4 ms·

> While it’s illegal here, the money will go to these cartels. Unfortunately legalizing doesn't end this, not when the legalized variants are so much more expe

> While it’s illegal here, the money will go to these cartels. Unfortunately legalizing doesn't end this, not when the legalized variants are so much more expensive. There will always be a lucrative black market to serve unless retail is both accessible and cost competitive for all consumers. What I've seen so far with legalized recreational weed in the states is it's incredibly expensive, heavily taxed, and there are tons of illegal marijuana grow operations - more than before because demand has increased thanks to legalizing.

godelski 6y ago
I don't know where you are, but weed is cheaper and higher quality now than when I was a teenager.
Reelin 6y ago
> not when the legalized variants are so much more expensive That's highly dependent on the particular product and regulation. There's not much of an alcohol or tobacco black market in the US as far as I can tell because the regulation seems to consist almost exclusively of a sin tax applied to product sold for human consumption. Compare this to marijuana in WA, where there's some sort of convoluted and expensive licensing system for cultivating it. Then there's a set of byzantine regulations surrounding the cultivation and distribution itself followed up by a sin tax at point of sale. If drug legalization were simply that existing pharmacies could sell existing stock to people who didn't have a prescription subject to a tax (less than 50%) the drug cartels would quite literally lose their entire revenue stream overnight. The controlled substances act then becomes a list of taxed behind-the-counter substances instead of a list of illegal substances. (Bonus: The jobs of academic researches who use such substances immediately becomes _much_ easier. Not for human consumption? No tax issues, just order it from your usual supplier like any other chemical. No more complicated permits and limited availability.) (Extra bonus: No more meth labs in residential neighborhoods illegally disposing of highly toxic compounds, presenting a serious fire hazard, and otherwise endangering the health and safety of everyone nearby. Industrial chemistry belongs in industrial areas, where it can be subject to OSHA and the EPA.)
deleted 6y ago
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c22 6y ago
This does not jive with my observations living in a state with legal recreational marijuana. There are some significant taxes, but even so I can buy some decent weed for the same price as before legalization. There are definitely "high end" products in the stores that are ridiculously overpriced but the crappy stuff is cheaper than it's ever been. I used to manufacture "shatter" in my basement lab which I extracted from "shake" I bought off of friends that ran grow-ops. Since legalization I had to wind that entire operation down because in addition to noticing a precipitous drop in my own sales figures no one I know is growing anymore! Now I can buy bulk flower from the store for less than I used to pay for trimmings.
- pengaru 6y ago
  It's no secret that small operators have lost out in the shift to legalization. You had to scale up or shut down. Unfortunately in my rural neighborhood, they've scaled up, and there are so many illegal grows it affects the area housing market.

godelski 6y ago

I don't know where you are, but weed is cheaper and higher quality now than when I was a teenager.

Reelin 6y ago

> not when the legalized variants are so much more expensive That's highly dependent on the particular product and regulation. There's not much of an alcohol or tobacco black market in the US as far as I can tell because the regulation seems to consist almost exclusively of a sin tax applied to product sold for human consumption. Compare this to marijuana in WA, where there's some sort of convoluted and expensive licensing system for cultivating it. Then there's a set of byzantine regulations surrounding the cultivation and distribution itself followed up by a sin tax at point of sale. If drug legalization were simply that existing pharmacies could sell existing stock to people who didn't have a prescription subject to a tax (less than 50%) the drug cartels would quite literally lose their entire revenue stream overnight. The controlled substances act then becomes a list of taxed behind-the-counter substances instead of a list of illegal substances. (Bonus: The jobs of academic researches who use such substances immediately becomes _much_ easier. Not for human consumption? No tax issues, just order it from your usual supplier like any other chemical. No more complicated permits and limited availability.) (Extra bonus: No more meth labs in residential neighborhoods illegally disposing of highly toxic compounds, presenting a serious fire hazard, and otherwise endangering the health and safety of everyone nearby. Industrial chemistry belongs in industrial areas, where it can be subject to OSHA and the EPA.)

deleted 6y ago

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c22 6y ago

This does not jive with my observations living in a state with legal recreational marijuana. There are some significant taxes, but even so I can buy some decent weed for the same price as before legalization. There are definitely "high end" products in the stores that are ridiculously overpriced but the crappy stuff is cheaper than it's ever been. I used to manufacture "shatter" in my basement lab which I extracted from "shake" I bought off of friends that ran grow-ops. Since legalization I had to wind that entire operation down because in addition to noticing a precipitous drop in my own sales figures no one I know is growing anymore! Now I can buy bulk flower from the store for less than I used to pay for trimmings.

pengaru 6y ago
It's no secret that small operators have lost out in the shift to legalization. You had to scale up or shut down. Unfortunately in my rural neighborhood, they've scaled up, and there are so many illegal grows it affects the area housing market.