hMPp://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/27/us/momentum-is-seen-as-more-states-consider-legalizing-marijuana.html




Pivotal Point Is Seen as More States Consider Legalizing Marijuana



A little over a year after Colorado and Washington legalized marijuana, more than half the states, including some in the conservative South, are considering decriminalizing the drug or legalizing it for medical or recreational use. That has set up a watershed year in the battle over whether marijuana should be as available as alcohol.

Demonstrating how marijuana is no longer a strictly partisan issue, the two states considered likeliest this year to follow Colorado and Washington in outright legalization of the drug are Oregon, dominated by liberal Democrats, and Alaska, where libertarian Republicans hold sway.

Advocates of more lenient marijuana laws say they intend to maintain the momentum from their successes, heartened by national and statewide polls showing greater public acceptance of legalizing marijuana, President Obama’s recent musings on the discriminatory effect of marijuana prosecutions and the release of guidelines by his Treasury Department intended to make it easier for banks to do business with legal marijuana businesses.

Their opponents, though, who also see this as a crucial year, are just as keen to slow the legalization drives. They are aided by a wait-and-see attitude among many governors and legislators, who seem wary of pushing ahead too quickly without seeing how the rollout of legal marijuana works in Colorado and Washington.

“We feel that if Oregon or Alaska could be stopped, it would disrupt the whole narrative these groups have that legalization is inevitable,” said Kevin A. Sabet, executive director of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, which is spearheading much of the effort to stop these initiatives. “We could stop that momentum.”

Despite the drug still being illegal under federal law, the Obama administration has said it will not interfere with the rollout of legal marijuana in the states for several reasons, including whether the state is successful in keeping it out of the hands of minors.

At least 14 states — including Florida, where an initiative has already qualified for the ballot — are considering new medical marijuana laws this year, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, which supports legalization, and 12 states and the District of Columbia are contemplating decriminalization, in which the drug remains illegal, but the penalties are softened or reduced to fines. Medical marijuana use is already legal in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

An even larger number of states, at least 17, have seen bills introduced or initiatives begun to legalize the drug for adult use along the lines of alcohol, the same approach used in Colorado and Washington, but most of those efforts are considered unlikely of success this year.

The allure of tax revenues is also becoming a powerful selling point in some states, particularly after Gov. John W. Hickenlooper of Colorado said last week that taxes from legal marijuana sales would be $134 million in the coming fiscal year, much higher than had been predicted when the measure was passed in 2012.

In Rhode Island, which is struggling financially, national and local advocates for legalization say the Colorado news is sure to help legislation introduced in February to legalize the drug.

“Some feel it’s not an appropriate issue for an election year, and others want to wait and see what happens in Colorado,” said State Senator Joshua Miller, a Democrat who is sponsoring the Rhode Island legalization law. “But a lot of other people are very anxious to take the revenue part of this very seriously.”

Opponents of legalization, meanwhile, are mobilizing across the country to slow the momentum, keeping a sharp eye on Colorado for any problems in the rollout of the new law there.

“Legalization almost had to happen in order for people to wake up and realize they don’t want it,” Mr. Sabet said. “In a strange way, we feel legalization in a few states could be a blessing.”

Continue reading the main story
California had been considered a possibility to legalize marijuana this year through a ballot proposition — one to do just that failed in 2010 — but the Drug Policy Alliance, which had been leading the effort, decided this month to wait until 2016.

While much of the recent attention has focused on these legalization efforts, medical marijuana may also cross what its backers consider an important threshold this year — most notably in the South where Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are among the states considering such laws.

John Morgan, an Orlando lawyer whose firm includes former Gov. Charlie Crist, has spent $3.6 million of his own money to get a medical marijuana initiative on the November ballot in Florida, where a Quinnipiac University poll conducted in November showed that eight in 10 Florida voters support medical marijuana. State law requires 60 percent to pass.

