Under comments:
Joe • 5 days ago
One major drawback on legal weed vs black market weed is variety. This is a direct result of policy, at least in Colorado. I am not talking about the cartels per say, but the black market in general.
Marijuana is not a native plant to the state, so all seeds in the state arrived illegally, or as a result of a federal crime.
In Colorado the state allowed limited window for strains to become registered with the state, essentially forgiving the federal trafficking crime that had been committed.
This “forgiveness” period did not last a long time, and after the window closed the only new strains in the state where the result of crossing of pre registered strains. All new marijuana dispensaries whether recreational or medical have to buy their seeds from a preexisting dispensary that is growing registered strains.
Medically speaking many landrace, or native strains of marijuana have very consistent effects, and a rich history of medical use. However some of these strains are not available to either the medical market, or the recreational market in Colorado because they were not registered during the forgiveness period.
It is true you can find candy, soda, lotion, and all kind of other stuff. But most of the sales in the state of Colorado are basically 10 or so strains.
Most of these have been hybridized for shorter grow periods, growth habits that are easier to control indoors, and indoor environment adaption qualities.
– A Colorado Medical Marijuana Patient
Joe to Inanimate Carbon Rods • 5 days ago
I almost opened my own dispensary, took business classes, learned the operating laws, and lined up financing. The plan was to only grow landrace native varieties, offer education about their social, medical, and religious uses and call it Wild Strains.
It turns out this plan won’t work because of the states strain registery. Unless you want to learn about Pakistan Valley or Afghani Indica…
Landrace or 100% Sativa varieties are harder to grow indoors space is an issue, they need more time in vegetable stage to yield well, and the buds take longer to mature. This means less turnover, and less profit.
The closest you will get to Sativa in almost all dispensaries is Blue Dream. You wouldn’t know it was Sativa dominant.
The only real option left is to grow your own.
Joe to Higher_Ground • 4 days ago
Well if you are using it medicinally or recreationally it is generally much cheaper to grow your own, over the long term. The sales tax on medical is 7% the sales tax for recreational is 25%. This is why the “black market dealers” continue to play a role in places where it is legal to purchase recreationally. It is actually cheaper due to the marijuana not being taxed.
I would guess a fairly small percentage of marijuana that is used recreationally is even bought at dispensaries. Many counties, and cities have banned dispensaries so all users in those areas either grow their own, buy illegally, or drive a long distance to purchase.
Colorado Springs is a good example, recreational dispensaries are banned. There is a single dispensary in Manitou Springs (basically the foot of Pikes Peak) which last year netted over 4+ million in sales last year. I would be willing to bet the amount used in Colorado Springs, whether grown or obtained illegally is easily 10 times that amount.
Even though it has become legal, I still visit my doctor every year and pay the state fees required to remain a medical patient. I know a couple of people with cancer who do so simply because that 23% tax savings adds up over the course of the year.
Yes, you can buy seeds from a european seed bank or out of state and grow it, but trafficking seeds is a federal crime.
It technically is federally illegal to grow, possess, and use marijuana to but trafficking through the mail is more easily identified. Even though it is legal in the state federal raids are not unheard of.
All Things Chronic 