I love rock and roll…
I live and breathe it, and have for pretty much my whole life.
My first “big” concert was Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. My dad got tickets and I distinctly remember it like it was yesterday. It was at USAir Arena in 1995 — this will either make me seem young or old, depending on the reader — when I was 12.
As soon as the first notes of The Wanton Song hit, I was floored.
They broke into Ramble On, Tangerine, and Gallows Pole before I could even collect my pre-teen thoughts. It blew my mind, and I was hooked.
I knew these guys were legends — I had sat by the turntables and listened to the albums since I was old enough to hear. But actually watching rock-and-roll royalty on a stage is a completely different animal.
My dad was a big-time Led Zeppelin fan, and I was a teenage brat listening to a lot of garbage spewing out of 90s pop and rock radio at the time. When he heard some of the songs I was playing in my room, he was adamant that something be done about it.
So he hauled me and his high school buddy to see Page and Plant — the first time they had performed Led Zeppelin songs in decades. While noticeably older and calmer, they completely brought the house down.
I soaked up Led Zeppelin by the earful immediately afterwards. I’ve been addicted to it ever since. I learned to play guitar when I was 12, and continue to play in bands to this day…
Why am I wasting your time with reminiscences of my youth?
Because I spoke with KISS frontman Gene Simmons the other day, and I felt like I was 12 again.
To be frank, I was never really into KISS. As a kid, I had only heard Rock and Roll All Night (And Party Every Day) and wasn’t particularly blown away by the makeup, fireworks, and the stadium rock anthems. I had moved on to punk rock by that time, which basically stripped away the pomp and circumstance of the stadium rock dinosaurs and replaced it with simple, earnest songs that could be played in tiny, smoke-filled clubs and warehouses.
In any case, I understood how important and successful bands like KISS were. I understood why they were so popular: they got kids excited to come out for a show. They were serious performers and they knew the value of entertainment — and knew how much money they could make as entertainers of the highest order.
Not only could they sell out stadiums and move millions of records, but they could sell t-shirts, action figures, lunch boxes, comic books, pinball machines, credit cards, you name it.
Heck, they even sold KISS coffins…
It became a billion-dollar brand. There really isn’t any other band that has so successfully sold themselves to such an audience. They are still selling merchandise today, and reaping the profits, despite the fact that the band hasn’t had a hit single in decades.
Just look at this ad for the KISS Love Gun Action Figure set:
People are still shelling out 300 bucks for a couple of plastic toys. That, my friends, is a solid brand.
But the reason I’m talking to Gene Simmons in the first place is he has become the face of one of my Marijuana Manifesto positions: Invictus MD Strategies Group (TSXV: GENE)(OTC: IVITF).
The company changed its ticker symbol to GENE. Simmons even rang the opening bell on the TSX.
He will be the Chief Evangelist Officer, which will send him all over the world to tell the story of the company. So obviously, as a cannabis investor and rock and roll enthusiast, I wanted to speak with “the Demon” himself. I set up a call through my connections at Invictus.
His manager simply said, “Gene will call you. Don’t ask about his tongue.”
I was floored when I heard his voice on my office line, and I got right down to business. Here’s the rundown, and how you can also profit from the KISS name and the hottest investing sector in the world right now.
The interview started out a bit abrupt. I introduced myself and told him why I was even contacting him in the first place.
“Hello Mr. Simmons, thanks for taking the time. My name is Jimmy Mengel and I’ve been following Invictus for years now in my newsletters. It’s great to finally…”
“Hey, aren’t I supposed to be doing all the talking here?” Gene snapped.
Internal monologue: “Oh no, this isn’t going to go well.”
“Of course Mr. Simmons, go on,” I said.
He laughed, told me to call him Gene, and said he was really interested in discussing the company he just put his name on. I again mentioned that I had covered Invictus for years and was very interested in what he brought to the company.
“Six of the largest cannabis companies flew to L.A. to visit. I met Dan (Kriznic, CEO of Invictus) and we just connected. I was impressed. It wasn’t just Cheech and Chong.”
“We starting talking about cannabis business. Weed? That’s a street name. Any other word than cannabis cheapens it. This is a serious business,” he told me.
Now, if you aren’t familiar with Gene Simmons’ take on drugs, allow me to give you a brief primer. He’s doesn’t do them. He doesn’t even drink. He’s even done PSAs that have explicitly told people not to do drugs of any kind.
I asked him about this…
“I’ve never been high. I don’t drink. I’ve never smoked cigarettes. I’ve always been addicted to success,” he said.
So, I couldn’t help but ask. “Gene, as someone that’s spent their life telling people not to engage in this behavior, how do you become the head of a cannabis company? Some people would say that it doesn’t make sense.”
“Jimmy, you’re right: it doesn’t make cents, it makes dollars. Lots of dollars.”
Great answer. And it’s completely honest and true… Cannabis is already a $7 billion market. That makes a lot of sense, cents, dollars, etc.
That’s bigger than video games, comic books, tattoos, and a number of other projects that Gene has been raking in cash from.
And that’s just the U.S. The global market could top $55 billion by 2025.
Gene’s projects make a ton of dough. His current net worth is hovering in the $300 million range. KISS has sold over 75 million albums.
But as far as Gene’s cannabis business — as the old adage goes — don’t get high on your own supply. I doubt he collected action figures and lunch boxes. As such, just because he doesn’t use marijuana doesn’t mean he can’t sell it.
Aside from the obvious financial benefit, why was he bothering with an industry he never supported in the past?
“I’ve come around though. Before, when someone would light up a joint, I was dismissive. It’s because I wasn’t informed.”
“When I did the research, I saw little girls treating their diseases. I saw what they were doing on the medical side. I know one thing: if my kid was suffering from epilepsy and (knew) cannabis could treat it? I wouldn’t skip a beat.”
I think this hits at the core of the industry at large these days. You don’t have to be a stoner, a hippy, or even a multi-platinum rock star to understand the value of cannabis outside of the stereotypes that have propagated over the years.
We’ve seen anti-drug crusaders like ex-Speaker of the House John Boehner join cannabis company boards. More and more people are coming around to the idea that cannabis is much, much more than just an underground phenomenon. It is mainstream, and becoming more popular each and every year.
“In the end, I don’t have to eat chocolate cake to know that people love chocolate cake,” Gene told me. I’m not trying to persuade anyone to do anything. Life gives you a menu and you get to pick and choose what’s for you.”
“I invest in all sorts of things that I don’t personally use.”
“So you mentioned the medical side of things, which Invictus started with. Where do you think that market goes from here?” I asked.
“I think we need more research and an open frame of mind. That’s where I’m coming from. A straight edge guy like me. The more I find out, the more interested I am. I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
“My mind has changed completely. I was astonished when I finally realized the medical impact. Aspirin is a drug but it is also a medicine, it depends how you use it. Just like cannabis. And the worst side effect you can get from cannabis is the munchies, in which case you’ll just reach over for a bag of Doritos.”
“What I’m urging people to do is their own research. Decide what is right for you.”
I would urge you to do your own research as well. If you’re serious about making money in the cannabis market, the first place I would start is right here.
