Marijuana - The U.s. Green Rush Medbox Founder To Write Book On Navigating The Legal Marijuana Industry

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Marijuana - The U.S. Green Rush

Medbox founder to write book on navigating the legal marijuana industry

 

Press Release: Medbox, Inc. – 11 hours ago

 

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HOLLYWOOD, Calif., March 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Medbox, Inc. (OTC Markets: MDBX) (www.medboxinc.com), announced that last Wednesday members of the Florida House and Senate introduced a new medical marijuana bill that would allow for the drug's use through licensed dispensaries. Nine other States have pending legislation to legalize medicinal marijuana including: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New York and Oklahoma. This current momentum was predicted years ago in a research report. Jon B. Gettman, PhD, a marijuana reform activist, a leader of the Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis, and former head of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws issued a report entitled "Marijuana Production in the United States (2006)" published in the Bulletin of Cannabis Reform, December 2006 and posted on the www.drugscience.org website.

The report revealed that marijuana is the largest cash crop in the United States, more valuable than corn and wheat combined. Dr. Gettman, using conservative pricing, estimated that the domestic marijuana production had a value of $35.8 billion. The domestic marijuana crop consisted of 56.4 million marijuana plants cultivated outdoors worth $31.7 billion and 11.7 million plants cultivated indoors worth $4.1 billion. The top ten marijuana producing states were California, Tennessee, Kentucky, Hawaii, Washington, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, West Virginia, and Oregon. Five states (California, Tennessee, Kentucky, Hawaii and Washington) had marijuana crops worth over $1 billion.)

In April 2010, CNBC weighed in and asked the all-encompassing question "How Big Is The Marijuana Market?"  Ariel Nelson, Director of Market Data and Content Services published an article that put the arguments for and against legalization aside and said if people could use marijuana—without fear of legal consequence—just how much would get used? More to the point, how much money is at stake? The findings from economists, reformists, law enforcement authorities and the pro-marijuana lobby had a variety of estimates ranging from $10 billion to over $120 billion a year.

In conclusion, CNBC cited that demand-based studies put the market at $10-$40 billion. This range was verified by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron - perhaps the foremost independent authority on the economics of drug use, and the lobby group National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, (NORML).  Miron conservatively sized the market at about $14 billion and in his February 2010 paper on "The Budgetary Implications of Drug Prohibition" and stated that legalization of marijuana could yield over $20 billion in tax revenues and enforcement cost savings.

"While this study was reported in 2006 and reviewed by an economist in 2010, given the paradigm shift wherein we see the end of marijuana prohibition, one can easily conclude that the cash value of this crop is far greater than the $35.8 billion as reported in this study," stated Dr. Bruce Bedrick, CEO of Medbox, Inc. "This information is a further indicator and also confirms that the momentum is gaining for the industry. Medbox is well-positioned and leading the way in this multibillion dollar industry, which desperately needs compliance, transparency, and tracking in its formative years."

In other news, Medbox's Founder and Senior Consultant, Vincent Mehdizadeh, announced today that he is in the process of writing a book entitled, "Self-Made – How I became a multi-millionaire in the legalized marijuana business without selling marijuana." The book will document Vincent's struggles as a young man and will capture every nuance of his difficult journey in becoming a success.

"The fact is that while everyone has a past, it's the immediate past, the present, and the future, that defines us," according to Mehdizadeh. "I feel like I've lived an entire lifetime of experiences, both good and bad. The book will discuss my mother's suicide in 2008, the depression that followed her death, losing my house to foreclosure, filing Bankruptcy in 2010, and some legal troubles that predated my involvement with Medbox. I want to provide a roadmap for other young men and woman on how I made it through personal tragedy, never gave up on myself or my ideas, and persevered through the worst conditions imaginable."

Vincent is on pace to finish writing his book in the latter part of this year and will post the book for free online, along with fee based traditional distribution channels, with all proceeds going to charity. 

About Medbox, Inc: 

Medbox is a leader in the development, sales and service of automated, biometrically controlled dispensing and storage systems for medicine and merchandise. Medbox has offices throughout the world, including New York, Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Tokyo, London and Toronto, and has their corporate headquarters in Los Angeles.

Medbox provides their patented systems, software and consulting services to pharmacies, dispensaries, urgent care centers, drug rehab clinics, hospitals, prison systems, hospice facilities, and medical groups worldwide.

Medbox, Inc. is a publicly traded company, and is quoted on the OTC Market

 

 

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America Continues to Unite Behind Access to Medical Marijuana, as Florida Steps in Line as the Latest State to Submit a Bill to Pass a Legal Medical Marijuana Regime, Opening More Doors for Phytiva Brand

 

DALLAS, March 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

 

 

 

X-Change Corp. (NASDAQ OTC: XCHC), a U.S. Company specializing in cannabinoid formulation-based health solutions through its Phytiva brand product line is very pleased that Florida has taken this action toward providing safe access to medical marijuana for its people, as the country unites behind legalization on a step by step, state by state basis. The Florida bill, "The Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act," introduced on Wednesday, is named after a Florida woman with Lou Gehrig 's disease who found cannabis to be her preferred treatment for severe pain. Seventy percent of Floridians support access to medical marijuana.

