WWW.MARIJUANAVENTURE.COM VOLUME 2 / ISSUE 5 M A R I J U A N A THEVENTURE JOURNAL OF PROFESSIONAL CANNABIS GROWERS AND RETAILERS BANKING WHAT’S NEW? BUILDING A TOP-NOTCH COMMERCIAL GROW OP A step-by-step look at designing the best facility possible MAY 2015 $6.99 SEEDS VS. CLONES Get your grow started on the right foot A MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER Strictly business: That means no porn stars here Marijuana culture is not our focus, and never will be ecently, a friend to produce what you personally find in- Rtold me that he’d teresting, there’s nothing wrong with heard some disparag- that. However, you might go out of busi- ing comments about ness creating obscure videos few want to Marijuana Venture watch. If you want to make money, do from the folks at an- what the market demands of your busi- other pot publication. ness, and create the stuff you love on the PUBLISHER According to him, side. the nastiness centered on the idea that Furthermore (and trying not to sound GREG JAMES we weren’t qualified to publish a maga- too boastful), I believe my prior expe- [email protected] zine on the cannabis industry because we rience in starting and building a top-10 EDITOR weren’t regular users of marijuana. consumer software publishing company GARRETT RUDOLPH If that type of thinking were the rule in with no outside funding, that sold to every [email protected] American business, there would be a lot major retailer in the USA, that had 75 em- of companies that wouldn’t exist, and a ployees at one point and revenues of $60 SALES MANAGER lot of successful people would be disqual- million in 2004, actually gave me a bit of LISA SMITH ified from operating highly profitable -in an advantage when launching a magazine [email protected] dustries. You couldn’t own a McDonald’s on this exciting new business. See, in the franchise unless you ate burgers and fries end, staying objective and not having an STAFF WRITERS every day; wineries would have to be op- emotional attachment to cannabis is prob- CHRIS BAYLEY erated by winos, etc. ably an asset. PATRICK WAGNER The point is that running a successful Marijuana Venture is a business mag- CONTRIBUTORS business often has nothing to do with us- azine, and the goal was always to create Craig Allen Matt Goldberg ing the product you’re selling or manufac- something useful for legal, licensed mar- Sean Badgley Neil Juneja turing. ijuana business owners. We fully admit Joy Beckerman Jennifer Martin Michele Brooke David Murét In fact, I’d argue that not being a user that we have no interest in marijuana cul- Joel Caudill Hal Snow might be an advantage because you’d be ture. If you want to read about porn star Rachel Cavanaugh Jana Weltzin more objective. My biggest hit as a doc- Ron Jeremy and his occasional use of Chris Crew Marissa Willman Alexa Divett umentary producer had nothing at all to weed, there was a recent cover story on MARIJUANA VENTURE VOL. 2, ISSUE 5 do with my personal interests. It was the him in Culture Magazine. Want to know Marijuana Venture (ISSN #2376-0710) is published “Learn Country Line Dancing” series more about getting baked in Barcelona? monthly by MJ Directions LLC. PO Box 1419, Renton, WA, 98057. Phone: (425)281-1348. Website: www.mari- sold on VHS back in the early 1990s. I’ve Cannabis Now might be for you. Think juanaventure.com. Copyright 2015 by Marijuana Venture. never had any interest in line dancing or bliss is found with the most potent bud? All rights reserved. Reprinting, in whole or in part, is expressly forbidden without written permission from the country music. Read High Times. publisher. However, taking note of the craze that We are big supporters of marijuana le- ADVERTISING was sweeping the nation, I quickly shot galization, and believe it comes down to For advertising rates, call (425)281-1348 or email Greg@ half a dozen instructional videos with 30 personal freedom and rights. However, MarijuanaVenture.com. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES grand I had in savings. our own use or non-use of the drug is For subscription services, please call (425)281-1348, visit The series eventually sold more than irrelevant. Our mission has always been www.marijuanaventure.com or email Editor@Marijua- naVenture.com. For change of address, please include the 2.5 million copies and grossed about $25 crystal clear — create a publication that old address and new address, along with an address label million in sales. Talk about return on in- deliberately avoided marijuana culture from a recent issue, if possible. Please allow up to three weeks for address to be changed. If an address is not up- vestment! To this day, it is one of the top and focused 100% on business. dated when the magazine is mailed, we are not responsible five all-time selling non-theatrical VHS And by the way, I