Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Big Weed summary
Christian Hageseth
An Entrepreneur’s High-Stakes Adventures in the Budding Legal Marijuana Business
14 mins
Brief summary
'Big Weed' by Christian Hageseth is a personal account of how he became a successful cannabis entrepreneur. The book also provides insights into the industry as a whole and discusses the challenges and opportunities facing cannabis businesses.
Table of Contents
Big Weed
Summary of 6 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 6
Public pressure and the potential for increased tax revenue has pushed pot into legal territory.
In the 1920s in the United States, the federal government prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol. Yet Prohibition was a disaster; the greater public flaunted the law at every turn and the government lost millions in tax revenue. The laws were eventually repealed.
Today, marijuana is America’s bathtub gin. While many law enforcement officials continue to demonize pot, public support for the decriminalization of marijuana has been steadily rising.
Despite prolific warnings over the dangers of using drugs, it’s clear that the so-called war on drugs in America has been a failure. Not only have thousands of people been incarcerated for essentially non-violent crimes but also drug policies have destroyed families and lives.
Yet the benefits of a drug like marijuana are many. It can act as powerful medicine to ease the suffering of the chronically ill, for example. Proponents thus say pot should be made legally available to such groups. Why deny chemotherapy patients medicine that could ease their suffering?
Separately, politicians have started to understand just how much money can be made from legalizing the sale of marijuana.
In the few U.S. states where the drug is now legal, tax revenue is filling state coffers. In 2009 alone, Colorado, a western state that has led the charge for legalization, collected some $3 million in taxes, fees and associated costs.
Public pressure, combined with the backing of select politicians, has led to huge changes in marijuana policy. While many states have passed statutes allowing marijuana only for medical use, states like Colorado also have legalized pot for recreational purposes.
This more liberal attitude toward marijuana is sure to increase, giving rise to a “new world of marijuana.” Yet rather than being a business controlled by gangsters and drug cartels, it will be a normal industry with brands, business strategies and tax accountants.
Want to see all full key ideas from Big Weed?
Key ideas in Big Weed
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Big Weed about?
Big Weed (2015) is a first-person account of entrepreneur Christian Hageseth’s success in the evolving business of legal marijuana. He reveals all the essentials you need to know about a future in this new market, and explains a bit about the basics of marijuana that any budding entrepreneur should know.
Best quote from Big Weed
Capitalism had ridden in on a big, green, sticky horse and saved the day.
—Christian Hageseth
Who should read Big Weed?
- Marijuana enthusiasts and supporters of legalization
- Entrepreneurs looking for a new business opportunity
- Law enforcement officials curious about marijuana’s business side
Categories with Big Weed
Book summaries like Big Weed
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
29 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth