Legalization of Cannabis in Florida
The debate on the legalization of cannabis in Florida (as well as other states) is becoming increasingly popular. I just watched a documentary about epileptic children and the positive effects that marijuana had on them. With four states (Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska) recently legalizing recreational use and 20 other states legalizing medical use, it seems like the trend toward national recreation is imminent.
I believe that medical use is the first step that will take place in Florida, so patients will be the prototypical customers. With the pending regulatory changes, the opportunity for the marijuana business to have future success seems very likely.
Growing up, I played multiple sports with someone who had epilepsy. I saw the effects first hand and knew that the current medicine wasn't doing enough. After watching a documentary about the medicine "Charlotte's Web" I became much more interested in the issue and how the future is bright for the industry. I know there are others who have seen this future opportunity, but none (to my knowledge) have began investing in the technology needed to supply the specific drugs needed.
Police cracking down on texting while driving
Throughout the country law enforcement has been cracking down with harsh penalties for those caught texting while driving. Some states are more lenient than others, but all have some form of texting while driving law. Because of this, I found that hands-free technology is becoming much more widely used. This is an opportunity because the market is increasing rapidly.
The most likely customer for hands-free technology is basically anyone with access to a smartphone, so the market potential is huge. I think it could be difficult to exploit in that there are various hands-free programs out there, so those already in the market must gain a competitive advantage to grasp what portion of customers they can.
I saw this opportunity because of an article I read concerning the texting while driving laws. Many car commercials are also incorporating the hands-free technology and promoting it to customers. I constantly hear stories about accidents happening because of texting distractions, and I know that I'm lucky to have not been close to a tragedy like that. The new technology won't only be convenient but will also save lives.
The emergence of self-driving cars
I was watching TV when I saw an ad for Google test driving its very own self-driving car. This is an opportunity because looking at economic trends, our society likes to buy what makes life more convenient for them. So, what more convenient than to have your own chauffeur at all times?
I believe the main customers for these cars, at least at first, would be elderly people. But, as the technology becomes better and better, I could see people of all ages becoming customers.
At this point in time, the opportunity is difficult to exploit because the technology isn't effective enough to start a brand just yet. The future, though, holds a lot of potential for this business to thrive.
Natural energy becoming more and more popular, powerful.
Gas prices today are the lowest I've seen them in my lifetime. The new trend in much of the world is moving from gas power to solar and wind power, or "going green". I read that Portugal was able to survive for four straight days on wind, solar, and hydro-generated electricity. Accomplishments like this are signs of the potential opportunities in green energy.
The potential customers for green energy are the entire world's population. As these practices become more and more efficient, it won't be long until our lives are run completely on green energy.
The opportunity in the green energy market is astounding. The difficulty in exploiting it lies in making the energy practices more efficient and sustainable, even though today's technology is still profoundly successful. I saw this opportunity because I care a lot about the outdoors and keeping our ecosystems healthy. A powerful green energy practice will help ensure that our environment will continue to thrive.
Hi Anderson,
ReplyDeleteI don't have any personal experience with marijuana helping anyone but I have read studies and statics that talked about the difference it makes. I've also read about the difference legalizing marijuana has made. I think that eventually it will be legalized here. I hate to see people texting and driving. You can always tell when this is going on because the driver is usually swerving. It's dangerous on so many levels and police should be cracking down as hard as they can on this. The people who do this are not only putting their lives in danger but everyone else's around them.
I think that everyone should be concerned about "going green". It's so much safer for the environment and for ourselves. I too care about our environment and I agree that this is a major opportunity.
Hi Anderson,
ReplyDeleteNatural energy being used as electrical energy is a great opportunity since it can avoid in depleting natural resources. There should be more investment on research in trying to find ways to make the planet more ‘greener’ and I believe it is a great opportunity to pay attention to. Also, having self-driving cars will benefit those who are not good car drivers and to those who are elderly, I believe that this opportunity can work with more technological investment in the near future. The opportunities that I found are located in my blog here: http://yessiblogging.blogspot.com/2016/05/looking-for-opportunity.html
Hi Anderson,
ReplyDeleteI also blogged about the opportunities in clean energy. With all of the new technology that is emerging and new government regulations about how much pollution one place can legally emit there are huge opportunities to exploit this market. Florida is also a great place to explore the potentials of clean energy because of the abundant sunshine, access to the ocean, and amount of standing water in the state.
Hi, Anderson!
ReplyDeleteI am so guilty of texting and driving! I have used voice to text and it's a great feature, I rarely do it. It really is the safest way to do it. Of course, one shouldn't do it at all. It would be great if car companies could use voice to text via bluetooth and a screen on the dash, which may already exist. My car isn't that fancy. :)
As for the legalization of cannabis. I am all for it. I don't use it myself, but it is a huge industry and if done right, can help a lot of people. I dated a guy with epilepsy and I never experienced him having a seizure, but his neurologist told him that was the best thing for it. Instead he was on medication, but from what I hear, and that wasn't my only source, it really is the best thing for it. And we have some decent sized farms here in FL in anticipation of the legalization. It also provides jobs, which is great for the economy!
Here is my post if you are interested:
http://fearlessandcrazy.blogspot.com/2016/05/looking-for-opportunity-in-economic.html
Hey Anderson,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your opportunities you chose. They all seem to be relevant to the things happening in society currently. The first article dealing with the legalization of cannabis seems to be a growing subject in recent times. I for one do not oppose the legalization but do feel there must be some type of regulation process. As for the second article dealing with the texting and driving this seems to be extremely important. As more things are becoming technological, it seems that more often people are distracted. This regulation on texting and driving must be implemented to save lives! For the third article with respect to the self driving cars, I love this idea. I have always been fascinated with technology, and concept of self driving cars definitely seems to pave the way to more innovative and effective transportation services. Finally, for the final article dealing with natural energy, I do think this trend is becoming more accepted and sought out. The effects of using fossil fuels as the primary source of energy has major consequences and thus and alternative must be sought out. Good work. If you want to check my blog on the things I chose go to http://jpmorgan15.blogspot.com/2016/05/looking-for-opportunity.html
Hey Anderson,
ReplyDeleteThose are all great opportunities! It's kind of crazy when you think about the effects of cannabis compared to alcohol, and you try to figure out why one is illegal and one isn't. I think that cannabis legalization, whether for recreation or medicinal purposes, would be great for the state of Florida. I think it's important to crack down on texting and driving even though we all probably do it. I see accidents almost happen every day on my way to work due to texting while driving. The most important opportunity of all might be the one dealing with energy though. It's important that we as a community and upcoming generation focus on the environment and producing cleaner energy. Here is my blog: http://jaredpape.blogspot.com/