Rolling Stone cites the recent white paper “Bigger is Not Better” by attorney and drug policy activist Shaleen Title, as the gut check to corporate conglomerates dominating the emerging cannabis market.
Many feel these huge entities can put social equity efforts at risk because of lack of oversight and checks and balances from the government and other stakeholders. Investopedia describes the impact created by online, eCommerce and digital marketplaces on traditional brick and mortar stores, the “Amazon Effect.” Experts say it’s through thes online sales that large businesses eclipse smaller businesses who couldn’t hope to compete.
While the capitalistic strategies corporate cannabis takes to exist in the marketplace are indeed all about the Benjamins, the true source of abundant funding is all about the data. From the Rolling Stone article:
“Big tech understands owning data means owning power, which is probably why many offer all-in-one solutions at reduced prices. Cannabis businesses should look to maintain ownership and control of all their customer data in order to grow and thrive. Data will not be the only way tech partners try to take control.”
Read more on the ways in which the threat of monopolization in the cannabis industry will effect efforts to federally legalize.
