The 2014 MJINews Power Players

Meet the 2014 MJINews Power Players. These are the 10 movers and shakers that influence investment opportunities in the legal marijuana industry. Some are advocates. Others are not. What they all have in common is that their actions are shaping the future of this industry. The list is alphabetical.

Ricardo Baca

Ricardo Baca - Editor, The Cannabist

After 12 years as The Denver Post’s music critic and a couple more as the paper’s entertainment editor, Baca was tapped to become The Post’s first ever marijuana editor and create The Cannabist in late 2013.

Alan Brochstein

Alan Brochstein - Founder, 420 Investor

Brochstein’s professional experience as a portfolio manager and stock analyst led him to Marketfy in 2013, where he launched 420 Investor, a service dedicated to providing real-time objective information about the top companies in the cannabis industry.

Correia

Michael Correia - Director of Government Relations, National Cannabis Industry Association

Correia is a legislative veteran, having worked for several years on Capitol Hill and for numerous political campaigns. Through NCIA, Correia is in the faces of the politicians who will ultimately decide the fate of the cannabis industry.

Troy Dayton

Troy Dayton - CEO, ArcView Group

Troy Dayton brings together hundreds of investors and entrepreneurs annually and  calculates that more than $10 million has been invested as a direct result of the ArcView pitch sessions.

Steve DeAngelo

Steve DeAngelo - CEO, Harborside Health Center; Co-founder, ArcView Group; Co-founder, Steep Hill Labs

DeAngelo is most known for his flagship dispensary, Harborside Health Center in California, and his Discovery Channel reality show Weed Wars. He also has lent his name, time and financial support to countless industry groups.

Justin Hartfield

Justin Hartfield - CEO, Weedmaps; General Partner, Ghost Group

Hartfield is arguably the first mainstream success as a “cannapreneur” with his creation of Weedmaps.com. Hartfield is also an active investor within the industry as a General Partner in Ghost Group, a holding company for various marijuana assets like Marijuana.com, MMJ Menu and Weedmaps.com.

Governor_John_Hickenlooper

Gov. John Hickenlooper - Governor, Colorado

As Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, Hickenlooper became an unwilling participant in the industry. His position and political power give him the ability to influence other politicians nationally and the future of legal marijuana.

Tripp Keber

Tripp Keber - Founder and CEO, Dixie Elixirs & Edibles

Keber has created the gold standard in branded infused products with Dixie Elixirs. It is his commitment to giving back by investing further in the industry (holdings estimated at 30 companies) that has had the greater impact.

Brendan Kennedy

Brendan Kennedy - CEO, Privateer Holdings

Through Privateer Holdings Company, a private equity firm focused on the legal cannabis industry, Brendan Kennedy is the force behind the development of new and existing venture-backed businesses ancillary to cannabis distribution and cultivation.

Sabet

Kevin Sabet - Co-founder, Project SAM; Director, Drug Policy Institute at the University of Florida

As co-founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, Kevin Sabet regularly speaks out against marijuana legalization. His influence is a risk to legalization.

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