A former Microsoft manager is starting a business that he hopes will be the "Starbucks of marijuana."
Jamen Shively is starting Diego Pellicer, the first national retail brand devoted to medical marijuana, reports Brad Tuttle at Time.
"Despite the fact that 'the silence from our nation’s capital has been deafening,' and tons of uncertainties concerning the legality of his planned operations, Shively said that the acquisition of several professional cannabis dispensaries are in the works for Diego Pellicer, and that soon it will be a well-known retail brand along the West Coast," Tuttle writes.
Mexican president Vicente Fox also backs Shively's plans because he believes it will reduce the cost of the war on drugs.
But Shively is a long way from success. The brand still doesn't have an exact retail strategy.
And a Seattle Times editorial notes that Shively needs to consider that many consumers still consider smoking marijuana to be a "far fetched idea."
“He needs to attract backers, to intimidate competitors, and to accustom people to the idea of mass marketing in the marijuana industry,” the editorial board noted.
Shively, who has turned into an avid marijuana smoker, used Star Wars wisdom when defending his brand.
"“Darth, if you strike me down I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine," Shively said, quoting Obi-Wan Kenobi.
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