Marijuana Business: How to Open and Successfully Run a Marijuana Dispensary and Grow Facility (Unabridged‪)‬

So you've packed your bags, loaded your van, and are ready to join the "Green Rush" along with thousands of others looking to try their luck at opening and running successful marijuana dispensaries and businesses in states like Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Alaska and others. The business is big: According to CNBC, the marijuana industry in the U.S alone is worth an estimated $45 billion and it continues to grow. As of January 1, 2014, the state of Colorado became to the first have dispensaries where marijuana could be grown and sold legally.

Because of this legalization, medical dispensaries in Colorado are now able to apply for special licenses that allow them to sell marijuana for medical and recreational use to the public. However, the costs of cannabis retail sales don't come cheap: Marijuana dispensaries and businesses can expect to pay tens of thousands on operating licenses and application fees.

Background checks and residency requirements for business owners are there to make sure that not anyone can start their own dispensary and sell marijuana. Today, marijuana dispensaries are not just in Colorado but have grown to other states like California, Alaska, Florida and the like. Marijuana dispensaries have the added advantage in that they don't only have to sell weed to card-holding patients, but to recreational smokers as well.