cannabisnews.com: Will Makers of Cigarettes Jump Into MJ Market
function share_this(num) {
 tit=encodeURIComponent('Will Makers of Cigarettes Jump Into MJ Market');
 url=encodeURIComponent('http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/27/thread27261.shtml');
 site = new Array(5);
 site[0]='http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+url+'&title='+tit;
 site[1]='http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit.php?url='+url+'&title='+tit;
 site[2]='http://digg.com/submit?topic=political_opinion&media=video&url='+url+'&title='+tit;
 site[3]='http://reddit.com/submit?url='+url+'&title='+tit;
 site[4]='http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&noui&jump=close&url='+url+'&title='+tit;
 window.open(site[num],'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=620,height=500');
 return false;
}






Will Makers of Cigarettes Jump Into MJ Market
Posted by CN Staff on December 19, 2012 at 12:12:36 PT
By The Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
Spokane, Wash. -- Will the Marlboro Man light up a joint soon? The states of Washington and Colorado legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana in the November elections, but it is unclear if any cigarette makers plan to supply either market.Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. President Barack Obama indicated last week that going after individual users won’t be a priority, but there’s no firm indication yet what action the Justice Department might take against states or businesses that participate in the nascent pot market, which has the potential to be large. For example analysts have estimated that a legal pot market could bring Washington state hundreds of millions of dollars a year in new tax revenue for schools, health care and basic government functions.
Bill Phelps, a spokesman for Philip Morris USA, maker of Marlboro, based in Richmond, Va., was vague when asked about the future intentions of the nation’s largest tobacco company. “We have a practice of not commenting or speculating on future business,” Phelps said, adding “tobacco companies are in the business of manufacturing and marketing tobacco products.”Less mysterious was Bryan Hatchell, a spokesman for the second-largest cigarette maker, Reynolds American Inc., maker of Camel and Pall Mall, among many others. “Reynolds American has no plans to produce or market marijuana products in either of those states,” Hatchell said. “It’s not part of our strategy.”But if major tobacco companies are not going to supply the new markets, it appears there are some ready to step in.The Washington State Liquor Control Board is in the process of collecting applications from people who want to be certified to be able to grow pot legally. Agency spokesman Brian Smith said Tuesday that some applications so far have come from people who have long been growing marijuana when it was against state law. “We’re getting a lot of interest from people that want to be producers,” Smith said. “Some say they have been growing it illegally until now.”Indoor growing operations appear to be the most productive and secure for marijuana, Smith said. “But we could have outdoor grows in eastern Washington,” he said.Since no state had previously legalized marijuana possession, Washington must invent a production system from the ground up, Smith said. Colorado did have a licensed system for growing medical marijuana, but that was very tightly regulated and probably more stringent than Washington needs, Smith said. “We don’t need to get to the level of oversight Colorado has in medical marijuana,” he said.Washington’s new law decriminalizes possession of up to an ounce of pot for people over 21. But selling marijuana remains illegal for now. The initiative gave the state a year to come up with a system of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores, with the marijuana taxed 25 percent at each stage.In Colorado, a 24-member task force began work on pot regulations this week. The state’s Department of Revenue must adopt the regulations by July, with sales possible by year’s end.Source: Associated Press (Wire)Published:  December 19, 2012Copyright: 2012 The Associated PressCannabisNews  -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help 
     
     
     
     




Comment #15 posted by Dankhank on January 08, 2013 at 19:41:09 PT
first question
The Marlboro Man can't toke anything ... he, there were three, died from Lung Cancer long ago.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #14 posted by ekim on December 21, 2012 at 12:50:36 PT
Merry Chistmas 
more common sense from CA.http://www.tokeofthetown.com/search.php?tag=lieutenant+governor&blog_id=173
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #13 posted by fight_4_freedom on December 20, 2012 at 23:01:03 PT
Thanks Ekim
And Merry Christmas to all.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #12 posted by FoM on December 20, 2012 at 20:05:46 PT
ekim
Thank you for the link. Merry Christmas to you a little early.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #11 posted by ekim on December 20, 2012 at 19:08:31 PT
FoM and F4F more info on some of the changes
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/planetgreentrees/2012/12/21/planet-green-trees-episode-126-the-holiday-show
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by Sam Adams on December 20, 2012 at 16:39:47 PT
molestations
Yes, unfortunately we had a former cop up here running for Congress that had been caught putting his hand down some teen girls' panties. The Republican Party actually thought he would make a good candidate for us.I think this sort of thing is commonplace. As soon as you have coercive laws that puts one class of humans above another, this stuff happens. That's why I try to follow a philosophy that calls for as few laws as possible to be implemented.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by Hope on December 20, 2012 at 09:47:49 PT
My shame, in this case,
is at my fellow man.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by Hope on December 20, 2012 at 09:47:06 PT
Not comment 3
Comment 2. Sam.Those troopers. I'm so ashamed. So angry. So frustrated.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by Hope on December 20, 2012 at 09:32:06 PT
Comment 3
Reminds me of how I used to think Americans wouldn't do things like that. Cretins. How can they not realize what horrible things they are doing? How can they not? How can they walk around being so self righteous and so hideously wrong? How can they believe some law or lack of it makes that behavior right? There are monsters among us. They are monsters. They need to lose their jobs. They need eggs and rotten garbage thrown at them. They need to have shame and retribution heaped on them, and a lot of it. They need to be ashamed and go off and crawl under a rock somewhere. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by FoM on December 19, 2012 at 19:13:51 PT
fight_4_freedom 
I looked at the article but I really don't know what it all means.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by fight_4_freedom on December 19, 2012 at 18:31:50 PT
Unfortunate Michigan News
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-komorn/michigan-medical-marijuana-act_b_2330021.html   Not what I like. But no reason to get upset, just more reason to fight harder.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by Hope on December 19, 2012 at 17:17:12 PT
Comment 2
Oh my Lord.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by The GCW on December 19, 2012 at 16:47:01 PT
Sam Adams,
Wow. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on December 19, 2012 at 15:06:09 PT
long way to go
Who won World War II again? Looks like the Nazis are in charge of the US today.http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Women-Suing-State-Troopers-Over-Roadside-Cavity-Searches-184009281.html
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by The GCW on December 19, 2012 at 12:41:07 PT
It's here too.
In the Summit Daily Newshttp://www.summitdaily.com/article/20121219/NEWS/121219800/1078&ParentProfile=1055
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment