Ganjapreneur is proud to say that we had a great year in 2014, and we immensely appreciate all of the enthusiasm that our audience has shown. From our official launch in July through the end of December, we have seen major growth in all of our metrics: from website traffic, to social media outreach, to email subscriptions and engagement, to downloads of our mobile app, submissions to our business directory, and many more. Virtually every facet of our business has grown by many factors over the past six months. Thank you, everybody: we couldn’t have done it without all of you!
We especially want to thank all of the ganjapreneurs and investors who contributed their knowledge and wisdom via interviews, so that our audience of aspiring ganjapreneurs could learn from their experience and be inspired to pursue their own dreams. We have found that there is truly a spirit of cooperation and community among the cannabis industry pioneers we have interacted with, and we believe that it comes from the understanding that beyond the incredible business opportunities that this industry has made possible, it is crucial to recognize that cannabis prohibition is a moral issue as well as an economic one.
There are still lives being ruined by the senseless, politically-motivated drug policy enforced by the US Federal Government. People who have committed nonviolent “crimes,” many of whom need medical cannabis to treat severe ailments and disabilities, are still rotting in jail cells alongside murderers and rapists. Although significant progress has been made to repeal cannabis prohibition in some states, its effects will be long-lasting and severe for many of the most vulnerable citizens of our planet. While there is cause to celebrate that the legalization movement seems to be gaining momentum, newcomers to the industry need to remember that today’s economic opportunities were made possible by decades of activism and sacrifice by those entrenched in the cause.
2015 will bring many more opportunities, as the recreational industries in Colorado and Washington have made it clear to the general public that a legalized recreational market will not cause social harm, and will in fact bring many benefits to society. As Oregon, Alaska, and Washington D.C. implement their own markets and the benefits of legalization become undeniable, other states will follow in their footsteps. In today’s political climate, representatives on either side of the aisle can reasonably discuss cannabis policy reform without being ridiculed by their colleagues. Thus, we believe it is only a matter of time before prohibition is repealed at the federal level and the industry comes into its own as a contributor to the world’s legitimate economy. As we have stated in our manifesto, when you take profits away from violent cartels and corporate prisons and put them into the hands of the people, good things will happen.
This is just the beginning. Ganjapreneur has grown rapidly, but we have many more announcements coming in the near future and we will be expanding our services in a major way over the next several months. Check back often to see what we have added recently, and please share our site with your friends. Here’s to another year of growth for all the ganjapreneurs out there. Thank you again for all of your support!
Photo Credit: Mark
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