Marijuana legalization may hit 40 states. Now what?

[Warlord]

More than 40 U.S. states could allow some form of legal marijuana by the end of 2020, including deep red Mississippi and South Dakota — and they’re doing it with the help of some conservatives.

State lawmakers are teeing up their bills as legislative sessions kick off around the country, and advocates pushing ballot measures are racing to collect and certify signatures to meet deadlines for getting their questions to voters.

Should they succeed, every state could have marijuana laws on the books that deviate from federal law, but people could still be prosecuted if they drive across state lines with their weed, because the total federal ban on marijuana isn’t expected to budge any time soon. The changes could usher in even more confusion for law enforcement and escalate the pressure on Congress to act. Federal bills are crawling through Congress, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell firmly against legalization.

But at the least, hopes will be high that federal hurdles to researching the effects of pot and restrictions on banking in the cannabis sector will ease.

“We’re cautiously optimistic that we can win more marijuana reform ballot initiatives on one Election Day than on any previous Election Day,” said Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project. Schweich cited growing public support for the issue among both liberals and conservatives.

More:

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/20/marijuana-legalization-federal-laws-100688

 

[Anti Globalist]

Marijuana should be decriminalized as well.

 

[jkr]

Marijuana should be decriminalized as well.

it is in ohio...and the BEAT GOES ON

cops do WHATEVER THEY WANT

 

[Schifference]

Tomatoes are legal and you can even grow them and eat the ones you grow. You can purchase seeds for tomatoes and do with them as you wish.

 

[jct74]

Marijuana should be decriminalized as well.

It's considered to be decriminalized in 15 states; you still have to pay a fine in those states and in some of them possession of small amounts is still a misdemeanor. Cultivating a single plant is even a felony in some of the decriminalized states.

 

[revgen]

Decriminalization is a way to keep criminal gangs in power while not punishing the drug users. Without legalization, legal cannabis sellers won't sell or cultivate.

Most of these states either have decriminalized cannabis possession or have taxed it so high that many drug users would rather just buy from the criminal gangs and avoid the tax.

Show me one state that has legalized cannabis and hasn't levied a sales tax higher than what citizens pay for common items at Wal-Mart.

 

[pcosmar]

Decriminalization is a way to keep criminal gangs in power while not punishing the drug users. Without legalization, legal cannabis sellers won't sell or cultivate.

Most of these states either have decriminalized cannabis possession or have taxed it so high that many drug users would rather just buy from the criminal gangs and avoid the tax.

Show me one state that has legalized cannabis and hasn't levied a sales tax higher than what citizens pay for common items at Wal-Mart.

Bullshit.. Often repeated,,but still complete Bullshit..

Prices even after Tax are so much lower than any Street Prices since the 70s.

And one State is Washington.. They actually LOWERED the tax on Cannabis after the first year.. still 37% tax..

Show me a Black Market Dealer that has nice 70% Crumble at $8 a gram.

There are more than a Half dozen stores nearby,, that compete for business.

My favorite.. (uncompensated endorsement)
https://potguide.com/washington/marijuana-stores/longview/420-holiday/
https://www.allbud.com/dispensaries/washington/longview/420-holiday

https://potguide.com/washington/marijuana-stores/longview/420-holiday/

 

[revgen]

Bull$#@!.. Often repeated,,but still complete Bull$#@!..

Prices even after Tax are so much lower than any Street Prices since the 70s.

And one State is Washington.. They actually LOWERED the tax on Cannabis after the first year.. still 37% tax..

Show me a Black Market Dealer that has nice 70% Crumble at $8 a gram.

There are more than a Half dozen stores nearby,, that compete for business.

My favorite.. (uncompensated endorsement)
https://potguide.com/washington/marijuana-stores/longview/420-holiday/
https://www.allbud.com/dispensaries/washington/longview/420-holiday

https://potguide.com/washington/marijuana-stores/longview/420-holiday/

That's good news for Washington residents.

It's not so good for those living in California.

Are High Taxes and Regulations Crippling the Adult Use Marijuana Market in California?

The high taxes and mountains of regulations that recreational cannabis businesses in California face is a subject I’ve covered a couple of times before. It has now been 3 full months since adult use sales became legal in the state, and in that short time there has been a lot of noise made about how much higher the state of CA has made legal marijuana prices for shops that are legally licensed.

I say the “shops that are legally licensed” because by most estimates, the number of unlicensed shops littered throughout the state dwarfs the number of licensed businesses. Those shops don’t face the regulatory scrutiny or pay the taxes that licensed shops do. Add into the mix all of the illegal dealers that operate completely outside the regulatory framework the state has set up for both medical and recreational marijuana and you can easily see the disadvantage the licensed operators face, from growers to sellers.

Reason TV recently took a look at this problem, analyzing a legal and licensed cannabis product from seed to sale in CA. The entire video – “California’s Legal Weed Is So Heavily Taxed and Regulated That the Black Market Might Survive” – can be seen below.

https://www.marijuanatimes.org/are-...the-adult-use-marijuana-market-in-california/

 

[pcosmar]

That's good news for Washington residents.

