DOWNTOWN — Prospective marijuana entrepreneurs will get a chance to bend the ears of more than 175 investors seeking business opportunities at a pot-centric business conference with a "Shark Tank-like pitch forum" Thursday.
Sponsored by the ArcView Investor Network, an alliance of "angel investors" that cultivates partnerships exclusively with marijuana-focused business ideas, the daylong conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Chicago will provide a platform for about a dozen local entrepreneurs Thursday.
Lizzie Schiffman says the investment group helps members navigate the murky waters of marijuana business:
Participants in the event were chosen from hundreds in earlier rounds of competition that culminate in the face-to-face pitch series this week.
ArcView's 300-plus members pay an annual fee of $2,500-$15,000 to join the group, according to a news release. In addition to connecting legal business endeavors with potential investors, the group funds lobbying efforts for legalization.
According to a recent report compiled by the investment group, the legal marijuana market will grow more than 68 percent in 2014 to $2.6 billion, "making it the fastest-growing industry in America," the group said.
The investor conference comes on the heels of a two-day "canna-business" conference last month, and the news that a Wicker Park pharmacy is angling for state approval to dispense medical marijuana.
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