The end of Cannabis prohibition represents a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs. It’s the biggest thing since the birth of dot com. The Cannabis industry already generates more than $50 Billion dollars annually in the U.S. if you include the black market. It’s no surprise that entrepreneurs and investors are rushing into this space with green on their minds.

Cannabis has been illegal for almost half a century

Many compare the re-legalization of Cannabis to the end of alcohol prohibition. However, that comparison is not totally valid. Alcohol was legal just a few years prior to the failed prohibition experiment.

Millions of consumers treat Weedmaps like the Yelp for pot, relying on the Irvine company as their definitive guide to marijuana dispensaries, varieties and doctors.

But a key feature — user reviews of pot businesses — may be tainted by thousands of potentially fraudulent comments, a flaw in the company’s software revealed.

Reviews on the site are pseudonymous, and visitors reasonably expect that each is written by a unique customer. But data that Weedmaps mistakenly leaked suggests a large proportion of a glowing remarks come from individual users leaving multiple reviews of a single business.

Of 598 businesses examined by the Los Angeles Times and a software developer, 70% had at least one batch of reviews originating from the same IP address.

4blooms, a marketing agency devoted to cannabis industry clients, is proud to announce its launch, and is marking the occasion by offering free microsites to drive sales to two lucky companies.

4blooms is San Diego’s first marijuana-specific marketing agency. 4blooms will work with businesses involved in all aspects of the cannabis industry across the U.S., from growers to dispensaries to smoke shops.

The 4blooms team consists of marketers with international experience across numerous channels and industries, including the cannabis industry.

With nearly a dozen state initiatives legalizing recreational marijuana on the November ballot, the market for legalized marijuana is certain to expand. But, because marijuana continues to be classified as a Schedule 1 drug by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), private banks are effectively prohibited from fully participating in this market -- the compliance burden is too high and individual employees face the threat of prosecution.

B.C. municipalities are appealing for a share of future taxes to help cover the costs of regulating pot dispensaries, as marijuana looks set to become legal in Canada by next spring.

The cities of Duncan, Nelson and Prince George have each put forward resolutions to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention next month, suggesting the UBCM petition the federal government to provide local governments with a portion of future federal or provincial tax collected through marijuana sales and distribution.

Montel Williams, media celebrity and medical marijuana advocate will deliver a Keynote Address at the 3rd Annual Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition, in Los Angeles, California.  Taking place Sept. 7-9, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, CWCBExpo is the leading trade show and conference on the West Coast for the medical marijuana and legalized cannabis industries.

After the Liberal government announced plans to legalize recreational pot use next spring, what started out as initial excitement turned into confusion as marijuana dispensaries started popping up across Toronto under the guise of providing more options for medical marijuana users.

While police shut down many of them, for medical marijuana patients, dispensaries were a welcome change from the inconvenient way they used to obtain their prescription.

The government of New Brunswick is giving a proposed medical marijuana facility in the province a major financial boost — investing a total of $4 million into the operation.

The money comes from the Northern New Brunswick Economic Development Fund, through both Opportunities NB and the Regional Development Corporation who each invested $2 million.

The province says the medical marijuana project could create more than 200 full-time jobs in the northern New Brunswick town of Atholville by 2021.

“We understand how important job creation, education and health care are to New Brunswickers,” Premier Brian Gallant said in a release.

Drivers heading south on the Pat Bay are seeing a new sign this week, as an electronic billboard has begun carrying a blunt message. 

“A euphoric shopping experience!,” exclaims one variation of the ad for “The Great Canadian Canna Mall,” a Victoria business billing itself as the country’s first marijuana mall.

Four pot-related businesses have now moved into the former Gazzola Tile store at the corner of Quadra and Balmoral streets, and partner Steve Omelus says three more will join them by the end of the month, with more space still available for lease.

“We are looking at taking over the whole building that will likely include a canna spa an infused restaurant [or] pizzeria,” he said.