People unfamiliar with marijuana may recognize it as “dope” — essentially, a plant. But it actually has medicinal benefits for many. The word has also come to refer to weed over the decades and now more and more people are ready to embrace its medical side.
Too many people, though, still don’t understand that many of the products made from marijuana are bad for you. This is not the case with things like edibles, topical and extracts.
Perhaps the biggest issue that all pot businesses have is how to profit. Let’s be clear: there is little risk to the investor. It’s as though marijuana growers, sellers and other pot businesses do not need a consumer, only a customer. Someone needs to buy these products, and even with dispensaries being illegal and almost all advertising banned, there is a market for $8 billion and growing marijuana.
All can one day do is be a guinea pig to see what works. But right now, not enough people realize that the list of strains doesn’t matter as much as whether or not the product passes the test for these various ailments.
Individuals need to understand that they need to use marijuana sensibly. Too much can prove problematic to people with legitimate needs. Young people need to understand what they are getting and how it can be used — or wrongly used — responsibly.
Most recently, consumers have been swayed by commercials claiming the miracle power of cannabis.
For decades, powerful medicine has made cannabis look harmless and almost magical in nature. Here, the tobacco industry is relevant and at the forefront of the biggest scandal we have ever seen in the medical field.
Before cigarette sales can re-ignite, smoking needs to be made less appealing. Again, look to the tobacco industry. Between decades of marketing and actual regulation, smoking rates have fallen over the years. Young adults smoking are even less common.
There is still a large market for marijuana, but it will not look anything like the cigarette industry. Pot, like nicotine, is addictive. Smoke weed and get addicted. Smoke weed and drive and end up behind bars. Smoking weed can be dangerous.
It is not an easy dilemma to navigate. Research out of the University of Mississippi states that more than seven million people admit to using marijuana in the last 30 days. Along with that data, recent death tolls related to car accidents and homicide related to marijuana add further proof to a major public health epidemic.
Just because marijuana consumers are going to jump on a trend, it does not mean marijuana farms and other businesses will make any money. But perhaps the crucial question is not whether the product is worth the effort — if it has any benefit for you — but if the product can compete on price with what you are already using for a medical condition.
Right now, it is worth the effort. But the marketplace will decide how many pot shops survive on local streets.
