, 2015—Shift Cannabis Company and Innovative Solutions today announced a dynamic alliance that teams the market-leading strengths of each company to transform the medical cannabis industry. Through the use of the Puradigm cutting edge technology, used to manage and control microbial, mold, and pathogen growth during indoor cultivation, these two companies are tackling head-on one of the most prominent and pertinent issues facing the commercial cannabis industry today.

The alliance aims to redefine the way medical cannabis growers produce product using the advanced Puradigm technology to purify the air and surfaces in the grow environment. Working together Shift Cannabis Co. and Innovative Solutions will be able to address key cannabis industry cultivating challenges including:

• Controlling microbial and pathogens throughout the production facility
• Purifying air and surfaces in grow rooms for clean flower development
• Managing the dry and cure process by attacking gray mold and botrytis
• Providing a clean process for packaging and storage of clean product

Shift Cannabis Co. is involved in all core markets of the cannabis industry from seed to sale providing professional business services to retailers and producers alike. With over a decade of commercial, regulated cannabis cultivation expertise, and over fifteen years of combined experience in cannabis organizational management including Lean and Six-Sigma Processing, their leadership team only utilizes products that work. When asked about his corporate culture Travis Howard, Founder and General Manager of Shift, had this to say, “As a former attorney I was used to being able to test theories against long-standing case law so I made sure our team had test gardens, places where they could break and fix, infect and clean, really put inventions to work under real-life demanding circumstances. If we haven’t used it, effectively, we don’t consult it. Period.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is proposing to adjust the established 2015 aggregate production quota for marijuana.  While marijuana is a scheduled I drug and the laws around it are enforced by the DEA, they do allow several government agencies and registered manufacturers to produce it for research and product development.

Registered manufacturers and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) have requested a higher quota for production and supply of marijuana for 2015.  The previous 2015 established quote for marijuana was 125,000 g, and the new adjusted quota for 2015 is 400,000 g.

Highlights from the Federal Register Notice:

Background:

The DEA established the initial 2015 aggregate production quotas and assessments of annual need on September 8, 2014 (79 FR 53216). That notice stipulated that, as provided for in 21 CFR 1303.13, all aggregate production quotas and assessments of annual need are subject to adjustment.

Based on unanticipated medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs of the United States the DEA proposes to adjust the established 2015 aggregate production quotas for the schedule I and II controlled substances difenoxin, diphenoxylate (for conversion), and marijuana to be manufactured in the United States in 2015. The adjustment is necessary to provide for the estimated medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs of the United States, lawful export requirements, and the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks.

In proposing the adjustment, the Administrator has taken into account the following criteria in accordance with 21 CFR 1303.13: (1) Changes in demand for the basic class, changes in the national rate of net disposal for the class, and changes in the rate of net disposal by the registrants holding individual manufacturing quotas for the class; (2) whether any increased demand or changes in the national and/or individual rates of net disposal are temporary, short term, or long term; (3) whether any increased demand for that class can be met through existing inventories, increased individual manufacturing quotas, or increased importation, without increasing the aggregate production quota; (4) whether any decreased demand will result in excessive inventory accumulation by all persons registered to handle the class; and (5) other factors affecting the medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs of the United States and lawful export requirements, as the Administrator finds relevant.

Analysis for Adjusting the Established 2015 Aggregate Production Quota for Marijuana:

Since the establishment of the initial 2015 aggregate production quotas, the DEA has received notification from DEA registered manufacturers that research and product development involving cannabidiol, is increasing beyond that previously anticipated for 2015. The associated product development activities are related to process validation and commercialization activities, including qualification activities related to potential U.S. Food and Drug Administration submission support.

Additionally, the DEA has also received notification from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) that it required additional supplies of marijuana to be manufactured in 2015 to provide for ongoing and anticipated research efforts involving marijuana. NIDA is a component of the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which oversees the cultivation, production and distribution of research-grade marijuana on behalf of the United States Government, pursuant to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (March 30, 1961, 18 UST 1407).

The Administrator Michele M. Leonhart, therefore, proposes to adjust the 2015 aggregate production quotas for difenoxin, diphenoxylate (for conversion), and marijuana, expressed in grams of anhydrous acid or base.

You can read the full Notice by the DEA and provide your opinion as they are requesting comments.

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For a while now we have been excited about the legal Cannabis sector and the opportunities for investments seem endless.  Over a year ago, we started covering the marijuana sector at Invest In MJ and it has been interesting watching the politicians finally taking a serious look at their stance on marijuana.  

It wasn’t too long ago that marijuana was a taboo subject and that most politicians didn’t want to broach the subject let alone provide their stance or political views on it.   Most career politicians opposed the idea of marijuana legalization because it didn’t get them votes or the lobbyist were very successful in their efforts to keep  cannabis classified as a schedule I drug.  Without actually doing any real research on marijuana or seeking out the truth on its medicinal benefits, they still hold the notion that cannabis is a gateway drug and that it should remain illegal.  The ignorance in DC is astounding or its just plain criminal that they still want to maintain control over the masses by making a plant illegal.  However they are losing The War Against a Plant and the debate is about to heat up in 2015 and 2016.

In a recent article and poll posted on The Washington Post, we can clearly see that Weed is polling better than the entire field of candidates for the 2016 elections.  While Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush may be the leading candidates when it comes to favourability ratings, medical marijuana is clearly the leader and recreational marijuana still beats out these contenders.  With over 80% in favor of medical marijuana and just over 50% for recreational, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida have spoken and they are more in favor of marijuana than they are of the various candidates.  If this poll of the three key swing states is any indications of what people want, I am sure US citizens would vote in favour of medical marijuana over any politician… that is if Med MJ was on the ballet.  

While the dysfunctional US gov’t may never address the real issues and problems it creates (endless wars, highest incarceration rate in the world, being a bankrupt country and the flaws of central banking), it may have to address marijuana as a Schedule I drug.  Obama has opened up the doors towards legalization and he recently commuted the sentences of 22 drug offenders which marks the largest of such “pot pardons” since he took office.  Obama had issued 21 commutations and 64 pardons over the course of his presidency while his predecessor George Bush commuted only 11 sentences.  The question is… will the new candidates close the doors on marijuana legalization once they get into power or leave it open and allow the masses to walk through without being criminalized.  

While medical marijuana will never be on the 2016 ballet (even though it should be since it is what people want); it sure will become one of most talked about topics in the coming years.  We believe medical marijuana will be one of the hottest topics of debate for this up and coming election. However, if we truly lived in a democratic world, we should be voting on topics that matter and what the people really want.  Instead we are stuck having to select one political party or another, both of which seek power to advance their master’s agenda and not addressing the wishes of the masses.

Should marijuana be legalized and would you vote for it?  Let us know what you think.

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