3 ms·
The whole "legal to retail it, illegal to produce/grow it" is the dumbest example of a policy I've seen, and it's shocking to me that such a progressive country
by JPKab 5y ago
The whole "legal to retail it, illegal to produce/grow it" is the dumbest example of a policy I've seen, and it's shocking to me that such a progressive country has such a backwards policy. Amazingly, it makes the confusing "legal in many states/illegal at Federal level" morass of the USA look good.
Here in Colorado, every bit of legally sold cannabis (or it's refined products like edibles/concentrates) can be traced to the plant or collection of plants it was produced with.
Compared to other US states, the system is incredibly effective in its goal of maintaining a price floor and preventing oversupply like Oregon and California have. Oversupply is bad because growers become less profitable, and are more likely to sell on the black market as a result.
Most importantly, full traceability from the retail store to the producer prevents organized crime from supplying the retail locations.
The Netherlands should look at the Colorado model, and take it farther.
- throwaway894345 5y ago> Oversupply is bad because growers become less profitable, and are more likely to sell on the black market as a result. Why would the black market be more lucrative? Why does a black market exist when there is a cheap legal market? Is the implication that the black market exports to states where it isn't yet legal and thus prices are higher? > Most importantly, full traceability from the retail store to the producer prevents organized crime from supplying the retail locations. I like this mechanism.
- jdeibele 5y agoThe legal market isn't cheap because there are "sin taxes" on cannabis that make it expensive. Often the high taxes are supposed to be a disincentive for consumption or overconsumption. Cigarettes are too expensive for teenagers, etc. See also bootleggers, cigarettes trucked from low-tax states (Eric Garner), etc.