Mayhem, Murder and Marijuana by Arik Kaplan

A few years ago the author noticed that astute investors such as Peter Thiel (PayPal) and the Pritzker family (Hyatt Hotels) had invested millions in Medical Marijuana (MMJ) related firms; his contrarian investing curiosity became intrigued. As a consequence the author commenced acquiring legal Medical Marijuana dispensaries and ancillary firms in Los Angeles County -- the largest MMJ market in the world. Because marijuana usage and legalization is currently such a hot topic in social and political circles; the novel, Mayhem, Murder & Marijuana; subtitled The Los Angeles Marijuana War describes the current situation. Although the Mexican cartel largely abandoned the MMJ cultivation and distribution business after the legalization of MMJ dispensaries by the Los Angeles City Council, the author wrote the novel to describe the avaricious miscreants that still dominate the Los Angeles MMJ market. Drawn to the immense potential profits in MMJ, these MMJ owners make used car salespeople appear to be paragons of virtue. To this day, the author is astonished at the magnitude of violence, intimidation, police abuse, and illegal trafficking. The story describes the actual threats the author received, the forgeries of identification to obtain lease approval, the never-ending partying, the deaths from drug overdosing, and the proliferation of tweakers whose occupation is to steal to finance their noxious habit.