‘This is an industry in crisis.’ High taxes, black market threaten pot businesses They are hurting, and I am happy. Shame on them for writing these restrictive regulations for Prop 64, shutting out the smaller and good growers, thinking they could dupe the people of California and get away with it. Trying to sell us high priced over-taxed mids from places we have to drive huge distances to get to. No taxation without representation.
In my experience here in California, this is not unique to pot. A similar business model is being pushed for many other industries in California, killing small businesses. Basically you have to be rich to comply. The difference with cannabis is when push comes to shove, the people involved are self-sustaining and don't care about compliance past a certain point... This is legalization for the rich and baby boomers who never smoked until now that it's "legal". Also, many grows that are illegal were permitted under prop 215 / SB 420 previously. Theyre being targeted now cause of competition and taxes, even though they still supposedly have allbtheway until december to operate under SB 420. The black market went much bigger overnight cause of the new regulations.
Lol leave it up to California to screw shit up. California is a shit hole full of corrupt, greedy, detached politicians. What’s California tax rate and debt- 1.29 trillion with a sales tax of 7.25% Lmao bunch of fools to keep re-electing those criminals that just bleed the citizens and businesses. I don’t know who’s dumber the politicians or the people that live there
I guess our next move as far as legalization will be fixing laws so small growers and sellers can operate too. The state should issue tax stamps and approve a portable id scanner so that sellers can conduct transactions. It could work
Do you REALLY think you invented weed? The baby boomers I know really have to stretch to buy weed. And go without more often than not. Now the minimum prices just doubled. Insurance don't cover medical marijuana. And VERY few baby boomers smoke to recreate. Common sense would expect there are more people using cannabis due to the recent recreational legalization, and even to get some of the boomers to give it a try as a result of desensitizing through the legalization. Add to that the fact that we are in vacationland and multitudes of vacationers will pay the price just to go home and say they did it. But this mess is not by, about, or for the boomers. It's by, for, and about world order corporations using politicians to exploit yet another band wagon. I do agree with the rest of your post. California has been shooting itself in the foot for decades. There is no excuse for a deficit like this in a state like this.
Last I paid attention it was 8.25%. We recently had a gas tax added at the pump, too. You know, to fix the roads. Open borders and no voter I.D. Not so hard to connect those dots.
I'm a boomer and I smoke both rec and for med. I'm also 4th gen native Californian. My grandkids are 6th gen. I don't see myself leaving what some say is a state full of corrupt politicians and stupid people. See, I have choices available to me. I can pay the prices at dispensaries or I can grow enough to not have to buy weed ever. I choose the later. You haters in other states can say what you want. It's your prerogative. As for me, I know this; I live in one of the most beautiful states in the country. I can have breakfast at a ski resort and lunch with one of the finest locally produced craft beers at the beach then enjoy a sunset dinner in the desert. So yea I'm ok with it. Because I do have choices.
I live in Riverside, CA where dispensaries are still illegal by city code. I have to drive out of the city to buy now because the dispensaries and police raids put the black market dealers out of business and Mexican cartels simply stopped shipping unable to compete with the quality of locally grown buds. But who can afford them?
In Los Angeles there hasn't been much of a change as to what had been previously going on. Remember everything is regulated city by city, and some cities are shittier than others. Here in LA our city council has sat on it's hands for so long they don't even know what to do, so it's basically still the wild wild west out here. Prices haven't gone up significantly from medical prices, and most of the places that were medical only are now both with no significant change between medical and recreational. The ONLY thing that's changed for me personally is that I let my recommendation lapse and haven't renewed and am still paying the same prices at the same places. So I save $25 a year or so.
As someone who has only visited CA 4 times, I can say it is one of the best states I have been to between the scenery and people. And even with the new Rec laws which I know many are unhappy with and have been unfair to some of the smaller growers, it still seems better than what we have in NJ. I am in the process of getting my med card which from the time I made my first appointment will be roughly a 2 month process until I get the card in my hand. After that, I have to pick one of 5 dispensaries in the state and select that as my only dispensary. And after that, go to the dispensary to buy flower (some extract products are available but barely any, and nothing great like out in CA/CO etc.) in pre packaged 8th or 1/4 oz increments for about $100 a 1/4 + 7% sales tax, with no discount on buying by the ounce (Can also only buy a max of 2 oz per month, it will soon be changing to 4, but that is the limit) Also, just to get my card will cost me $400 in doctors appointments plus $100 for the card for 2 years. Also gotta go to the doctor for a renewal of your recommendation every 90 days for another $125. So while some aspects of the new CA rec market may seem annoying and shitty, at least it isn't as expensive and difficult as it is in NJ, just to get medical, let alone recreational hopefully getting passed sometime in 2019
Jeezy gets it! Between my card and my wife's card I can grow 12 plants in flower. That's a minimum of 24 pounds of bud outdoors. It takes about 45 minutes and 35 dollars to get a medical recommendation. Good to go for a year. PLUS WE LIVE IN CALIFORNIA!!!
you missed my point entirely. i know there's plenty of boomers that smoke just like we do. plenty old timers who grow in the emerald triangle too. i'm talking about the soccer moms and business suit dads that acted like they hated weed and smoke whatever mids comes their way and act like all weed is the same. the legalization is catering to people like them. jesus some of y'all took the boomer thing way too far and too seriously lol.
California’s high taxes and regulation mean black market for marijuana is still appealing – Orange County Register
from what i've seen, black and gray markets are bangin! the fact is if you grow dank / fire weed, it will always sell fast for a good price.
Leave it to California to screw up something as simple as legal weed. SMH. I'm so glad I bailed on CA, I'll never live there again...it's the state of insanity.