Cheddar's weekly series "CannaBiz" focuses on the business of marijuana, and market opportunity in this space. Cheddar Anchor's Brad Smith and Baker Machado dive into the latest trends in this space.
This week Vermont became the ninth state to legalize recreational marijuana. It's also the first state to enact this through legislation. Marijuana Policy Project's Director of Communication Morgan Fox explains the state of regulation, and how his organization is pushing for greater legalization.
"If you look at polling in every state, and nationally there is majority support for making marijuana legal," said Fox. In October 2017, a Gallup poll found 64 percent of Americans support making marijuana legal.
Several marijuana companies are kicking off 2018 strong in the public market. Green Market Report's CEO and Editor-in-Chief Debra Borchardt explains the companies she see's capitalizing on the growing cannabis market.
Toronto-based Med Releaf is up nearly 20 percent in 2018. Borchardt says this company stands apart by being one of the lowest cost cannabis producers. "This is where we are seeing the real race in the marijuana community," says Borchardt.
Two other companies on Borchardt's watch list are Kush Bottles, and Aurora Cannabis.
The Trump administration has ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop nearly all its work, effectively shutting down the agency that was created to protect consumers after the 2008 financial crisis and subprime mortgage-lending scandal. Russell Vought is the newly installed director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought directed the CFPB in a Saturday night email to stop work on proposed rules, to suspend the effective dates on any rules that were finalized but not yet effective, and to stop investigative work and not begin any new investigations. The agency has been a target of conservatives since President Barack Obama created it following the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
Jeff Benedict, author of 'The Dynasty,' weighs in on the Kansas City Chiefs being the next big dynasty, who he thinks will win Super Bowl LIX and more. Watch!
Susan Bourgeois, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary, talks preparations for Super Bowl LIX, plus Meta’s $10B data center coming soon to North Louisiana.