Author Archives: Dex

In the midst of the 2019 harvest we were given the opportunity to travel to The Emerald Triangle where we filmed the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance Town Hall meeting in downtown Ukiah, among a few other private meetings with local farmers and compliance advocates in our ongoing quest to document the future [and legacy] of the Cannabis legacy in California. The gathering brought in hundreds of people from across the state to participate in what was a true expression of freedom and democracy in the U.S. It was one we were happy to attend, and proud to be a part of. The audience was informed, willing to listen to one another, productive, and re-assuring in an otherwise unpredictable and seemingly unstable political landscape these days.

We listened to both sides weigh in. Representatives from huge cannabis companies trickled in alongside the groves of local farmers who were obviously impassioned by their strength in numbers—a spiritual home field advantage—rooting them to their cause, their crop, and the desire for protection and expansion in what is still a moving target of a market and regulatory in CA (and U.S.).

Farmers need protection from what?

Cannabis patrons and core legacy cultivators fear the looming of big farms and big regulatory frameworks that could [strategically and slimily] put small, legal and licensed farms out of business so that a few elite players can swoop in and corner the market once the nation’s legal cloud is lifted. Given how we’ve seen this play out across agriculture of all sorts, vertical integration seems inevitable and scary for a population of people who have waited and paid their dues to experience the lifting of a national ban on marijuana.

In order for big tobacco to start supplying their boxes of ‘green lights’ a lot of things are going to have to happen. But once they do, the rush to make those products possible is going to be a massively disruptive force in the Cannabis industry. While we certainly believe big companies should have the right to be included in the opportunity that will exist [and already does in almost half the country]—we are also firm believers in the preservation of small farmers and the localization of production [especially where it is culturally and environmentally significant]. Most importantly, we are committed to supporting the national legislation movement and producing influential media that encourages a regulatory landscape that is inclusive of BOTH large-scale supply chain businesses and small / craft farmers in what should become a robust and diverse cannabis cultivation market in the United States in the future.

Getting there will inevitably require the type of listening and compromise that was exuded in Ukiah with the MCA… and a policy framework what is capable of protecting the interests of a very diverse audience – as well as listening to the experts that we got a chance to sit down with.

From DarcMatter: Original Article Here. This and more stories from DarcMatter’s Blog: As DarcMatter’s platform continues to work with alternative fund managers interested in reaching investors globally via efficient online channels, we thought it would be important to share some insights and research on an asset class within alternatives that has recently become a focus of news and attention from the array of accredited investors. From RIA’s to UHNWIs (Ultra-high-net-worth-individuals) actively participating in the crypto economy, and Family Offices to Institutions simply information gathering to potentially enter at the right time, it is clear that the interest in entering the crypto-verse is ever-present. The specific interest in crypto funds is driven by the perception of safety via a more familiar fund structure as compared to investing directly into cryptoassets as an individual. Crypto funds allow interested investors to participate in the “new” and “exciting” market that has seen both its share of great success and great volatility on a daily (if not hourly), basis. As we continue to build momentum for DarcMatter’s blockchain project (through DarcMatter Coin), we wanted to share some information on the growing crypto fund market and share some perspectives on this asset class’s viability for investors who are interested in participating in the crypto-verse via a crypto fund. What is a “Crypto Fund” and Why is it of Interest in Alternative Investments? A crypto fund is exactly what it sounds like. It is generally a hedge fund in which the investment strategies are based on crypto assets. Though there are other structures that more closely resemble a Private Equity or Venture Capital structure, there are far more crypto hedge fund structures available for investors to access. The premise behind creating a crypto fund is to make it easier for investors to access and navigate through the crypto investment market, by deferring to a professional crypto manager, also known as the portfolio manager in the traditional manner. This portfolio manager, will potentially manage the LPs investment into various cryptocurrencies (such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, XEM, etc) and ICOs (initial coin offerings), based on the fund strategy. The goal of the fund is to obviously produce gains based on your investment. Much of the interest in crypto funds is driven by the increased market speculation and the share potential in percentage gains for those that entered the industry at the “right” time. This is not to say that the market is stable, and gains are guaranteed, because the crypto market is extremely volatile, with varying opinions on crypto’s vitality. However, there is clearly opportunity in chaotic markets like crypto, enabling the creation of crypto funds as an asset class, which is only further substantiated by the 225+ fund managers touting crypto strategies. As with traditional fund managers, the core job of the manager is to create a specified risk-return strategy and utilize as much information as possible to yield the results that investors expect. As with much of the investing universe, including stocks and bonds, it increasingly becomes difficult for individual retail investors to find an edge.