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Subscribe to this list via RSS Blog posts tagged in Technology
Pipe Dreams: Bitcoin Won't Solve Pot Industry's Banking Problem

 Nov 11, 2017 at 14:00

Charles Alovisetti is a senior associate and co-chair of the corporate department at Vicente Sederberg LLC, and works with legal cannabis businesses in the U.S.

In this opinion piece, Alovisetti warns such enterprises to be wary of using bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies as a solution to the pot industry's continued difficulty obtaining or keeping bank accounts (a familiar problem for blockchain startups.)

One of the major challenges facing legal marijuana businesses is lack of consistent access to banking services. Many marijuana businesses do have banking accounts, but the sword of Damocles dangles above them, always threatening an unappealable termination of an account.

Enter digital currencies, which promise an end run around a wary financial system. There is a great deal of excitement in the marijuana industry about the possibilities regarding bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

But before the cannabis industry gets carried away with images of marijuana businesses sidestepping hostile federal banking regulators, we need to take a hard look at the future of digital currencies.

Alternative prescriptions

One strategy that's been pushed is for cannabis businesses to take an existing digital currency and simply use it as a method of transacting business to avoid the need to rely on banks.

This way, marijuana companies without bank accounts could eliminate the need to operate in cash, instead accepting payment directly from customers or other businesses in digital currency – although converting digital currency into dollars will still require a bank account.

Another possible use of digital currencies would be to develop a new token, often referred to as an app coin, protocol token, or altcoin, specifically for the marijuana industry. Again, the goal would be to reduce or eliminate the use of cash and integrate blockchain technology into the compliance and other needs of marijuana businesses.

Finally, some business offer bitcoin-based payment processing services. These services allow customers to purchase bitcoin via a credit or debit card and then purchase a marijuana product with the recently acquired bitcoin. The store then converts the bitcoin back into dollars. The idea is to provide an alternative to traditional payment processing services and credit card companies that will not work with marijuana businesses.

Harsh realities

However, regulators present a real and present threat to cryptocurrencies as they currently exist; for example, recent Chinese regulatory restrictions have seen the closure of platforms allowing people to buy or sell tokens.

And these threats become even more important for digital currencies servicing marijuana-related businesses ("MRBs" in the parlance of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or FinCEN).

As longtime CoinDesk readers will recall, in March 2013, FinCEN published its initial guidance on virtual currencies. The agency defined three categories of participants: users, exchangers and administrators. A user is "a person that obtains virtual currency to purchase goods or services," whereas an exchanger is "a person engaged as a business in the exchange of virtual currency for real currency, funds, or other virtual currency" and an administrator is "a person engaged as a business in issuing (putting into circulation) a virtual currency, and who has the authority to redeem (to withdraw from circulation) such virtual currency."

FinCEN concluded that, barring any specific exemption, exchangers and administrators are money service businesses (MSBs) and as such are subject to FinCEN registration and the framework of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), which was designed to aid FinCEN's investigations of potential criminal activity.

Subsequent administrative rulings have clarified that FinCEN considers digital currency exchanges, ATM operators, and payment processors to be exchangers within the agency's tripartite framework.

On the marijuana side of the equation, it is important to note that, while marijuana remains illegal federally, the industry in the U.S. exists in its current form because it is tolerated pursuant to federal policy, as set forth in the Cole Memo (put out by the Department of Justice on Aug. 29, 2013).

The Cole Memo states that while marijuana remains illegal federally, federal law enforcement should not consider prosecution of state-legal marijuana businesses if those business do not implicate any of eight enumerated enforcement priorities (e.g. preventing revenue from the sale of marijuana from going to criminal enterprises and preventing state-authorized marijuana activity from being used as a cover or pretext for the trafficking of other illegal drugs or illegal activity).

A potent brew

While it is unfair to associate all digital currency use with illicit activity, there is a perception, reinforced by certain bad actors, that digital currencies are being used to launder money, divert revenue to criminal enterprises and traffic illicit drugs. Any risk that a business could be seen as violating the Cole Memo priorities needs to be treated extremely seriously as it could provoke a federal law enforcement action.

While the Cole Memo addressed violations of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), it was silent as to financial crimes that would inevitably result from the use or banking of proceeds of a federally illegal activity. In response to financial institutions' concerns regarding accepting MRBs as clients, on Feb. 14, 2014, in two memos often referred to as the "Valentine's Day Letters," the Department of Justice and FinCEN each outlined their respective attitudes to money laundering concerns related to the violations of the CSA.

The FinCEN memo contained detailed guidelines on how to provide banking services to an MRB while remaining compliant with the BSA. These guidelines included the obligation to file different types of suspicious activity reports (SARs) in response to activity on the part of an MRB. The new DOJ memo updated the earlier Cole Memo to extend the realm of non-priority violations to include provisions of the money laundering statutes, the unlicensed money remitter statute and the BSA triggered by underlying violations of the CSA.

But the DOJ reiterated that any exercise of discretion regarding its resources was subject to the provision of services to an MRB whose activities do not trigger any of the eight priority factors. The DOJ also noted that following the FinCEN guidance was critical to remaining within the low enforcement priority category of the Cole Memo.

