As the forefathers of the cannabis industry continue to chisel the path through the concrete politics of this newly established market, there exists a cutthroat legion of big bad wolves, patiently preying on the market, just waiting for the right opportunity to lunge and devour. Once Uncle Sam decides to repeal prohibition, there will be no stopping America’s three big beasts: the alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical companies from sinking their blood-stained teeth into the organic nature of the industry and tearing off a fatal chunk.
During a recent Marijuana Business Conference and Expo, in Las Vegas, several guest speakers showed up to discuss the prospect of the cannabis market getting rear-ended by billion dollar booze, cigarette and pill peddlers. “The inconvenient truth is that Big Tobacco is coming for you and, surprise, surprise, she plans on giving it to you good and hard,” said Patrick Basham, senior fellow in the Center for Representative Government at the Cato Institute.
While old-timey American sin industries, like alcohol and tobacco, continue to deny having any interest in manufacturing marijuana-related products, Basham says these green-eyed fiends clearly understand the true market potential of the cannabis industry and are eager to get their cloven hooves on the profits. It is inevitable… the monsters are coming.
Leaders of the marijuana industry agree, telling those in attendance that nationwide legalization is destined to put a stranglehold on mom-and-pop operations because the beer and cigarette companies will have pockets deep enough to starve them to death.
“You can’t have an industry that is tripling in size and taking revenue and profits away from manufacturers of alcohol and tobacco and not expect them to do something about it,” said Tripp Keber with Dixie Elixirs. “You better be prepared.”
