Cannabis – Canna-business – and activism

February 5th, 2010 | By Reverend

I got reprimanded today by another stoner in a chat room.

I just created a new way to ’spread the herb’ which is via  http://SLU2.com

SLu2.com is similar to TinyURL.com, TR.IM, and Bit.Ly.

I put 2 or 3 links up at  http://stash.norml.org and asked people to help me test it.

This is the response I got:

@xcannabis, I guess I don’t see a reason for me to change to slu2.com. For one thing, tr.im lets me track hits on my links. Are you tracking hits with yours? And just what do you track? Sorry, but other than in here, I don’t know anything about you except that you’re trying to drum up business. Sortof everything you do is a little spammy.

I respond and say:

@ ******, my site SLU2.com does everything that TR.IM does. One thing that I do that TR.IM doesn’t is that I support NORML with $$. I also organize and attend pot rallies. Do whatever you want. But TR.IM does nothing for law reform.

The entire reason that I am starting these cannabis businesses, is not because I am needing more things to fill my already busy schedule up.  I’ve made enough money each year for the last 4 years that my wife has not had to work, and our bills still get paid and our life is still comfortable.   At one time my wife brought home the bacon.  But due to some good investments and a lot of hard work, I am able to take care of my family without needing a two income family anymore.

I didn’t NEED to start a few cannabis businesses, other than  wanting to be able to contribute more to the cause.

By starting these cannabis related businesses, I am able to donate more money to several of my favorite causes which are all cannabis related.

Last year we donated thousands of dollars between several orgs.
NORML, HempFest, Cannabis Culture and BongTV.

That money came right out of our pockets, and with no material benefit to us what-so-ever.

This year we have created several cannabis businesses and we are starting to advertise them.
We will do all of the same donations to the same orgs as we did last year, but this year we are also adding High Times, and possibly Treat Yourself Magazine.

I couldn’t give nearly as much money to these orgs, if I wasn’t getting something in return.  Meaning I advertise with these groups,  it fuels their agenda and it fuels mine.   This isn’t a take/take relationship, this is a give/take relationship.

Further more.  I am employing people, renting a business location, advertising with several businesses, and paying taxes in my cannabis related business and I am not even selling weed. 
This is all complimentary to the cannabis movement.  It goes to show that cannabis business is good business, it’s good for our whole community and it shows why cannabis can be legal and legitimately fix our economy and restore freedom at the same time without causing mass crime, etc..

I am a business man.  So the best way that I can contribute to the cause is by business.  When I post a link at NORML, or Cannabis Culture, or BongTV, or any of the other sites that I go to, I pay for the advertising.  I don’t just take without giving back.

So the question is.  What do YOU do to help the cause?