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.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom