The giants in American business are starting to open up to cannabis. Maybe it’s because they have no choice, after all, it is becoming normalized in our society, whether they like it or not. Maybe it’s because they understand that there are big bucks in the industry. Or, a more hopeful “maybe” is that they are growing to truly accept cannabis.

Either way, more and more of America’s big businesses are getting comfortable about partnering with marijuana and marijuana related companies – and they’re even willing to go public about it.

In just the course of a week, giant, Microsoft and Arrow Electronics (a Fortune 150 company) have teamed up with businesses in the marijuana industry.

It may just be the tip of the iceberg, as Corporate America angles to steal a share of the quickly budding cannabis industry. This could mean partnership opportunities for already established marijuana companies, as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Here, at Free Marijuana News, we believe that we are going to see more and more mainstream companies getting involved with the cannabis industry, even over the next 30 days – once the first brave guy comes out and gets involved, many tend to follow.

Where is this coming from?

These changing attitudes within Corporate America are not random. Rather, they are connected in large part to the widespread speculation that the DEA may soon remove marijuana from the Schedule 1 Substance List. This is something that many companies (of all industries) are watching, because it could bring about big change; and of course everyone wants to be a part of big change.

Additionally, more and more states are beginning to legalize medical marijuana. There are a number of states that will also weigh in on recreational marijuana, when voting this fall. Thus far, half of our states have legalized some sort of medical marijuana program. When it was just a handful of states, it was easier for businesses to say, “This is just a trend or fad, but it’s not going to last long.” But now, it is evident that cannabis is here to stay.

What Next?

As we noted, we can likely expect to see more and more major American businesses following in the footsteps of Microsoft. More major companies will begin partnering with marijuana companies, some may even use references to cannabis in advertising, like this Pizza Roll ad. We can expect more and more business professionals outside the industry attending cannabis conferences, and looking to gain contacts and knowledge in the marijuana industry.

While it is good that Corporate America is becoming more and more accepting of cannabis, this also has some ramifications. This could mean that a small number of corporate players will corner the market and drive out the small, more established businesses. Thus it is important that these existing marijuana businesses and dispensaries take action now, to prepare for when the big guys come in.