With up to 80% of California’s Weed Business Still in the Black Market, State Panel Suggests Returning to Ballot Box.
Two years after California began licensing pot shops, the industry remains so outmatched by the black market that a state panel recently joined some legalization supporters in calling for significant changes — perhaps turning again to voters to address the problems.
In its annual draft report, the Cannabis Advisory Committee warned Gov. Gavin Newsom and California legislators that high taxes, overly burdensome regulations and local control issues posed debilitating obstacles to the legal marijuana market.
With tax revenue about a third of what was expected and with only about 800 of an anticipated 6,000 licensees open for business, the panel said, officials may need to consider “revisiting the ballot initiative process.”
“Despite the state’s committed efforts to bring cannabis businesses fully into the regulated commercial market,” the report said, “as much as 80% of the cannabis market in California remains illicit.”
Black market pot is just so much better you know
ReplyDeleteOf course 80% is black market. At least 50% is sold wholesale for export to the East...
ReplyDeletePoor old commies, they never can understand that taxation is theft.
ReplyDelete11:01 and yet taxes must get paid...
Delete"Nothing is more certain but taxes and death"
said our compadre and fellow horny ass Nen Franklin.
--The problem is how much of those taxes get stolen or forgiven to special interests by learned pickpockets and lobbying cocksuckers in dark smoke filled rooms.
The grifa taxes were calculated and spent years ago, and that is the good news, the bad news is the loans taken that got the grifa taxes in debt preventing they were ficticious and never to be seen. Back to making illegal grifa pay fines.
It stays illicit because it generates the bulk of it's capital crossing state lines. It leaves the state because Humboldt County CA is to nugs like Florida is to oranges or Maine is to Lobster.Maine's economy would collapse if it could legally only sell lobsters to other Mainers. Every one knows how cranky florida's citrus industry gets if it can't move product across borders. As soon as it leaves the state it becomes a federal trafficking offense, which is bad for the bottom line. Bad for moral. Bad for bud. Bad for Cali.
ReplyDeleteThe power to tax involves the power to destroy.- McCulloch v. Maryland. The wellspring for all black market economies emanates from avoiding taxes.
ReplyDelete"Avoiding taxes should be made a CRIME all over again,
Deleteexpropriate the businesses and leave the owners on the street for their frauds...
Of course it is the government is fucking the dispensary over adding more tax
ReplyDeleteThis'll be Mike Tyson's weed then, I mean whose going to fcuk with him
ReplyDeleteScottish guy
If your smart get your medical card grow 6 outdoor straight to ground soil no containers ammend soil with natural baby feed youll get halp p per plant is 3 ps divide by 12 months equals 4zips which is 1oz of ORGANIC cannabis per week without black market or pot shops buds which is full of who really knows what just my dos centavos
ReplyDeleteCheers buddy i do the same
DeleteIf your smart get your medical card grow 6 outdoor straight to ground soil no containers ammend soil with natural baby feed youll get halp p per plant is 3 ps divide by 12 months equals 4zips which is 1oz of ORGANIC cannabis per week without black market or pot shops buds which is full of who really knows what just my dos centavos
ReplyDeleteLet's start by lowering the prices.
ReplyDeleteIf an 1/8th cost me $45-60 at a dispensary, that same flower will cost me about $20 in the street.
I'm not saying to get to $20, but $30 after taxes is reasonable.
Creo que aconsejé este punto hace algún tiempo. ahora me pregunto qué gobierno es más estúpido. ¿EUA o México? No hay forma de confirmar el origen de la mota y no hay una prueba que pueda confirmar si el conductor de un carro está intoxicado. Actúe primero y piense que el último no puede usarse con sinceridad solo contra la gubernamental mexicana.
ReplyDeleteDa...….What did you expect. You regulate and tax the crap out of everything else
ReplyDeleteLeave it to California to screw up legalizing weed. SMH
ReplyDeleteIt's no longer called the Black Market. It's the African American Emporium! It's about to be 2020,lets get with the times! 😂
ReplyDelete... after 80 + effing years of Prohibition II ... & the criminalizing of so many young peoples lives, mass loss of life s of the fronterra ... hows about the g-d governments just stay the hell out ... beyond proscribing sales to minors ... the CON has gone on long enough, the war on drugs is in fact... the war on the poor. Vaya en paz ...