Mr. Morgan insists that his initiative is not intended to help Mr. Crist, a Republican turned Democrat, reclaim the governorship.

Election data, compiled by Just Say Now, a pro-marijuana group, showed that the percentage of the vote that came from people under 30 increased significantly from 2008 to 2012 in states that had marijuana initiatives. This youth vote, predominantly Democratic, rose to 20 percent from 14 percent in Colorado, and to 22 percent from 10 percent in Washington, both far above the 1 percent rise in the national youth vote.

“If it benefits Charlie Crist, it’s certainly an unintended consequence,” Mr. Morgan said.

Mr. Sabet said his conversations with Democratic leaders around the country convince him that there is little enthusiasm for being high-profile on the issue. “For the moment, I think by and large, Democrats are uncomfortable with that,” Mr. Sabet said.

In Maryland, though, the marijuana issue is already playing a role in the governor’s race, where all three leading Democratic candidates are talking about how much and how fast to ease marijuana laws, not whether to do it at all.

A narrow majority of Americans — 51 percent — believe marijuana should be legal, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll conducted last week, matching the result in a CBS News poll the previous month. In 1979, when The Times and CBS first asked the question, only 27 percent wanted cannabis legalized.

There were stark differences in the new poll, though. While 72 percent of people under 30 favored legalization, only 29 percent of those over 65 agreed. And while about a third of Republicans now favored legalization, this was far below the 60 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of independents who did so.

In Alaska, sufficient signatures have been collected to get the legalization initiative on the ballot.

“Alaska is a red state, but with a heavy libertarian streak,” said Taylor Bickford, spokesman for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska. “The idea of personal freedom and responsibility is uniting Alaskans on both sides of the aisle.”

Under state law, however, the vote will occur during the Aug. 19 primary, not in the general election.

“The support in Alaska is very strong, but how do you poll on an issue like this for a low-turnout primary election?” asked Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. That is why he thinks Oregon really has the better chance this year.

Anthony Johnson, the director of New Approach Oregon, a coalition that is leading the drive there, said advocates are trying to persuade state legislators to put the issue on the November ballot while simultaneously preparing to collect the roughly 88,000 signatures that would be needed to force it onto the ballot if the legislators demur.

“At the moment, I’d say the odds are no better than 50 percent that the Legislature will act,” Mr. Johnson said. “But if they don’t, we will just gather the signatures. I am pretty confident we will be able to get them.”

Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, a leading advocate for legalizing marijuana, said campaigns were already underway to stage aggressive legalization drives in several states over the next couple of years, including Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, and possibly Montana.

“It is certainly important to maintain the momentum,” Mr. Tvert said, “But I don’t think we can look at any one election cycle and see what the future holds. This is going to be a multiyear effort.”

hMPp://abcnews.go.com/US/colo-marijuana-businesses-embrace-drug-center-dea-crackdown/story?id=22686105



Colo. Marijuana Businesses Embrace New (psst...it's nowhere near new) Drug at Center of DEA Crackdown in Calif.



While Drug Enforcement Administration agents in California are cracking down on the popular new drug known as “wax,” people in Colorado are rushing to embrace it.

Wax, the ultimate distillation of marijuana, is so potent that it is said a single hit will keep a person high for more than a day.

“There is no weed out there that possesses the punching power that the wax does,” an undercover DEA informant who asked to remain anonymous told ABC News’ “Nightline.” “And it’s like smoking 20 joints of the best grade of weed that you have into one hit of the wax.”

Making the drug is risky. Butane, a substance so flammable that any spark can set off an explosion, is used to strip out the THC, the chemical in marijuana that gets a person high. But law enforcement says the process of making wax is not the only thing dangerous about it.

“We have seen people have an onset of psychosis and even brain damage from that exposure to that high concentration of THC,” said Gary Hill, assistant special agent in charge at the DEA's San Diego office. “Our concern is that this is going to spread before we get it under control.”

