9 US cannabis companies to watch

The American marijuana is generating a lot of interest. A strong market currently estimated at $50 billion, it sees start-ups diving headlong into the pursuit of green gold. Here are the 9 most promising American companies:

• Colorado Cannabis tour Michael Eymer, the founder, helps tourists to reserve weed-friendly hotels in Denver, in addition to bringing each guest a bag of weed in their room. His company also organizes outings to local cannabusinesses and dispensaries.
• Created in 2010 by Scott Van Rixel, a renowned chocolatier, Bhang Medicinal Chocolate produces cannabis-based consumables (chocolate, sweets) and vaporizers. He sold 60% of his company in 2014 for $39 million.
• Loto Labs was founded on an Indiegogo campaign that raised $228,000. Its product: an induction vaporizer dubbed the Evoke. The vaporizer was designed by Cambridge physics engineer Andrew Bleloc. It comes with a wood finish, a ceramic pipe and Bluetooth sensors that let you adjust the vapo's heat and manage battery life via a smartphone app.
• FlowHub is a weed-tech company that will disrupt the current seed-to-sale software business (seed-to-sale), for marijuana growers. Still in private beta, it plans to expand rapidly to more dispensaries and other customers.
• Founded by entrepreneur Jeff Foster, JaneFour20 is a payment system that will be deployed in 25 dispensaries this year. These ATMs take weed orders, collect customer payments and record each transaction to ensure financial compliance. They will also eliminate the risk of money laundering by dispensaries.
• Light supply is essential for cannabis cultivation. The company iGrow, which produces induction bulbs for farms, promises a 10-year life for each bulb. It has just signed an agreement with the US government to supply farms in Mississippi with induction spotlights.
• In 80 years, cultivation data from cannabis farms has never been officially recorded. Good cultivation practices, the most popular types of cannabis and the best nutrients to use circulated only by word of mouth. No more with the Grow Buddy which will help marijuana growers collect data and improve their crops.
• Magical Butter sells a kitchen appliance for enthusiasts who want to cooking with Marrakech butter and oil infused with THC. It sold 4,500 units a month in 2014.
• Short of manpower to harvest your plants? Hemp Temps will find you temporary pickers.