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 Gap is laying off 1,800 corporate workers, roughly three time the number of headquarters jobs it cut last fall, as the struggling chain cuts costs in a bid to become more nimble.
Tyson Foods is eliminating about 10 percent of corporate jobs and 15 percent senior leadership positions, according to a memo obtained by Reuters. The cuts are just the latest attempt to trim costs amid falling profits.
Verizon is taking steps to speed up its 5G network in rural areas. The company said it plans to extend its C-band 5G network across a larger suburban and rural footprint, meaning faster speeds for customers in those areas.
Facebook parent company Meta's first-quarter results surpassed Wall Street's modest expectations on both profit and revenue, sending its stock soaring in after-hours trading.
Another automaker is trying to cut its workforce to trim expenses and stay competitive as the industry makes the long and costly transition to electric vehicles.
The U.S. economy slowed sharply from January through March, decelerating to just a 1.1% annual pace as higher interest rates hammered the housing market and businesses reduced their inventories.