But a thousand miles away, in Colorado, wax is legal. Anyone over 21 can walk into a recreational marijuana dispensary and buy it right off the shelf. There’s even a three-day contest, named the X-Cup, held in broad daylight in Denver, to see who can make the most potent batch of the same drug upon which DEA agents are cracking down in California.

The contest also serves as a new kind of trade show for budding entrepreneurs trying to position themselves in the new legal wax marketplace, and they come from all walks of life. “Nightline” met some of the contestants in November at the first annual X-Cup hosted by Thurlow Weed.

“I don’t smoke like those guys in there either, to be honest with you,” Brodie Hill told “Nightline.”

Hill moved his whole family from Texas to Colorado to try to get into the wax business. His wife, Melissa Sled, uses the products her husband makes.

“It’s a mom-and-pop business,” Sled told “Nightline.”

Emily Rodriguez and Selena Salazar were the only two women to enter the X-Cup. The two hoped to make their mark on the wax industry by winning the competition.

“We do this outside because we don’t want it to explode,” Emily Rodriguez told “Nightline” while making a batch. “We don’t want to blow ourselves up.”

Jay Hood, who was the winner of best THC in the contest, recognized that wax can be dangerous.

“I’ve seen some guys pass out,” Hood told “Nightline.”

But, he added, “The American dream is definitely getting closer and closer. It’s the new gold rush.”

For now, in Colorado, the DEA has decided to allow state-regulated marijuana businesses to operate despite federal law, creating what is sure to be a huge tax windfall for the state.

“We catch ourselves in a rock and a hard place,” Gary Hill, the DEA agent, told “Nightline.” “We want to enforce federal laws, but we have times when state laws make it difficult for us to be able to enforce the federal laws, as well.”

hMPp://www.13wmaz.com/story/news/politics/2014/02/26/medical-marijuana-bill-hearing/5836727/




Marijuana bill clears Ga. committee



Without opposition, a Georgia House committee Wednesday supported a bill to legalize medical marijuana in the state.

That vote by the House Health Committee on House Bill 885 came around 6:45 p.m.

State Representative Allen Peake says he expected his bill would be sent to the House Rules Committee and then hit the House floor Monday morning.

Anxious parents sighed in relief as medical marijuana inches closer to becoming legal in Georgia. After nearly two hours of debate, the Georgia House's Health and Human Services committee unanimously voted to pass House Bill 885.

That will allow doctors to prescribe a medical cannabis to treat children like Haleigh Cox, a four year old from Forsyth who suffers from seizures. We first brought you her story two months ago, which ignited a movement to legalize medical marijuana. It's a cause mother, Janea Cox, has pushed for in the capitol. Wednesday night, that movement saw a win.

"This just means a lot. We feel like we've gotten through so much just through this committee and it just gives us all this extra push of hope that all of our families are looking for right now," said a crying Janea.

But the journey to passage, even in committee, was not easy. State representative, Allen Peake, who drafted the bill, made the case to conduct clinical research trials in academic settings. That will allow a non-FDA approved cannabis to be grown domestically. The problem is that federal law prohibits that from happening.

Peake says 20 other states cultivate and provide it for patients. He reasons Georgia can do the same and says it's the best option for the state.

That's not the only hurdle. Chairman Sharon Cooper pushed for an FDA-approved form of cannabis. But the process can take up to 10 years, and as some advocates of the bill mentioned, these children don't have time.

Peake questions the committee, 'Why wait for the process when there is a cannabis oil proven to work in Colorado?"

Despite the critics, there was overwhelmingly positive response to the bill. Representatives responded by a unanimous vote to pass HB 885.

But that bill will stay on the shelf unless it passes the House by crossover day, next Monday.

hMPp://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/02/medical_marijuana_registry_sta.html




Medical marijuana dispensary registry starts for Oregon Monday: Q & A



The Oregon Health Authority on Monday begins registering medical marijuana facilities. Here's a Q&A about the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program.

