Marijuana legislation in Canada is going to take a little longer than expected. The nation's health minister says the law will go in effect closer to August. Alan Brochstein, Founder of New Cannabis Ventures and 420 Invest, explains the market opportunity he sees in this emerging market.
"I think its actually a positive because right now there's not a lot of inventory out there," said Brochstein. "If we want this to be a really good transition these companies need to be built up."
This week a major Canadian insurance company announced plans to add medical marijuana coverage. Sun Life Financial will cover this type of treatment in group plans starting in March.
"The world is their oyster right now," says Brochstein about the market opportunity for Cannabis in Canada. "I wish we'd (United States) would move toward Canada, but slow progress is better than no progress."
U.S. states could face some hurdles as they experiment with road usage charging programs aimed at one day replacing motor fuel taxes, which are generating less each year, in part due to fuel efficiency and the rise of electric cars.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding almost $1.7 billion in grants for buying zero- and low-emission buses, with the money going to transit projects in 46 states and territories.