ReplyDelete... & btw that bush looks fotoshopt to my eye & limited knowledge :p
ReplyDeleteNaw, typical for Nor Cal , esp Humboldt. Gives nice size comparison too.
DeleteWhat do you expect when stores are charging 15-30% Sales tax.
ReplyDeleteThe prices at the legal shops are out of whack!
ReplyDeleteOverly burdensome regulation is exactly whats slowing down legal business competiviness and driving the black market. The extremely high taxes drives the legal prices up and keeps legal businesses at a great disadvantage in front of black market business.
ReplyDeleteThe reality of it is that taxes are way too high even for people who actually have medical needs and the hurdles are extensive to get a license. The fact is when you're in pain and you don't have an ability to earn extra income you are suffering and you will find the way that is the most economical to survive. This pretty much is my reason to explain why the black market dominates the legal Market,...the taxes are not realistic.
ReplyDeleteAbraham
I knew California would over regulate Mota. Still cheaper buy from Mexico. These Mexican is a pro at producing and marketing Mota.
ReplyDeleteJust drove Matamoros to San Fernando. Highway busy. Bridge lines up to two and half hours. A lot police and Tamps Highway Patrol
ReplyDeleteproviding security for stopped vehicles on the highway. Stay on main highway seem secure. Stay off country roads . That's where the bad guys r at. The Cartel seems to respect the Christmas holiday. . Happy New Year
They rob people from the states on Xmas knowing they have money and gifts dont be a fool. Just because you didnt get robbed doesnt mean the cartels respect xmas. Only the top bosses get to celebrate the rest is business like usual
DeleteInteresting to see if it plays out similarly in Canada and now Mexico (can’t say I am fully aware of Mexican laws on weed) since personal use is legal now. I know that in Canada the Gov. prices and quality are a joke compared to the sticky icky grown by the OG’s of the industry and the prices those who know pay. 2000 per lbs (around4.50g) for quad buds vs 10 to 14 per gram plus tax at a regulated dispensary. Also each individual can grow 4 plants. investors in the legal pot sector are not getting what they bargained for. So sad 🎻
ReplyDeleteFrank
4:47 FACK THE INVESTORS, por pendejos...
DeleteThey taxed the marijuana so much that people just stick black market. California legalized Marijuana for the rich only.
ReplyDeleteLike the late great Nate dogg once said, "smoke weed everyday"
ReplyDeleteOvertaxing----but that is what California is famous for. If they don't like something for sure they will tax it to death.
ReplyDeleteCal is second in lowest number of cig smokers second to utah but really it is number 1 because cal has 10 times the population. cigs
are 8.50 a pack at walgreens, I asked. 7 dollars in Texas.
Seems they are trying to overide the voters wishes with pot.
Cigs are $9 in Minnesota
DeleteMisdemeanor for small amount of weed or paraphernalia. Felony to grow. Tightly restricted! Medical cannabis only allows pill form, drops or vape cartridges as far as I'm aware of. But CBD is sold in almost every store.
Mn
Chivis, the state lawmakers like the law because they are as high as anyone else. The reason the costs are higher is the inspection of goods at state level.
ReplyDeleteI go to the dispensary for edibles, don't smoke it myself. I can't make pot cookies well so I buy them in the pot store.
Most of my fellow pothead friends that smoke have gone back to street sales from old connections. At least at the stores it's tested for pesticides and other toxic ingredients that might be used in baked edibles.
It is what it is. You pay for what you get. Illigal pot has all kinds of illigal subtances in it, they dont get tested. Legal pot goes through lab test after lab test to label it safe. I know people in their 80 who has smoked pot since they were teens and theyre still here.
ReplyDeleteFully legalization is the only way..
ReplyDelete