Pubdate: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO) Copyright: 2015 Colorado Springs Independent Contact: http://www.csindy.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536 Author: Bryce Crawford Column: CannaBiz LOCAL COMPANY TAKES ON WEEDMAPS.COM, CANNABIS CUP APPROACHES, MORE Skunk surfaces Though there's a handful of options for online dispensary reviews, including our website, California-based weedmaps.com has been winning the Internet. Last year, the company generated $25 million in revenue, according to an October report from the Orange County Register, and it's poised for what looks like unlimited growth as the industry expands. But into that arena now steps 27-year-old Colorado Springs man Ted Bryant, who, with his partners, has built weedskunk.com from the ground up and launched it three weeks ago. The website now lists over 8,000 locations - and not just dispensaries - for every medical- and recreational-marijuana state in the country. "We have doctors, we have the head shops, grow stores and the smoke lounges," says Bryant. "And we're really just making sense of this industry," he adds, through clear labeling of locations that sell the different levels of legal cannabis. Customers can rate individual products, as opposed to the whole location only, which in turn generates notifications for the page's owner. Bryant is also proud of a custom search engine that returns results for products, events and anything else related to a location query. "The coolest thing is, we're trying to create jobs in this industry," the site co-founder says. "All these locations can post job listings to find employees that are related to the marijuana industry." Though local web traffic is much lower than in places like California and Michigan, Bryant says weedskunk.com is "really off to a great start, just with how much information we have. There's really no other place you need to go. We've pretty much done the hard work for you." A free, 21-and-up grand-opening celebration will be held Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. at Studio A64 (332 E. Colorado Ave.). Reduction reminders Brent Lang, a graduate student at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, wants help studying "the effectiveness of sending marijuana users text messages that encourage reduction in use of this substance." Each participant has a shot at winning a $100 online gift certificate, and needs to be in possession of a cell phone, a resident of Colorado or Washington, and have smoked cannabis at least three days per week for the last three months. You'll send and receive texts with the researchers about four times a week. See tiny.cc/cx9csx for details. Cup calling Tickets to High Times' three-day U.S. Cannabis Cup (cannabiscup.com/denver) in Denver are now on sale. The April party will feature "700-plus vendors, three levels of VIP experiences and travel experiences ... world-class musical entertainment [including Snoop Dogg], our heralded Awards show and the biggest 4/20 party on the PLANET!" A one-day pass currently starts at $30. Keep your eyes on this space for additional April events. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom