Marijuana dispensary licenses to the highest bidder?

[CaseyJones]

Massachusetts cities and towns are exacting increasingly hefty payments from medical marijuana dispensaries in exchange for letters the companies need to win state licenses, a Globe review of recent compacts shows.

In Worcester, a dispensary promised to pay the city $450,000 over three years — and $200,000 a year after that — if officials gave their blessing to the business.

In Springfield, the city is negotiating a deal that would ultimately take 7 percent of a dispensary’s revenue, plus a $50,000 annual donation to the Police Department — a pact that could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

And in Salem, where the first dispensary opened a year ago, the medical marijuana shop contributed $82,856, a paltry amount compared with more recent deals.

“It’s quite clear if you don’t negotiate an agreement, you don’t get a letter,” said James E. Smith, a Boston attorney who represents a marijuana company that signed one of the larger agreements in March, with the City of Worcester.

This phenomenon, which some called pay-to-play, is not typically seen with marijuana licensing in other states, and will drive up the costs of doing business while siphoning money from the dispensaries that could be used to lower prices for needy patients, advocates said.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/07/24/marijuana-dispensary-licenses-highest-bidder/fxXp5MBr9nAl6npiTopS3M/story.html

[MelissaWV]

Government mafia... hooray....

[phill4paul]

"Legalize it!", they said. "De-regulate it", I said. "Well first we need to at least legalize it.", they said.

Well, there you go. Hope you're jubilant over legalization and all it entails.

[Dr.3D]

I wonder how much Rite Aid has to pay.

[euphemia]

And what presidential candidate owns stock in phony pot companies?

[Natural Citizen]

And what presidential candidate owns stock in phony pot companies?

Seems like some GMO giants want to control marijuana trade, euphemia...http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?497805-Seems-like-some-GMO-giants-want-to-control-marijuana-trade&p=6258922&viewfull=1#post6258922

Nobody pays attention, though. Heh.

[Natural Citizen]

"Legalize it!", they said. "De-regulate it", I said. "Well first we need to at least legalize it.", they said.

Well, there you go. Hope you're jubilant over legalization and all it entails.

Yeah, they were likely stoned when they said that. :cool:

[Root]

"Legalize it!", they said. "De-regulate it", I said. "Well first we need to at least legalize it.", they said.

Well, there you go. Hope you're jubilant over legalization and all it entails.
Heaven forbid they subsidize it, like they do with everything else.

[Schifference]

Penalties for selling illicit pot will probably get worse.

[TheTexan]

In Springfield, the city is negotiating a deal that would ultimately take 7 percent of a dispensary’s revenue, plus a $50,000 annual donation to the Police Department — a pact that could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

That's really nice of them, to make an annual donation like that.

[euphemia]

I tried to tell you this when Colorado legalized it. Government will be the first in line to legalize anything once they realize they can tax it. Nobody listened, because liberty or something.

[puppetmaster]

That is how it worked here in Nevada....just had to be in the political class to get a license and or make big donation.

[euphemia]

That's also what they tried in Ohio. Investors are all about it.

[Nick] Lachey was among a group of investors that placed a marijuana legalization initiative on the Ohio ballot in 2015.[17] The initiative sought exclusive grow rights for the group members while prohibiting all other cultivation except small amounts for personal use.[18] Lachey appeared in a TV ad advocating for passage of the initiative, but it was ultimately defeated.[19]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Lachey

[euphemia]

And this genius post about Johnson's investment is relevant here:


Nobody brings that up. But he used his notoriety as the Libertarian Party candidate to lend his name to two pump and dump schemes involving marijuana companies.

He got paid 515,000 shares of stock called Cannabis Sativa which has no assets or revenues. He left the company at the beginning of the year. Subsequently the stock went up by a 1000% in a paid promotion which would have meant his stake in a worthless company was worth $1.7 million if dumped, which someone should ask him about.
He was also involved with a company called Medican Enterprises which people should look at a chart of that stock. Anyone with a functioning brain can read the SEC filings. http://www.otcmarkets.com/edgar/GetFilingHtml?FilingID=10628010

If he ever got close to being a real candidate, this would immediately become an issue. It would be similar to Trump University or the Ron Paul Newsletters. It doesn't become an issue until he is taken seriously. The he becomes a total joke like Wesley Clark. https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=wesley+clark+penny+stock+general

[pcosmar]

Every state is doing it differently.. with one exception.. Government gets a cut off the top.

But folks get legal stores with a wide selection.

I am hoping the market will sort itself out in time.