If my state passes a medical bill, how do I go from my 9-5 to opening a dispensary?

[RSA]

Forgive me if this is the wrong section, I wasn't sure if it was OK to post this here or if it had to be moved to Cannabis Laws subforum, but alas...


In the event that any state in the US passes a medical bill, how does one prepare and open a dispensary?

I'm just not sure how to prepare. Of course I'd need a business loan, but I'd need a business plan and I'm not exactly sure where I'd even start - primarily because medical laws vary so greatly from state to state, and you obviously won't even know specifics until your state's specific law is passed.

I want to be on the ball with this and be ready to jump on the opportunity if and when the law is passed.

Do you have to get a storefront AND a grow room? I hear cali buys their meds from legal and illegal growers, so in comparison how do other med states acquire product to sell to patients? What if you don't grow enough for your patients?

A good example would be - how did Colorado and Washington dispensaries start? Where did they get so much product to sell? Did they grow it all, or buy it? If you get all the necessary permits and whatnot...how do you find growers?

Any tips, recommendations, links, would be greatly appreciated

 

[Coconutz]

You would probably be the first to actually get a business loan. Banks havent really been allowed to even accept money from pot businesses.
What you need is about a million dollars and some lawyers!
Peace

 

[RSA]

Oh well, there goes my dream. LOL

 

[supermanlives]

start saving cash... consider robbing banks for the startup cash

 

[resinryder]

In Nevada, you need $250,000.00 for the dispensary, 250,000 for the grow op, 250,000.00 for the edible op. All of which are drawn in a "Lottery". Nope, no corruption or political cronyism in NV. lol And you have to be able to prove where the "clean" money came from. The 'LITTLE' man isn't even in the equation.

 

[HUGE]

ya million and a good law firm and your up and runing.

 

[HUGE]

its hilarious just today I was lookingbat all the new pot associations and lovbies there are popping up. wecan, canibis industry association, mpp, norml, basicallthese lobbyist firms that are staffwd by ex polititians, heads of dispensaries in states like cali, colo, wash, ari, and lawyers. basically a team of rich smart experienced people. they come to your state and work with polititions who represent other rich people in your state to craft legislation that ensures they get their share. its quite a beast already and its getting bigger.

 

[ronbo51]

We have opened up 5 e cig stores in the last year. It costs us around 80K plus another 40K in inventory to do it per store. Not cheap to do brick and mortar. My daughter spends full time tracking down permits, licenses, inspections, bills, payroll, employee issues. Son in law runs businesses, manages inventory, charts the money, makes decisions. I build everything. We live in a VERY unfriendly MJ state, but the tide is turning in the south and our libertarian Gov has told us she supports if the citizens want medical. We are planning forward to include mj in our business, including buying a 10K sq ft warehouse. Unfortunately large amounts of money are needed to start most small businesses, Way more than almost anyone would believe.

 

[RoadRash]

ya million and a good law firm and your up and runing.

I like the 'cottage' model.

Grow your own, sell the extra.

Did it when I was younger in Cali - before it was legal.


What states come the closest to this ?

 

[Eureka Springs Organics]

There are people with money, and then there are people that know how to grow. There are not many in the middle. So either secure a million dollars, or learn to grow well enough that a person with a million dollars will make you a partner.

Securing a million dollars will be the easiest thing to do in this case.

 

[aridbud]

I saw an ad in Colorado Springs (medical dispensary) for sale: $165,000.00. Everything included. If you have the money, they have the key.

Seen in the Independent.

http://www.csindy.com

 

[HUGE]

none as far as I know. that model is bad for business profit.

I like the 'cottage' model.

Grow your own, sell the extra.

Did it when I was younger in Cali - before it was legal.


What states come the closest to this ?

 

[Ickis]

The law trying to be passed in PA is complicated. I don't know how or why anybody would think they are going to make money. Every level of involvement is NON PROFIT.

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs...d=0&billBody=S&billTyp=B&billNbr=1182&pn=1701

I read this several times. There are Caregivers (grows for individual patient), Compassionate Care Centers (dispensary), Commercial Cannabis Medical Farms (Cannabis grower for dispensary), Commercial Medical Cannabis Manufacturer (concentrate maker for dispensary) and Commercial Medical Cannabis Transporter.