Again, FinCEN has also made it clear BSA compliance obligations also apply to many businesses dealing in digital currencies – exchanges, ATM operators and payment processors are all required to register as MSBs. That means that to comply with the Cole Memo and FinCEN's marijuana policy guidance, any digital currency business that is required to register as an MSB must make the required SAR reports outlined in the Feb. 14, 2014, FinCEN guidance.

Just say no

When it comes to marijuana firms using cryptocurrencies, discretion should remain the better part of valor.

The marijuana industry in the U.S. exists solely due to permissive federal policies that require businesses to follow certain guidelines, including filings SARs with FinCEN. If these guidelines are not being followed to the letter, which is a challenging and sometimes onerous task, a business is no longer within the guidance of the Cole Memo and is at higher risk of facing federal law enforcement action.

And even if these guidelines are religiously adhered to, while FinCEN-compliant use of digital currencies is not explicitly prohibited by federal policy, their use is sometimes linked by law enforcement with money laundering, illicit drug sales and other illegal activities.

As these crimes are listed as prevention priorities in the Cole Memo, digital currency use could potentially provide an excuse for Attorney General Jeff Sessions (no fan of legal marijuana) to crack down on state-legal pot enterprises.

Original Article: https://www.coindesk.com/pipe-dreams-bitcoin-wont-solve-pot-industrys-banking-problem/

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Growing Cannabis vs Buying Cannabis

What are the economics/benefits of growing your own MJ versus buying from a dispensary? 

Marijuana is also popular by the name of cannabis and it is a plant that acts like a psychoactive drug. Earlier, only the recreational uses of marijuana were known but nowadays it is extensively used for medicinal purposes as well. Marijuana can be used in various forms: it can be used for smoking; its extract can be added to food items; its oil can be applied on the skin, and it can be used for vaporizing for example. It has shown wonderful results in treating health conditions like cancer, glaucoma, heart problems, anxiety, depression, body pain, skin disorders, digestive disorders and much more, and that is the reason why many people state time and time again that they love growing marijuana.

Which is the right choice- growing marijuana or buying it from a dispensary?

Nowadays, medical practitioners are also recommending the use of marijuana for treating various health related disorders. If you wish to buy marijuana, the first thing that will come to your mind is to look for a dispensary that supplies it. But you may not know which dispensary is supplying the right quality of marijuana and whether genuine prices are being charged. So it is a better idea to grow your own marijuana as it offers a lot of benefits over the marijuana that is procured from a dispensary. 

Here are the benefits of growing your own marijuana:

Economical

The first thing that you will notice if you go to buy marijuana from a dispensary is that it is usually overpriced. But if you grow marijuana in your home then it would be far more economical and will help in saving a lot of money. You just need to invest one time for high quality seeds; soil, fertilizers etc and then you can have as much marijuana as you want. Many people love growing marijuana not only for themselves but they have even started their own businesses by supplying high quality marijuana to the people in need.

High quality is guaranteed

If you buy marijuana from a dispensary, you may never know about its true level of quality because there are many varieties. But once you will grow it in your home you will be assured that there is no compromise on the quality front.

You can grow as much quantity as needed

When it comes to buying marijuana from a dispensary, you have to think twice about its quantity, but if you will grow it on your own then this issue will be resolved completely.

Easily convertible for specified uses

By growing marijuana on your own you can easily convert it in various forms like you can secrete its oil and apply for skin related concerns, its extract can be added to food, or you can simply use it like a vaporizer. So it would be a great advantage altogether.

Everything will be supervised under your hand

Growing marijuana on your own gives you the privilege to supervise everything under your own hand, thus there won’t be any compromise in its standards and you will get the best quality for it. 

Now you must have gotten a complete idea to what the benefits are of growing your own marijuana versus buying from a dispensary, so it is guaranteed by following the aforementioned advice here then you would also say: I love growing marijuana.

 

Invest In MJ Editor Notes:

The article above was provided by James Hayes and are his opinions from his research. The views expressed above are not necessarily the opinions of Invest In MJ and we suggest you conduct your own research to determine the level of accuracy of the information contained in the article.

Here at Invest In MJ we believe that growing your own is an excellent option versus purchasing from a dispensary or other source. There are numerous benefits to being able to grow your own cannabis and there is a lot of information out there to help you get started. Cannabis is an enjoyable hobby to undertake once you have completed your research. With so many ways to grow and a variety of products to meet the needs of the everyday consumer, it can leave some people confused about which route is the best for them. Ultimately, growing your own (with some experience) will allow you to have control over your strain quality, grow method and it will also save you a lot of money in the long run.

While good quality seeds are a great investment, you should also invest time in researching the lights, tents and other equipment required for an excellent home set-up. We believe that LED grow lights are the way of the future. They do cost more than standard HPS but they last longer, use less electricity and they run at a much cooler temperature. We love Cirrus LED Grow Lights because they offer the latest technology and the light operates from an App on your Android of iOS device from anywhere around the world. Cirrus T series lights also give you 5 individual channels to control the red, white, blue, UV and IR rays of light. Take a look at all of the Cirrus products over on LED Tech Store

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Along with the proper lighting, you will also want to research tents, filters and fans to make sure that you have the best climate control and air flow in your set up. We encourage consumers to look at Gorilla Grow Tents because no one on the market makes a better tent than what they produce.

