"Green" consultancy busted for marijuana trafficking

2011 is off to a great start in terms of ridiculous consulting news.

Last week, authorities in Las Vegas executed a search warrant at the headquarters of Green Life Consulting, a pseudo-consultancy that offers expert advice on "alternative medicine" and accepts only discrete cash payments. After a brief search, it turned out that the "alternative medicine" Green Life was selling was actually marijuana, by the pound; cops left the premises with 55 marijuana plants, a vat of liquid hash, and 4 Las Vegans in custody.

Despite the obvious legal implications, you've got to hand it to the folks over at Green Life in terms of pure economic insight—these youthful stoners almost pulled off a classic consulting smokescreen.

Not only did they call their company a consultancy (perhaps modern business's most ambiguous term), they also labeled it "green"; green consulting has recently exploded as a viable high-growth industry, providing Green Life with a busy camouflage to blend into.

They also stuck to the consulting industry's fuzzy marketing standards, lacing their entire service line with enough ambiguity to baffle potential whistleblowers for years. While the McKinseys of the world offer "strategy" "advice" and "results", Green Life offers "consultation" "compassionate care" and "alternative health" counsel—all textbook business terms that could probably be applied to a Bangkok hot doggery with little difficulty.

But alas, neither Bangkok hot doggeries nor legitimate consultancies sell illegal narcotics to 14 year olds (note: citation needed). Perhaps the "consultants" at Green Life were also guilty of dabbling in their own product; if not for those awesome psychedelic gnome statuettes strewn about the front lawn, Las Vegans would likely never have known the green consultancy's true specialty.

For more information:
Las Vegas Sun

- Sam Reynolds