Q: Who can buy medical marijuana from a dispensary?

A: By law, only patients or their caregivers registered with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program can purchase cannabis from a dispensary. Customers must show a valid medical marijuana card and identification before they are allowed to enter the dispensing area.

Q: How much marijuana can medical marijuana facilities have on site?

A: There's no cap on how much cannabis a medical marijuana facility can keep on hand.

Q: Is the person who transports medical marijuana to a facility protected under the dispensary law?

A: No. Under Oregon's medical marijuana law, only cardholders – patients, caregivers and growers – are legally permitted to possess marijuana. Cardholders transporting cannabis to a dispensary are subject to limits spelled out under the state's medical marijuana program.

Under that law, patients can possess up to 24 ounces; caregivers can possess up to 24 ounces for every patient under their care (state law does not limit how many patients a caregiver can care for). Growers can produce marijuana for four patients and can possess up to 24 ounces for each patient.

Q: Do medical marijuana facility operators and the employees have to be registered with the state as medical marijuana patients, caregivers or growers?

A: No. Employees and the person registering the facility have legal protection while they are in the facility even if they do not have medical marijuana cards.

Q: How much can dispensaries charge for medical marijuana?

A: By law, they are allowed to seek reimbursement for the "normal and customary costs of doing business," and are required to document those costs. That information must be made available to state regulators upon request.

Q: How much can dispensaries pay growers for marijuana?

A: Like dispensaries, growers are allowed to recoup "normal and customary costs of doing business," which include transferring, handling, securing, insuring, testing, packaging and processing cannabis, as well as the costs of supplies, utilities and rent or mortgage.

Q: Can dispensaries sell marijuana plants?

A: Medical marijuana facilities may sell immature plants. The state doesn't set a limit on how many immature plants a dispensary can have on site. However, marijuana plants larger than 12 inches or with flowers aren't allowed.

Q: What happens if a dispensary has mature plants on site?

A: The state will consider it a grow site and will consider issuing civil sanctions, which can include revocation of the dispensary's registration. Grow sites and dispensaries cannot share a location.

"One of the things we are going to do is be very, very tight around grow sites," said Tom Burns, the Oregon Health Authority official who oversees the dispensary program.

Q: I am interested in registering a medical marijuana dispensary. Can I personally deliver my application and supporting materials?

A: No. You must apply and submit credit card payment online. (The application fee is $4,000; $3,500 is refundable if the application is rejected or is withdrawn.) The state-mandated background check for the person registering the facility, proof of Oregon residency, security and floor plan details, as well as proof that your location is within an agricultural, industrial zone must be mailed to the state within five business days of submitting your online application. The address: Oregon Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program, Oregon Health Authority, P.O. Box 14116, Portland, OR 97293.

Q: Can patients smoke marijuana at a medical marijuana facility?

A: No. Employees who are patients with the medical marijuana program may use marijuana on site, but they have to consume it behind closed doors, out of view of customers.

Q: I'd like to open a medical marijuana facility in a city that is considering banning the establishments. Can I go through with my application?

A: The Oregon Health Authority's medical marijuana dispensary program will issue licenses to outlets that meet the requirements of the law, often referred to as House Bill 3460. However, it's up to the dispensary operator to make sure they meet local business regulations and requirements.

"We will issue a registration to anybody who meets the requirements of 3460," said Burns. "Whether that registration does you any good at the address you have designated is between you and the city or the county you are functioning in. We will not participate in that debate."

Q: Can a medical marijuana facility offer a delivery service for patients?

A: No. The dispensary law doesn't include provisions for delivering marijuana to patients. But caregivers may pick up marijuana from a dispensary and deliver it to their patients.

Q: What if I want to open a dispensary, but don't want to invest in the security and other requirements until I have state approval for the location?