actually did read the for delivery of your magazine. If the Post Office alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we will suspend our products (the Jane Fonda workout video article on Ron Jeremy while enjoying a subscription until a correct address is received. is No. 1). glass of my favorite single malt. Marijuana Venture assumes no responsibility for any I’ve used that story countless times claims or representations contained in the magazine or in any advertisement. All materials contained are for ed- when advising other producers on what ucational purposes and intended for the legal marijuana to shoot, or how to run their businesses. GREG JAMES business where allowed by state law. Marijuana Venture PUBLISHER does not encourage the illegal use of any of the products In short, my advice was that if you want contained within. 2 | Marijuana Venture // May 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS About the cover: Traditional banking has been slow to embrace the cannabis industry, which, by and large, remains a cash business. Photo by Garrett Rudolph. More on Page 54. FEATURES 32 | Tourism Rising 54 | Banking 98 | Seeds vs. Clones States that have legalized marijuana for Despite shifting public opinion and Which one is better for starting your recreational use are seeing increased legislation, the cannabis industry grow? It depends on the needs and travelers, according to flight data remains overwhelmingly cash only goals of each individual cultivator 36 | Breeze Botanicals 62 | The Legal Pages 102 | Powdery Mildew For Brie Malarkey, her Southern Oregon Expert attorneys address banking University professor’s research on dispensary is just one facet of three challenges, upcoming changes to ornamental plants leads to better different businesses she runs Oregon’s recreational law and more understanding of symptoms and causes 46 | Drought Watch 78 | Ultimate Grow 108 | Hemp History With California and other states getting Cultivation expert Craig Allen provides The United States’ demonization of ready for a drought, what impact will an extensive look at how to avoid industrial hemp is a portrait of there be on the cannabis industry? common pitfalls in grow op planning hypocrisy, considering historical link www.marijuanaventure.com | 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS BASICS 8 | Calendar PROFILES 13 | Caribou Corner Cannabis 14 | Brooklyn Holding Company 16 | Arizona Organix 20 | O.pen VAPE/Organa Labs SPOTLIGHTS 22 | AiroCide 22 | ‘Weed the People’ 24 | Bud Bar Displays LIVING THE DREAM Page 14 26 | Meghan Walstatter 28 | Billy Ellyson 30 | Shawn DeNae Page 20 30 | Colette Thomas GUEST COLUMNS 114 | Vicki Christopherson 118 | Alexa Divett 120 | David Murét 122 | Joel Caudill OPINIONS 2 | Message from the Publisher 124 | Letter from the Editor MJVenture Marijuana Venture’s goal is to provide the best information possible to the legal, licensed, commercial marijuana business. Our belief is that a great business publication will help professionals in MISSION the industry create more efficient and profitable businesses. 6 | Marijuana Venture // May 2015 CANNABIS CALENDAR The Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska. Orange Show (NOS) in San Bernardino, California. Cannabis Classic set to kick The shows will feature hundreds of ex- hibitors, competitions and seminars. start Alaska’s new industry More information: hempcon.com. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alaska show to follow. May 19-21: The Marijuana Business Cannabis Classic is the first stop on a tour “There’s a buzz in the lower 48 about Conference and Expo will hit Chicago of three trade shows and cannabis compe- what we’re doing,” Wray said. “We’re get- for a three-day, business-only event that is titions that will also feature events in Taco- ting a ton of phone calls every single day. expected to have more than 125 exhibitors ma, Washington and Portland, Oregon later The way that we structured it, focusing on and 70 expert speakers, including dispen- in the year. The three-day kick-off event at the northwest as well as having smoking sary owners, private equity leaders and top the Dena’aina Center in Anchorage will in- but maintaining professionalism, it sets us lawyers. With Illinois recently joining oth- Commons Woelber/Wikimedia Paxson by Photo clude vendors, product demonstrations, in- apart from something like the Cannabis er states that have legalized medical mari- formative seminars, a hemp fashion show, Cup.” juana, there will also be a “marijuana busi- live music and networking opportunities. The Tacoma event will be July 18-19, ness crash course” — a workshop for new Despite the recent ban on marijuana in while the Portland event is set for Sept. business owners in the cannabis industry. public facilities by the city of Anchorage, 19-20.