A caregiver can only grow for one patient.

A Compassionate Care Center needs to be be licensed to a registered nurse. They can only buy their products from a licensed Medical Farm or licensed Concentrate Manufacturer.

The record keeping will be monumental. People can have paying jobs at these places but the it will be non profit to own one.

To own a Cannabis Manufacturer you must be an organic chemist to own one.

A Farmer who is also a patient can keep a maximum of 25% of his crop for personal use.

You have to have a licensed transporter take the cannabis where it needs to go. So people are not going to be able to drive around with large quantities to sell.

It will be legal but it will be tightly monitored in PA. If you are a licensed Farm the dispensaries will have to buy your cannabis or from another licensed Farmer. A farmer will not be able to drive his weed around to be delivered. A caregiver will only grow for one patient. They will probably regulate the price of the cannabis.

I read elsewhere that the application fee for a dispensary is a non refundable $450,000 and you must also have $450,000 in a bank account while you operate the dispensary for whatever problems might arise. Then there would be the start up cash needed for equipment, employees and building. Employees would also include high level security.

Who is going to want to get involved with this?

 

[MIway]

well... u could get fronted by some russians, or cubans, or asians... and although they'll ass fuk u when the time is right, at least they will use lube vs the 'clean' east coast businessmen, who are truly ruthless.

u will need to swallow any good intentions & get down with the numbers... all about meeting cashflows & profitability, esp as all the mouths start crying to be fed. not much else will really matter in the end... gotta pay the bills & all.

whatever the laws are, dont sweat it... nothing a 70k retainer wont handle. you might even have to just cut the lawyer in for a percentage... almost as bad as the clean money.

patients & vendors will become your enemy, as they are nothing but a pita to becoming rich... a nec evil if u will. buy & flip the shitty weed as it moves in bulk for the price point, just dont ever smoke it yourself.

do what needs to be done, or sell out when u can... if u will even be allowed to play at all. need a ducks back for all the small shit like values & ethics. just remember who is number one.

as jaded as this post is, there's a lot of truth to it. its going mainstream business after all... and people want to cash in. ps... find a good underground grower for your dank headstash ;-)

 

[Ickis]

Pennsylvania is not going to allow what happened in California with Pippy Longstocking and Harborside. Look how it is set up.

A dispensary can only buy from a licensed Cannabis Farm. The Cannabis Farm can only sell to dispensary or licensed Cannabis Manufacturer (concentrates). They all have to fill out what strains, how much and from who. Then it has to be transported by a licensed transporter who also has to fill out how much, what strain and from what grower to what end facility.

The dispensary will not have control of who they buy from and probably what they pay. They will have to buy it from a licensed farm. The Farm will have already gone through state inspections. If they have a license the dispensary will have to buy it. If there are problems they report it to the inspectors.

So a Harborside situation will not happen. Pippy won't be riding around with pounds of pot he bought under the table from non licensed growers. Harborside won't be ripping off growers and buying low and selling high. They won't be buying more than they say they are and they won't be selling less than they say they are.

Unlicensed growers won't be able to drive around with pounds trying to sell. Because dispensaries won't be able to buy it. If they get caught they will be arrested and face as stiff or stiffer fines then if they were just growing illegally in a non friendly state back in the old days.

I can see people applying for licensed Cannabis Farm and licensed transporter. I just don't know who would want all the headaches, red tape and paperwork to open a licensed dispensary or concentrate manufacturer if you have to be non profit.

I was going to try for a dispensary. No way that will happen. I think now I will apply for licensed Cannabis Farm or Transporter.

 

[MangoCat]

Home grows are as much of an endangered species under the dispensary system as under the current legal system. Maybe more so, considering all of the tax revenue rolling in to support a war on homegrowing. The system won't tolerate the competition and the revenuers(leo) get to keep buying humvees and AR-15s. "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." (The Who)

 

[supermanlives]

we don't get fooled again