Through our own research we have found that the average cost of a personal home set-up with premium equipment will cost roughly $2500-$3000. Based on the average yield per light, you should be able to obtain 1lb of cannabis per light and it can be produced for roughly $2-$3 per gram. That means that 1lb of home grown cannabis is roughly $1300. The average cost per gram from a Licensed Producer in Canada is $10 per gram and you can typically only purchase in 1 gram increments. This means that 1lb of Cannabis from an LP would cost $4480. The numbers can vary if you are able to purchase cannabis for less than $10 per gram but ultimately it is much more affordable to make the investment in the equipment. Technically you would have the ability to produce 1lb of cannabis every grow cycle and there are 4 cycles in a year.

There are many options for consumption of cannabis products today from oils and extracts to edibles, topicals and tinctures, the options are nearly endless. We believe that oils are the way of the future when it comes to cannabis as it offers a wide variety of deliver systems in this form. The ability to easily produce these oils is questionable as there is a very tough science behind producing and distilling a product to its purest form. We will be releasing an article shortly regarding the process of creating oils and distillates and the trials and tribulations associated with it.

Growing your own cannabis is an excellent choice for the consumer who wants full control over their product and you will also save money. The investment for equipment is critical to produce a premium product and we have found that you really do get what you pay for. We encourage everyone to take the time to research growing, the equipment required such as lights tents and fans and the different methods of growing. By researching you will find out the correct method that’s tailored to your needs.

If you are interested in learning more about the cultivation of cannabis and you are located in the Niagara or New York region, take a look at the upcoming Grow Up Cannabis Conference & Expo that is being held on Oct 6-7 at the Scotiabank Centre. It is an excellent opportunity to learn about the equipment and the science behind cultivation. For more information on tickets and how to attend click here.

 

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*The numbers used to calculate the average costs from Licensed Producers in Canada are estimated based off of the research that we have conducted. Costs can vary.*

 

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May 29, 2015 - Medbox, Inc. (OTCQB: MDBX), a leading provider of specialized consulting and technology solutions to the legal marijuana industry, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Vaporfection, has signed an exclusive North American distribution agreement for its “miVape” vaporizer with VaporNation, the largest wholesaler and online retailer of vaporizers.

The miVape vaporizer, which is expected to be available for purchase in June, is a self-contained, USB-rechargeable unit that uses medical grade, food-safe and heat resistant materials to deliver the healthiest experience possible.

“VaporNation is a symbiotic fit for Vaporfection as we introduce our portable, true convection miVape vaporizer to the market. I believe it is truly a game changer in terms of its high-quality construction, superior performance and strict adherence to safety standards,” said Dan Wynick, President of Vaporfection. “Aligning with VaporNation provides access to a robust distribution network as well as amazing marketing opportunities that will help us meet the demand for a high-caliber, portable vaporizer at an affordable price.”

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LAS VEGASMay 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- DigiPath Labs, the cannabis testing subsidiary of DigiPath, Inc. (OTCQB: DIGPD) opened the doors of its Las Vegas marijuana analytical testing laboratory for business today. Equipped with state of the art analytical instrumentation and operated under the direction of Cindy Orser, PhD, DigiPath Lab's flagship facility offers cannabis growers and marijuana-based product-makers fast and reliable results.

"This is a great day for the patients of Nevada who will benefit from medical marijuana," said DigiPath Labs president Todd Denkin. "Our analysis not only helps product producers and dispensaries screen out products with dangerous levels of contaminants, we also quantify the medicinal compounds present in samples, so patients and caregivers can choose products that have been shown to relieve their specific symptoms."

Surprisingly, compulsory cannabis testing is relatively new. The State of Colorado only began requiring product testing a year ago after a series of overdoses on edibles made the news. Washington State did not begin requiring testing for potency, contaminants, moisture and microbiology testing until 2013 when recreational cannabis became legal, even though the medicinal use of marijuana became legal in 1998.

 

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SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - May 27, 2015) - MyDx, Inc., (OTC PINK: MYDX), the developer of MyDx™ (My Diagnostic), the first handheld chemical analyzer for consumers, has signed an exclusive patent sublicense agreement with Next Dimension Technologies, Inc. ("NDT"), a developer of electronic nose chemical sensing technology used by NASA, and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Under the agreement, NDT will license intellectual property relating to its chemical sensing technology that enables the MyDx Analyzer to sense, measure and report chemicals of interest to its customers. The company has exclusively licensed the use of the sensor technology to characterize and detect compounds in Cannabis.

"Offering the Cannabis Industry a friend in Science & Technology is an exciting step for MyDx," said Daniel Yazbeck, the company's Chairman & CEO. "We currently are the only company offering a practical Cannabis analysis solution at an affordable consumer price point. With this exclusive agreement, we now also have the intellectual property needed to further protect this competitive advantage."

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