Richard Ha - Cannabis Conniseur?

[lavalava]

Hard to believe a background in bananas was enough to qualify for a dispensary permit...

[leilanidude]

Why not? More important in the process is integrity - there is going to be a lot of cash $ in play and the state doesn't want any funny business of the tax money.

[ericlp]

well, they still gotta pony up 75,000 to get the permit. I thought the application fee of 5K was stiff. Just goes to show who the 1% is.

[bluesboy]

sounds like a lot of bureaucracy and money for something anyone can grow in their own yard, or get from their neighbor.

[Midnight Rambler]

The $75,000 permit fee is the least of it. As part of the application, you have to show that you have $1 million cash on hand, plus $100,000 for each actual dispensary (up to two per applicant).
http://health.hawaii.gov/medicalmarijuan...am-002.pdf

[ElysianWort]

Ridiculous!! The rich get richer. So much for the dreams of the small guys getting a footing in there.

[ElysianWort]

The part that irks me the most is that is was 5k just to simply apply. I mean who does that? What other processes are there that require a payment simply to apply? It seems so much like it's a Mafia thing. Yeah, we (the state) are going to look over your request, and intentions, take your 5k and then turn down all but 6 or 7 applicants. How is that not illegal?

[kalakoa]

sounds like a lot of bureaucracy and money

State will collect nearly $1M in fees before the first dispensary opens...

[2liveque]

Richard Ha is no dummy.
Being a Native Hawaiian spokesperson and advocate for both GE/GMO's, as well as the pro-TMT business guy -- has been parlayed and played quite well. And he has now been rewarded.

Ch-Ching! This new venture of his will be the most lucrative of all. Happily ever after for him.

With virtually no transparency as to how applicants were selected, it is not hard to see that Richard's political maneuvering got him rewarded quite well.

[shockwave rider]

quote:

---

Originally posted by 2liveque

Richard Ha is no dummy.
Being a Native Hawaiian spokesperson and advocate for both GE/GMO's, as well as the pro-TMT business guy -- has been parlayed and played quite well. And he has now been rewarded.

Ch-Ching! This new venture of his will be the most lucrative of all. Happily ever after for him.

With virtually no transparency as to how applicants were selected, it is not hard to see that Richard's political maneuvering got him rewarded quite well.

---

Ha is one of the few applicants who has actually run an agricultural business, has the land and infrastructure (even power production) in place and has experienced employees who can easily be trained to produce the new crop.

But of course none of that matters, he is just being "rewarded" for "political maneuvering".