A Weed Grows in Davos

At the World Economic Forum, cannabis is a commodity like any other — but these interested parties aren’t looking to get high

Here at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, one sign that your international venture has reached a level of prominence is the appearance of a “house” bearing your name — a storefront to hang your hat, give away swag, and hold endless seminars while pumping champagne into would-be investors. There’s the Caspian Week digs, a storefront devoted to the economic interests of the Caspian Sea region, which one night featured female musicians apparently trying to re-create the 1986 Robert Palmer “Addicted to Love” video. My favorite was the Karnataka House, a one-stop shop for all things commerce in Southwestern India that had a mysterious sign in its window proclaiming “Pizzeria Still Open.”

A quieter place was the Cannabis House, the second annual incarnation of a spot devoted to explaining the holistic and capitalistic charms of weed. But this wasn’t a Coachella tent. I stopped by yesterday morning and found no bongs, but fresh croissants and well-appointed black couches where a group of young execs and dreadlocked visionaries were getting into, uh, well, the weeds of the international cannabis business.

Much was learned, particularly how the big money is not to be made by selling edibles to Beverly Hills housewives. It turns out hemp — a strong, fibrous plant that can be used in everything from rope to BMW dashboards to concrete — is the next new thing. Well, actually the next old thing. Hemp is a cousin of marijuana, a fast-growing crop that looks a whole lot like weed, but given its extremely low THC levels, will fail to get anyone high.[Read More @ Rolling Stone]