Microsoft Was the First Tech Giant to Take the Leap into Legal Weed — Here's How

In June, Microsoft became the first tech giant to take the leap into legal weed.

The 41-year-old company, based in the pot-friendly city of Seattle, managed to do so without stirring up trouble or controversy. It partnered with a marijuana-tracking software startup.

"We're not the sexy company, but we're the smart company," said David Dinenberg, founder and CEO of Kind Financial, who orchestrated the deal. "We're providing infrastructure."

Kind, founded in 2013, makes software for cannabis growers, sellers, and government agencies to help them monitor marijuana from "seed-to-sale." It collects and crunches data to ensure every leafy bud gets processed in compliance with state law and federal guidelines.

In practical terms, the company ensures marijuana grown legally can't disappear into the black market, and entrepreneurs in the space are held accountable for paying taxes on the product they move.

In its new partnership, Microsoft packages Kind's software in a suite of cloud-based...

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