Microsoft Invests In Marijuana With KIND Financial Partnership

Microsoft Corp. has become one of the first major technology companies to get into the marijuana business. The company has reportedly announced a partnership with KIND Financial, a seed-to-sale software provider that helps state and local governments track the cannabis business, according to Marijuana.com. A team at Microsoft will reportedly help clients navigate regulations and laws, while tracking legal cannabis commerce and helping to stop product from reaching the black market, according to the report. Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the site for KIND Financial appeared to have been taken down as of 12:30 p.m. ET. Shares of Microsoft traded 1% higher to $50.17 Thursday afternoon. They are down 7.8% over the last three months, versus a 1.7% improvement for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.