San Diego-based cannabis tech company BudTrader.com, the world’s largest cannabis social media platform, is offering pre-IPO shares in the company to the general public. In other words, BudTrader is allowing the general cannabis consumer an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this opportunity to invest in the cannabis industry.
Referred to as the “Craigslist of Cannabis,” BudTrader has grown to be more than just cannabis classified ads. Born out of CEO Brad McLaughlin’s desire for a marketplace on the web that wouldn’t delete cannabis ads, BudTrader has evolved into a social media and gaming site as well. McLaughlin prefers his site to grow organically (pun intended) by responding to users’ needs. As McLaughlin recently stated in an interview:
“I never dictated what BudTrader would be, I just gave our users what they wanted. For example, they wanted to be able to play video games on BudTrader. So we created BudTrader Arcade where they can play over 54,000 free games. After the farm bill passed we got a bunch of requests for a hemp section. And most recently, our users wanted a section solely dedicated to CBD. So now we’ve added both of those.”
BudTrader’s growth isn’t limited to just the front end. Behind the scenes, McLaughlin has added some heavy hitters to BudTrader’s board, such as four-time NBA champion John Salley, former MMA champ Ian McCall, and most recently, former GOP Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. Salley himself took to Instagram to encourage members of the cannabis community to take advantage of this unique investment opportunity:
While he’s adding big names to his board, McLaughlin has also been promoting BudTrader with very public events, such as the BudTrader Nerd Headquarters at San Diego Comic-Con, his Academy Awards-themed Hollywood bash, and his annual BudTrader Ball.
McLaughlin’s goal is to make BudTrader the largest cannabis social media and advertising site out there, and he doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. BudTrader has seen rapid growth in the last several years, boasting over two million users, 200,000 of whom are small business owners just trying to promote their products. BudTrader allows them to post advertising content without fear of being taken down or “shadowbanned.” As McLaughlin himself puts it, “With twice as many registered users as our competitors — WeedMaps, Leafly and MassRoots — and ad pricing 90% less than them, we have a huge advantage.”
Should I Invest?
Any investment in a company carries an element of risk with it, but BudTrader seems to be a pretty safe investment. By filling a critical need in the cannabis marketplace, BudTrader makes itself indispensable in the community. McLaughlin is creating a safe, accessible, ethical, and fun place for the cannabis community to come together. More importantly, he is creating a sound, marketable product that will last. As McLaughlin puts it:
“We’ve only been around for a few years, have seven employees, and have already generated over $2 million in revenue. We really want to grow our team to continue to build a monetizable product and to give back to the community. So if you want to invest in a company that is solid from a business and ethics standpoint, then I think we’re the right investment for you.”
Visit Equifund CFP to learn more about how you can invest in BudTrader, its board members, its growth in members and numbers, and see who has already invested in this unique marketplace. You can also read their pitch deck to see their numbers.
Do you plan on investing in BudTrader? What do you think of this opportunity? Let us know in the comments.
