Pot Inc. is more than meets the red eye the legal marijuana industry is versatile and still growing
Customer service isn’t so great these days: It’s dismal to fly on most US airlines and it’s demoralizing to shop in many US supermarkets.But as I’ve recently discovered, there’s a notable exception to this unhappy trend, and that would be Pot Inc.I know — it’s hard to believe an industry dedicated to helping people get stoned cares about anything aside from selling the next joint.The reality, however, is that this is a $50 billion industry that is only going to get bigger now that the feds made it a Schedule 3 drug that can be prescribed by doctors.Yes, it’s about more than just getting high.
(It helps manage cancer symptoms, for one.)Keep in mind, I’m a 64-year-old guy whose politics lean to the right.I hate the smell of cannabis — and especially the fact that it seems to follow me wherever I walk in NYC these days.
I work out religiously and am skeptical of all drugs; the last thing I’m doing is putting smoke in my lungs.I also came to understand that Pot Inc.isn’t a one-size-fits-all business: There’s gummies if you don’t like to smoke, ointments for muscle pain and, as I mentioned, cancer patients see benefits from its usage.
Plus, there’s much about the companies at the top of the cannabis infrastructure that can teach corporate America a thing or two about serving clients.I reached this conclusion from some firsthand experience when I recently visited a dispensary in Connecticut.A nice lady behind a desk checked my ID before I was ushered into a well-appointed showroom.
It couldn’t have been more professional and seamless.Then last week, I visited the cultivation operations of a company called Glass House Brands, one of the largest pot companies in the country.It just listed its stock on the NYSE under the symbol GLAS.Its farm is located in Camarillo, Calif., about 50 miles north of Los Angeles, a place known for rich soil that’s perfect for growing produce and, as it turns out, weed.
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