From seed to sale

Abstract

The history of cultivating cannabis can be traced back to at least the 3rd millennium BCE, as evidence suggests it was consumed for psychoactive effects at least 2,500 years ago in the Pamir Mountains in central Asia. Viewed quite negative in recent centuries though, cannabis is currently illegal in most of the countries in the world, including the United States at the federal level. Started as early as in the 1970s, cannabis was first legalized in few states in the US for medical use. Later, as more states adopted lenient policies on the substance, the voice for the decriminalization of recreational cannabis increased. Now, as 12 states already legalized recreational cannabis and more than 30 states permit medical cannabis, the cannabis industry presents not only core business opportunities but also an arena for related building and facility design and development. Excited about this landscape, this thesis aims to explore unique building prototypes for cannabis operators and examine innovative investment opportunities through real estate investment trust (REIT) in the cannabis industry.