It's not so good for those living in California.



https://www.marijuanatimes.org/are-...the-adult-use-marijuana-market-in-california/

Yeah well,,California has more problems than that.. but I still call foul..

I hate tax,,but that has been the Bribe that has made retail sales possible.

And the numbers thrown around indicate a Thriving Business.. I am buying product both in Oregon and Washington cheaper than I could prior to Legalization..

before moving the Cheapest I saw was $60 Quarter.. I buy the same or BETTER at $10 to $20..

Show me different. I think it is major Butt-hurt from those that refused to invest in the market.

Because there are no Dealers selling that cheap. or stocking the Variety.

 

[dannno]

That's good news for Washington residents.

It's not so good for those living in California.



https://www.marijuanatimes.org/are-...the-adult-use-marijuana-market-in-california/

The medical market in CA is limping along, I am definitely paying almost half of what I used to pay in the black market, and the old medical market before it was legalized for that matter.

But there are still plenty of issues, it is tough to find a non-medical legal store in most places.

 

[pcosmar]

The medical market in CA is limping along, I am definitely paying almost half of what I used to pay in the black market, and the old medical market before it was legalized for that matter.

But there are still plenty of issues, it is tough to find a non-medical legal store in most places.

Local Politics in some areas,,inbred political machines everywhere get in the way.

But there is no black market dealer anywhere ever,,, that could have the selection available in any one of several stores around.

I used to transport to the Midwest.. I think I am familiar with the underground market.

 

[Snowball]

Black Market always survives.

End of Story.

 

[jkr]

...more arrests & seizures?

 

[dannno]

...more arrests & seizures?

What I can't believe is that they are still at it with the propaganda..

[h=1]New research shows marijuana and heart problems could be linked[/h]New research shows that smoking pot could have some of the same cardiovascular risks as smoking tobacco

https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/n...study/83-045773b8-bb77-477f-a65c-e3aeeceec93b

 

[Grandmastersexsay]

Decriminalization is a way to keep criminal gangs in power while not punishing the drug users. Without legalization, legal cannabis sellers won't sell or cultivate.

Most of these states either have decriminalized cannabis possession or have taxed it so high that many drug users would rather just buy from the criminal gangs and avoid the tax.

Show me one state that has legalized cannabis and hasn't levied a sales tax higher than what citizens pay for common items at Wal-Mart.

Especially with vaping, a lot of people won't want to go black market. All those vaping deaths you heard about a few months ago were from black market cartridges with synthetic marijuana.

 

[mrsat_98]

Especially with vaping, a lot of people won't want to go black market. All those vaping deaths you heard about a few months ago were from black market cartridges with synthetic marijuana.

cartridges used vitamin e as a thinner.

 

[Grandmastersexsay]

cartridges used vitamin e as a thinner.

That isn't what was killing people. There was the vitamin E issue that caused some lung irritation in some people. The synthetic marijuana is what was killing people. Bad stuff.

 

[dannno]

That isn't what was killing people. There was the vitamin E issue that caused some lung irritation in some people. The synthetic marijuana is what was killing people. Bad stuff.

Pretty sure they were saying it was lipoid pneumonia that was caused by the vitamin E acetate.

The thing is, though, there are 8 different ways to make vitamin E acetate. One of the ways to make it is using petroleum, and apparently that stuff is really bad to vape.

So it could be that some vapes that contained vitamin E acetate were ok, or at least not nearly as bad, as some of the ones that were using the wrong type.

I don't know what you mean by synthetic marijauna, besides that K9 stuff they used to sell a lot like 10 years or so ago.

 

[tebowlives]

Yeah well,,California has more problems than that.. but I still call foul..

I hate tax,,but that has been the Bribe that has made retail sales possible.

And the numbers thrown around indicate a Thriving Business.. I am buying product both in Oregon and Washington cheaper than I could prior to Legalization..

before moving the Cheapest I saw was $60 Quarter.. I buy the same or BETTER at $10 to $20..

Show me different. I think it is major Butt-hurt from those that refused to invest in the market.

Because there are no Dealers selling that cheap. or stocking the Variety.

Supply outpacing demand.
If the prices are so good, why do so many purchase from the black market?

"We’re the only state to go recreational and see a year-over-year reduction in legal sales," UCBA president Jerred Kiloh said."

“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.”

 

[luctor-et-emergo]

Supply outpacing demand.
If the prices are so good, why do so many purchase from the black market?

"We’re the only state to go recreational and see a year-over-year reduction in legal sales," UCBA president Jerred Kiloh said."

“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.”

I think it's a mixed bag and depends on the area. If it's more convenient to go to a dealer, people will do so. As an example however, having been to Canada a few times last year and living in Amsterdam... Prices in Canada are about half from Amsterdam. Amsterdam coffeeshops are supplied by illegal grows and the quality is not regulated. That's according to expectations. However, if you have a government levying extreme taxes, then yes, people will go back to the black market.