The Poison Act was first passed in 1907. The amendment then passed in 1913 stated that possession or consumption of narcotic preparations of hemp is a misdemeanor. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has also classified marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug or a class B drug that has a potential for abuse and has no proven medical benefit.

The Medical Stance

Over the span of time, many medical institutes have proven the outstanding medicinal purposes of marijuana. These studies have proven that marijuana can help reduce nausea and vomiting that cancer patients face during chemotherapy. Besides this, marijuana also increases the appetite of HIV patients and this drug is used to treat pain and chronic illnesses.

Other medicinal uses of marijuana are its potential to treat glaucoma patients, control epileptic seizures, reducing the progression of Alzheimer’s, and also reducing the progression of cancer cells. These benefits are only the start as Marijuana has become a leading substance in curing many different diseases that plague our society today.

Since these institutions have made it clear that the marijuana should not be classified as a Schedule 1 drug due to its immense medical benefits, there has been an outcry to legalize this drug so that people can use it both recreationally and for medical purposes.

Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize weed for recreational use and sale, and since then, many different states are opting to legalize weed and now, even California has joined the band wagon. Proposition 64 made California the fifth state to legalize marijuana which has resulted in the creation of a completely new market for cannabis entrepreneurs.

Different hurdles of opening a marijuana shop in California

Although marijuana has been deemed as a legal substance in California, it does not mean you can just open a shop and start selling weed to everyone. The proposition 64 which resulted in the legalization of weed in California is a complicated document that has over 60 pages. There are still many red tapes that people have to navigate through as lawmakers will need time to regulate this industry.

Here are the main hurdles that people will face when opening a marijuana shop in California:

• Raising capital: Since marijuana was previously illegal in California, raising capital for starting a shop will be very difficult. Many venture capital firms and banks will not invest in marijuana startups until all the formalities are completed.
• Marketing: Even if a business has sufficient capital to start a marijuana shop, they still cannot openly market their product until law makers have successfully underlined the regulations behind marketing marijuana.
• Applying for licenses: Since this industry still needs to be regulated, licenses won’t be allowed till January 2017, and without a license, a business cannot sell marijuana to the public even if it is a legal substance.
• Transporting and pricing: Since this an entirely new industry, it will be very difficult to determine the appropriate pricing and also transporting marijuana will also be an issue as only certified caretakers can get the product to the end user.

These are the different hurdles that entrepreneurs will face when trying to capitalize on the lucrative industry. Until all the specifics have not been determined, it will be increasingly difficult to break into this market.