HIGH HOPES

Former Microsoft Exec Plans First Marijuana Brand

Think Starbucks for stoners.

The marijuana trade is a $142 billion business, according to the U.N., and now a former Microsoft exec is looking to cut himself a piece of the pot pie by branding the drug. Jamen Shively, a former Microsoft executive, laid out his plan for a national chain of marijuana stores—think Starbucks for stoners—at a press conference on Thursday. Shively, who is seeking $10 million in investments, says he’ll start with medical dispensaries in three states and grow from there. “It’s a giant market in search of a brand,” Shively said. One slight impediment to the entrepreneur’s cannabis venture: although several states have legalized medical marijuana, its use still goes against federal law.