Legal Medical Marijuana from Broadway Wellness Medical Marijuana dispensary in South Denver, Colorado

How is it conceivable, in America today, that a seriously ill patient in Boulder, Colorado, may grow, purchase and have a medicine cabinet full of state-licensed medical marijuana (MMJ), while a similarly-ill patient in Cleveland may be imprisoned for pursuing the same medical treatment?

How, in the free-wheeling capitalist US of A, could some states and communities encourage free men and women to be MMJ-millionaires and patients, while MMJ-entrepreneurs and adherents in other markets are arrested... nearly 1 million of them a year.

Why would anyone choose to live in a state of Cannabis denial?

That cannabis industries are illegal in America and much of the world, but legal in a growing number of important, privileged American regional and state markets, has created an unsustainable economic and social dynamic in America that has already passed the tipping point, to where cannabis-related businesses are safe high-return investment opportunities where legal and high-risk crimes where not. Where legal, legitimate cannabis businesses are already profiting and poised to enter new regional and state growth markets and scale nationwide and globally, as legal... while investors and businesses in outlaw markets are denied access to these industries, and arrested if they participate in this $-multi-billion sector of the US economy.

Successful cannabis entrepreneurs may either have their picture in the Wall Street Journal or on a most-wanted poster depending on where they decide to set-up business.

Broadway Wellness Medical Marijuana dispensary in South Denver, Colorado, September 2010

The pace of change, and degree of social unjustness and economic inequity, surrounding MMJ is already staggering and shall only accelerate as parts of America arrest nearly 1 million citizens a year for marijuana-related crimes - disproportionately poor blacks - as other parts of America make medical marijuana legal, and decriminalize marijuana for reasonable citizens, and pursue government revenues through regulation and taxation of marijuana.

During the transition years - and they should be very few... I expect to play-out by 2012 - all local and state marijuana ordinances must be reworked and new models developed for national and community cannabis zoning and enterprise, and industry and product regulation, taxation and enforcement standardization nationwide and worldwide.

The development of all cannabis-related industry is being pioneered where cannabis is legal now. California and Colorado are excellent, major leading markets in rapid policy and political transition, leading my attention to developing cores of expertise and development activity in those markets, for Northeast Ohio.

Northeast Ohio cannabis-related new economy growth and development must happen where it is legal now, to enable it happening in Northeast Ohio at all - it is from elsewhere we shall drive legalization of cannabis industries in Northeast Ohio, and it is by having the strength of partners and resources elsewhere that we shall be able to optimize the economic value of cannabis in Ohio, as we make that legal in Ohio and nationwide.

It is by a similar pathway that casino gambling was recently legalized in Ohio.

By developing a Northeast Ohio presence to participate in these industries now, in the dominant transition-driving markets nationwide, at an authentic and innovative level, we may convene transforming forces globally supporting our objective of making Northeast Ohio the open source capital of the brightest greenest state of Earth... no other regional, state of national forces are focused at that level in the world.

I am assembling a collaboration in NEO to drive all this and I intend to deploy and expand ICEarth, Bigbang, IntraCom, 7Gen and Star Neighborhood Development in and through these new markets in the process. Next steps include formalizing collaboration members and organizational structure, strategic plans and budgeting.

In addition to what I have deployed and proposed for Northeast Ohio, I have advanced distinct, complimentary next steps in Austin, Denver/Boulder and Northern California that will dramatically expand opportunities for stakeholders here, as we collaborate to initiate development activity in related fields of interest in appropriate break-out markets.

I propose we partner locally to achieve scale to access the growing cannabis economy that is illegal in Ohio but maturing elsewhere, allowing NEO regional interests to partner with world-leaders in the cannabis economy worldwide, assembling outside partners and resources that are compelled to expand into Northeast Ohio and other growth markets as legal.

As we develop cannabis economy business activity for Northeast Ohio businesses and investors, by participating in cannabis industry development where legal, around the country and world, we are developing networks of best-in-class cannabis industry business relationships and solutions to install in new markets like Ohio, as legal.

For example, there are few vendors in the world today offering insurance to MMJ-related businesses, but all MMJ-related businesses in new markets will need that service. Such a vendor is already found in Denver.

For our NEO collaboration, core team leaders have overlapping distinctive competencies optimizing open source information technology and information systems for personal and community engagement (demonstrated by realNEO, ICEarth, etc.), with interests to develop  new media clusters of global distinction and dominance. Those interests may be furthered in strong new media markets Austin, Denver/Boulder and Northern California.

Innovation in social engagement drives social change.

Where social engagement leads to legalizing and optimizing cannabis industries shall offer revolutionary business opportunities in traditional and alternative healthcare, with medical marijuana (MMJ), and industrial agriculture, materials processing and renewable energy, with hemp... to the tune of around $1 trillion annually worldwide by 2020, if legal worldwide.

Why would anyone choose to live in a state of Cannabis denial?

As realNEO has a say in this, expect to have the choice in Ohio in 2011 and USA-wide by 2012, meaning citizens will soon have one less reason to be leaving Cleveland!

Believe it, Cleveland!

Kurple strain of medical marijuana from Broadway Wellness in South Denver Colorado