 

The medical marijuana industry continues to evolve and grow, expanding people's opportunities across the country to access critical cannabinoid-based ailment formulations made possible by the medically significant cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. This incremental legalization of medical marijuana in the U.S. seems to be accelerating with new vigor. More states are now joining in than ever before, recognizing the value of medical marijuana for patients who need safe and legal access for treatment of their ailments.

 

"This is clearly a positive development for medical patients. It is also a >>tremendous opportunity for X-Change Corp., as the Company >>prepares its strategy for entering an ever-expanding market for its >>Phytiva brand ( http://phytiva.com/ ) in providing formulations to help patients across the country. The Company intends to enter all available markets, both domestically and internationally, with its Phytiva brand product lines," stated Chad Johnson , General Counsel & COO of X-Change Corp.

 

Florida is the most recent state in which legislators have submitted a bill to pass a medical marijuana law. Other states considering cannabis-related measures include Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. The Company is monitoring developments in these important states, while it continues to focus its strategic planning and alliances in all states and jurisdictions where the Company can currently operate and conduct business with full legal authority in providing its formulations to medical patients.

 

About The X-Change Corporation

 

X-Change Corp. is U.S. Company specializing in Cannabinoid based extracts and products that target medical cannabis, nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, and social usage solutions through multiple Phytiva Brand product lines, products, and services. These new Phytiva lines will be launched with cannabinoid based formulations through the launching of a combination of retail and wholesale products, medical cannabis dispensaries, cannabis research in clinics and laboratories, as announced for example with the Maliseet Nation in Canada, and other legal state and foreign grow operations, on a jurisdiction by jurisdiction approved basis.

 

Forward Looking Statements

 

This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. A statement containing works such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based drugs. X-Change Corp. does not undertake any duty nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements.

http://marijuanastocks.com/content/america-continues-unite-behind-access-medical-marijuana-florida-steps-line-latest-state-subm

 

 

 

 

 

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Cannabis Medical Solutions Announces Distribution Agreement for New "Cashless ATM's" and POS Banking Terminals for Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in 15 States

 

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39757261/ns/business-press_releases/

 

 

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 20, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

 

Cannabis Medical Solutions Inc. ( http://www.cannabismedsolutions.com/ ) (OTCBB:CMSI), a leading company specializing in merchant payment solutions and products for the medical marijuana industry, today announced that the Company has signed an exclusive agreement to provide specialized "cashless ATM's" and POS banking solutions for medical marijuana dispensaries operating legally within 15 states. The cutting edge "cashless ATM" devices are smaller than a standard cash register and operate on a ticketing system rather than dispensing cash, much like those systems within the casino gaming industry.

The CMSI cashless ATM product will be placed in participating licensed medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the country. Patients will use the company's pin debit card system on the cashless ATM, requiring the read of the debit or credit card, along with a pin number for added security. Instead of receiving cash for purchases as in a standard ATM transaction,  the patient will receive a ticket for the desired amount of cash designated on the pin pad. The patient will then take the receipt to the counter and use the ticket as funds to complete the purchase of medicine or products. Merchants will receive funds within 48 hours from the patient's card through the CMSI merchant clearing and banking alliance network.

"The credit card funding to ticket system has been utilized and proven to be a successful business model within the casino gaming industry for years. Due to the fact that banking legislation has not yet caught up to legalization and licensing of thousands of dispensaries throughout the U.S., CMSI has worked diligently to create secure and dependable financial transaction software and products to eliminate fraud, theft and criminal activity often associated with cash only transactions and operations. Within recent news events, some medical dispensaries have been subject to robberies and further criminal activity as a result of large amounts of cash often associated within the industry. With the new CMSI cashless ATM device and POS system, a patient only needs a debit card and a valid pin number and will receive a ticket as valid funds and no cash, which may be used for purchasing medicine and products within that dispensary only. The fees associated to the patient with use of the device are less than a standard ATM or credit card transaction," Stated B. Michael Friedman, CEO for CMSI.

"Patients may also save and use their ticket receipts for bonus rewards and free products at participating dispensaries. We plan to be installing the first of hundreds of these cashless systems within licensed dispensaries over the next several weeks, and the expected revenue stream associated with user fees for these devices placed in several hundred dispensaries with thousand of patients seeking secure cashless transactions will be a meaningful validation of our business model as a leader within the sector," further stated Friedman, CEO for Cannabis Medical Solutions.

About Cannabis Medical Solutions

Cannabis Medical Solutions Inc. (OTCBB:CMSI) ( http://www.cannabismedsolutions.com/ ) has quickly become the most recognized brand and partner in both online and wireless niche merchant payment solutions. The Company offers a full spectrum of secure and reliable transaction processing solutions using traditional, Internet Point-of-Sale (POS), e-commerce and mobile (wireless) terminals in conjunction with Industry Alliance Partners. The Company has recently focused on providing payment solutions to the licensed medical marijuana dispensaries throughout 15 states. In an effort to keep these businesses within the guidelines of CA Proposition 215, SB 420, HB 1284, SB 1449 and Proposition 19, Cannabis Medical Solutions (CMSI) offers reliable merchant payment solutions and closed loop pre-paid stored value and loyalty cards as a unique cash alternative to these regulated dispensaries for both operators and members of collectives. CMSI will seek to capitalize on this presently untapped and much needed solution and presently provides services to multiple locations throughout California, Colorado and Montana.

FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Cannabis Medical Solutions Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein.

Edited March 5, 2013 by purple pimpernel