Jamen Shively wants to create 'Starbucks of pot'

Former Microsoft manager Jamen Shively described his dreams for a cannabis empire of marijuana-selling stores at a press conference last month.

“Yes, we are Big Marijuana,” said Shively, according to Slate Magazine. He described his plans to rake in $10 million in investments in order to build “the most recognized brand in an industry that does not exist yet.”

Shively plans for approximately a dozen retail pot stores in Colorado and Washington, both of which legalized recreational marijuana in the 2012 elections. Around 100 stores are anticipated to be built in California, where medical marijuana is legal.

Activists who pushed for the legalization of marijuana are worried about Shively’s plans, reports the Global Post. It raises questions about who will dominate the pot industry: big corporations or smalltime growers?

The possibility of a profit-driven marijuana industry dominated by corporations also threatens the possibility of marijuana legalization in other states.

Shively sees no risks with his plans, though federal indictments are a possibility.

“People are saying, ‘You are putting a target on your back,’ but it's really not a big deal,” he said.

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox supports the idea of a corporate approach to marijuana.

“Business investment will bring a solution to Mexico's huge crime problem,” Fox said. “Criminals won't be able to get the money because the money will be in the hands of people like Jamen.”