A: The state may issue a "provisional registration" for medical marijuana facility operators who don't want to invest in state-mandated security systems and other building requirements until they have approval. Once approved, the person registering for the dispensary has 60 days to complete the required work on the site.

Q: What if a dispensary continues to operate without registering with the state?

A: Burns said the state will alert local law enforcement and/or seek civil penalties if they learn of unregistered dispensaries.

Q: When will the state begin inspecting dispensaries?

A: Burns said state officials first will review and approve dispensary applications, then will move onto conducting unannounced inspections. He estimated that inspections will begin this spring.

Q: Are businesses that produce marijuana-infused products or conduct state-mandated lab testing of medical marijuana required to register with the dispensary program?

A: No. Labs and the production of marijuana-infused goods fall outside of the dispensary law. They are not subject to inspections or oversight by the state.

hMPp://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/medical-marijuana-bill-gets-approval-heading-out-c/ndnkg/




(GA) Medical marijuana bill gets approval heading out of committee



ATLANTA — A House committee debating a bill that would legalize medical marijuana in Georgia and actually allow cannabis to be grown here under tight restrictions, gave the bill unanimous approval to the bill Wednesday.

Channel 2’s Lori Geary was at the state Capitol as some very nervous parents were waiting to see if this bill will clear a major hurdle by getting out of committee.

Most of the parents have children who suffer from severe seizure disorders and say medical marijuana may be their only hope but the bill just underwent a major change.

“We've been in the hospital 6 1/2 weeks now,” mother Janea Cox told Geary, who says she has been at her daughter's side in the ICU, except when she must be at the Georgia Capitol lobbying to get medical marijuana legal.

It may be the only medicine that could save 4-year-old Haleigh’s life. Haleigh suffers more than a hundred seizures a day.

“She was sleeping comfortably today and then all of a sudden she just quit breathing and we had a hard time getting her back. It's getting harder and harder,” Cox said.

Geary traveled to Colorado where she met up with metro Atlanta families who moved there where the cannabis oil is already legal and they're seeing amazing results.

Cox is hoping Haleigh is stable enough soon to make the move.

“Why are those children able to be saved and the kids in Georgia are just left to die? I can't understand it. We're in America,” Cox said.

“While we're moving fast, going to make sure we do it right as well,” said Rep. Allen Peake who is sponsoring the bill.

Peake just made a huge change to the bill because the federal government won't allow medical marijuana to be transported across state lines.

Peake said his bill would allow academic research institutions to grow the plant, not businesses or individuals.

“That's the last thing we want is to allow folks to start growing cannabis in their backyard or anyone, even a business, to do it at this point. We're just doing it for academic research centers,” Peake said.

“I think it's a good idea to grow it here, that way they can keep tight regulations on it. And they know exactly when it's being grown, how it's tested,” Cox said. “This could be their last possible hope of living a good life.”
The committee debating the bill gave uninanimous approval late Wednesday night. The bill is expected to be on the House floor Monday.

hMPp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140227005484/en/NTRR-%E2%80%98Tax-Bonanza%E2%80%99-Convince-States-Embrace-Cannabis




NTRR: ‘Tax Bonanza’ Could Convince More States to Embrace Cannabis Market



TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A cannabis windfall being labeled a “tax bonanza” for Colorado has more states investigating legalization, potentially leading to large-scale market growth for support-industry companies including Neutra Corp. (OTCBB: NTRR).

New Colorado budget numbers predicted last week that cannabis taxes could add more than $100 million to the state’s coffers—far more than earlier estimates. A budget proposal from Gov. John W. Hickenlooper estimated that Colorado’s cannabis industry could reach $1 billion in sales in the next fiscal year.

In the state of Washington, where retail cannabis sales will begin this summer, forecasters estimated last week that cannabis could bring the state nearly $190 million in taxes for the four-year period beginning in 2015.

With the New York times calling these numbers a “tax bonanza” exceeding expectations, other states around the U.S. are doubtlessly considering new legislation of their own to capitalize on the growing demand for cannabis. That’s good news for NTRR, which is marketing and developing new technologies to assist both growers and patients in the nation’s rising medical cannabis sector.

Alongside partners Vertigo Technologies, NTRR is working to deliver a turn-key solution for indoor horticulturalists that can be used to produce any number of indoor crops, but could be especially useful for growers in Colorado and other booming horticultural markets for whom high yields and speedy production are especially crucial to business. Earlier this month, NTRR acquired Diamond Anvil Designs (DA), a cutting-edge developer of customizable vapor pens that can be adapted to deliver a variety of nutraceutical substances, including dry herbs, oils and waxes.

By providing new technologies designed to ensure safer, more reliable access to cannabis in approved markets, Neutra Corp. plans to enjoy unprecedented growth in 2014 alongside Cannabis Science, Inc. (OTCBB: CBIS), Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTCBB: MJNA) and Terra Tech Corp. (OTCBB: TRTC), delivering technological advancements in the cultivation and processing of cannabis in approved markets.

hMPp://www.marketwatch.com/story/advanced-cannabis-solutions-share-value-increases-62-2014-02-27?reflink=MW_news_stmp




Advanced Cannabis Solutions' Share Value Increases 62%



Feb 27, 2014 (ACCESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- On Feb. 26, 2014, Advanced Cannabis Solutions (otcqb:CANN) stock volume continued to soar with 931,764 shares changing hands, more than 8 times its three-month average volume of 115,995 shares.

In addition, CANN's share price closed at $32.50, up $12.45, or 62.09 %, from its closing price of $20.05 the previous day.

The Colorado Springs, Colo-based company that leases growing space and related facilities to licensed marijuana business operators has seen its share value nudging upward over the last month.

Good News Reaches Critical Mass

The upward trend, which reached critical mass Feb. 26, is being fueled by a spate of positive news coming from the company.

On Feb. 20, Advanced Cannabis Solutions said it has signed an agreement to provide comprehensive consulting services to a significant investor group in Canada. This group is involved in the start-up and operation of a large cannabis production operation serving the Canadian medical marijuana marketplace. The contract has a minimum duration of six months and a potential value in the low six figures.

In addition, the company that is headquartered in the middle of one of the first, vibrant legal-marijuana marketplaces in the country has recently been approved for a major line of credit.

These two elements are essential for Advanced Cannabis Solutions to be able to build and equip the facilities it wants to rent to cannabis growers.

In Colorado alone, the medical marijuana market is estimated to be $350 million in size while the legalization of recreational marijuana could expand that figure to over $500 million in 2014 by some accounts. These figures are significantly larger throughout the United States. Some analysts estimate the total market at between $10 billion and $120 billion per year in size, depending on the success of various legalization efforts and the components included in the estimates.

New 30-Million Credit Line

On Jan. 21, Advanced Cannabis Solutions announced that it had established a $30-million credit line.

According to a release, Advanced Cannabis Solutions signed a definitive agreement with Full Circle Capital Corp., a closed-end investment company. The agreement provides that the investment fund will initially provide $7.5 million to the company in the form of Senior Secured Convertible Notes, subject to certain conditions. An additional $22.5 million can be borrowed by Company with the mutual agreement of the company and the investment company.

At least 95% of the loan proceeds will be used to acquire properties, which the company consistent with its business plan, will lease to licensed cannabis growers.

"The six-year loan will be secured by real estate acquired with the loan proceeds, and will require interest-only payments at a rate of 12% per year," the release explained, outlining the agreement.

Find out what could be the best investor's move when it comes to CANN by getting the complete report here, or by cutting and pasting the following link in your Web browser:

hMPp://www.sixfigurestockpicks.com/

Share Price Loses 37% of Value in One Day

Conversely, Fresh Healthy Vending International, Inc. (otcqb:VEND) share value fell by 37% on Feb. 26, closing $5.00 a share, down $2.93 from the previous day's close of $7.93

Likewise its share volume literally shot through the Ionosphere with 4,618,218 shares changing hands, more than eight times its three-month average volume of 558,295 shares.

Moves To Acquire Micro-Markets Division

The surge in volume and drop in share price is probably a negative reaction by shareholders to the San Diego-based vending machine company's move Feb. 24 to acquire Micro-Markets Division from Corporate Refreshment Services LLC.

Here's an excerpt from Fresh Healthy Vending's press release on the proposed acquisition:

Fresh Healthy Vending entered into a non-binding term sheet for the acquisition of an integrated micro-market platform and all existing micro-market assets and operations from Corporate Refreshment Services, LLC (CRS). The assets purchase will include all micro-market operations and assets belonging to CRS including, but not limited to, all micro-market locations, inventories, accounts receivable, software, systems and intellectual property.

Upon closing of this proposed purchase, Fresh Healthy Vending plans to rapidly increase the number of company-owned micro-markets in the San Diego area. Additionally, the "company expects to begin offering the integrated micro-market platform to all existing and prospective franchisees.

Fresh Healthy Vending executives describe the soon to be Fresh Micro-Market as "a mini whole foods for the office break room." A micro-market is an unstaffed, self-checkout, mini food store that integrates seamlessly into an office space.

Free to businesses that meet minimum qualifications, micro-markets are a great option for workplaces that want to

Find out what could be the best investor's move when it comes to VEND by getting the complete report here, or by cutting and pasting the following link in your Web browser:

hMPp://www.sixfigurestockpicks.com

Growlife - Stead As She Goes

On Feb. 26, Growlife Inc. PHOT -3.70% continued to enjoy a robust stock volume with 38,909,110 changing hands.

The steady uptick in volume began when the Woodland Hills, Calif. holding company that supplies equipment for legal marijuana growers announced on Feb. 7, 2014 that a majority of its stockholders preliminarily approved a provision that would allow the company to increase the number of its authorized shares of common stock from 1 billion to 3 billion.

Surprise Move

In the surprise announcement, GrowLife also said the increase in shares does not "immediately dilute" the current issued and outstanding share count. The company also pointed out that the provision was approved by 88.2% of the shares entitled to vote on the sole proposed item.

Some industry experts contend this move will give Growlife the money it needs for expansion. Others are puzzled by the action and are not sure what effect it might have long term on the company's current shareholders.

Find out what could be the best investor's move when it comes to PHOT by getting the complete report here, or by cutting and pasting the following link in your Web browser:

hMPp://www.sixfigurestockpicks.com/

Developing Various Cannabis-Related Markets

Growlife has been positioning itself in the medical marijuana industry by developing various markets and deploying new products and services in them for months.

For example, one of its recently acquired companies makes hydroponic grow containers, which are designed to grow vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruits in any environment. The company appears to be vigorously considering every possible angle and service to capture its piece of the legal cannabis pie.

On Jan. 31, Growlife announced that it had entered into a strategic partnership with RXNB Inc. by purchasing a 40% equity stake in the company. Growlife plans to distribute RXNB 's proprietary technologies globally and share profits related to technology licensing, subject to the approval of the GrowLife its board..

RXNB is an investment company with holdings in drug formulation, manufacturing, and distribution. The company represents a recent roll-up of several independent companies in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical market. RXNB has numerous pending patents in the field of THC research and development. RXNB has a portfolio valuation of $110 million dollars and approximately $27.5 million dollars in annual revenue.

On Feb 26 PHOT shares closed at 39 cents up 5 cents from its closing price of 34 cents the previous day.

Find out what could be the best investor's move when it comes to PHOT by getting the complete report here, or by cutting and pasting the following link in your Web browser:

hMPp://www.sixfigurestockpicks.com/