Microsoft have expanded their horizons by getting in on the burgeoning US drug trade.
Known better for producing operating systems and office software, the Redstone based company is helping out the newly (in some states) legalized marijuana industry.
Microsoft has formed a partnership with a California-based technology start-up named Kind Financial, which helps keeps sales data for businesses and government agencies tracking the legalized marijuana market.
Kind has been in business for three years promoting and selling its marijuana tracking software to businesses and government agencies alike.
While the trade continues to grow, as US state after US state has legalized marijuana in one way or another, bigger players and well known brands have stayed away from entering into the market. According to federal law, marijuana is still 100% illegal.
Washington State, where Microsoft is headquartered, and where marijuana is now legal as well, is essentially letting Kind Financial sell MS cloud services directly to authorities so they can better administer and track legal sales. Of course what this means, is that really Microsoft is saved from directly selling to drug farmers, legal, or not.
A spokesman for Kind Financial said:
“Every business that works in the cannabis space, we all clamour for legitimacy. I would like to think that this is the first of many dominoes to fall.”
The legitimate marijuana drug industry has struggled to gain acceptance from the wider business market, with farmers struggling to gain finance or hold bank accounts with national names. It is hoped that with one of the world’s largest tech companies now getting involved perhaps others will follow soon enough.
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