Canada: Legal Marijuana In Much More Expensive

[xenogear3]

It is well known that black market is always cheaper.

The government (middle man) takes a cut, not even including corrupted officials.

[Felya]

you will never outprice black market. coming from experience when you grow say 20 lbs for a shop to dispense and they end up only needing 15 ( this happens all the time, constantly actually), you still gonna get rid of that extra 5 pounds ya got. remember you are cloning and growing mass quantities, so you have another crop coming in soon. so...…. "phone ringing" hey "jimmy" ill sell ya 5 pounds for 1800 a piece (great deal) "jimmy" jumps on it, then distributes it out at a hell of a price. I get my weed of the black market at 110 an ounce. top quality, same stuff in dispensaries, cause im "jimmy". I dont consider myself a drug dealer. I sell to my family which alone consists of 9 uncles. they are all older and still have that paranoid mindset so I offload ounces to them for 180 a piece. they all smoke that is 100 cheaper than at the dispensary. same stuff. most "drug dealers" arent like me they get the same deals I do cause of who they know and sell the shit out of it to anyone and everyone. I can get weed from a dispensary supplier by just making a phone call. its why black market will always be cheaper.

But, the price on black market is not lower as a whole, just average. Because black market doesn’t get you the quality you can find in a dispensary. The shit you buy from the black market costs the same, if not lower in a shop. As I linked earlier, the shop I go to sells oz as low as 75$. The odds of your dealer having the sort of stuff going for 500$ an oz at a shop, is highly unlikely and would cost around 500$ as well.

Also, unlike the shop, the black market has the overhead of needing to hide it and being caught. Smugglers cost more than a delivery truck.

[Elba]

Why would they make it illegal, when all it has done is lower crime and generate tax revenue? Just spite?

Cuz it's a drug. That's like saying if we legalize murder it reduces crime cuz killing would not be a crime.

No, 60% smoke pot, the druggies part can be argued at nearly 100%. Depending on how you define drugs. Since even sugar is a stimulant...

Food are not drugs. Drugs specifically provide no nutritional support.

[Felya]

It is well known that black market is always cheaper.

The government (middle man) takes a cut, not even including corrupted officials.

The government also takes a cut from black market, it’s what they do when they raid these places.

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Cuz it's a drug. That's like saying if we legalize murder it reduces crime cuz killing would not be a crime.

Again, so is sugar and alcohol. Alcohol was already banned in US.

Food are not drugs. Drugs specifically provide no nutritional support.

Sugar isn’t consumed for nutrition. By your definition, cake is not only a lie... it’s also a drug. Diabetes kills far more people than pot... more people losing limbs, eye sight and a shit ton of other problems.



Sugar took the Uganda giant Kamala... RIP... RVD is still going strong.

[arandomuser]

anything legal is more expensive still given the choice people will choose to use the legal version rather than go out of their way for the illegal version to save a few bucks. ofc ppl do its rarer than when the entire thing is illegal

[Felya]

This is such bullshit. Indoor weed has the potential to be far superior to outdoor. Ignoring pests, pesticide use, and an inability to micromanage nutrient production, there are far too many variables to consistently make an amazing product. Top shelf weed is always hydroponic. Outdoor weed is cheap to produce and capable of bigger yields. All lowest tier weed I’ve ever encountered in the US is outdoor grown.

The shit they are talking about costing 70$ per oz, not only grows outside... it grows by the side of the highway. It’s not Mexican, since it’s not worth the cost to cross the border for 70$ per oz. The lowest tier of weed is ditch weed, that grows off the side of highways in WA. The 70$ at a shop, is far superior... like night and day...

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anything legal is more expensive still given the choice people will choose to use the legal version rather than go out of their way for the illegal version to save a few bucks. ofc ppl do its rarer than when the entire thing is illegal

This is simply not true when it comes to pot. You can just go and look up online order menus in WA. It’s not that difficult to see how the average is derived to be higher cost, while 1:1 prices are the same.

Edit: FYI: It being legal inherently makes it better quality, because you don’t get the paranoid ‘cops are coming’ feeling.

[craigw]

But, the price on black market is not lower as a whole, just average. Because black market doesn’t get you the quality you can find in a dispensary. The shit you buy from the black market costs the same, if not lower in a shop. As I linked earlier, the shop I go to sells oz as low as 75$. The odds of your dealer having the sort of stuff going for 500$ an oz at a shop, is highly unlikely and would cost around 500$ as well.

Also, unlike the shop, the black market has the overhead of needing to hide it and being caught. Smugglers cost more than a delivery truck.

as I said the growers for dispensaries are not selling all their stuff just to dispensaries. it is the exact same weed. this isnt tommy growing in his basement. this is a 65000 square foot warehouse. it is sent off tested in labs. once approved with the stamp and %, its then sold in bulk to dispensaries in Colorado. mainly two counties. you will never find it cheaper than the black market. by the pound the dispensaries get it for around 2800-3400 a pound. I get it from the same people for cheaper. im not the only one who knows the guy. and he is just one guy. there are numerous operations in numerous states all doing the same shit. 2800/16 which is 175 dollars an ounce for top rated strains that is without taxes and without mark ups for profit.. average costs of an ounce of weed is Colorado which is 242 dollars. http://www.priceofweed.com/prices/Un.../Colorado.html you don't need to hide it when you can legally grow it for recreational distribution to dispensaries. you are still thinking like its the kid on the corner selling weed. its the grower who grows it for the shops also distributing for black market. you can say its not cheaper but i have yet to get the same strains cheaper than the black market and if an ounce is 75-100 bucks it sure isn't fresh and it sure isn't high quality. I mean they have those cheap ounces in my stores as well. but they sit on the shelves and in the display for ever. they cheap for a reason.....

[Unholyground]

That's a pretty sad state if true. 60% of the population are druggies?

And no, drugs destroy lives.

Everything is a drug.

[Xjev]

The fact that you don't have to deal with shady dealers just for few grams of weed is worth it for me, I only smoke it once in every 2 or 3 months. Also now you can see the CBD and THC percentages which is nice.

[Krastyn]

It is honestly stunning how they fucked up. The government is doing a worse job than the black market "criminal".

It is honestly stunning that people are judging how a market that isn't even a year old has "failed". Yes there are going to be supply problems. Half the provinces don't even have their shit figured out yet. It's why many of them asked for legalization to be delayed.

It's also hilarious people trying to compare cost/price at this point with such a young market. Look at the data from Colorado, such as this:


Notice the constant downward trend? Prices are down over 30%. Same thing will happen in Canada. As suppliers get set up and start optimizing, and as more licenses are given out prices will come down. Will they ever match black market? Likely not. The market almost never does, regardless of the market.

Dealers work great for those who already have them. But Joe Random who is looking to try it out for his first time is more likely to go to a legit store, and pay 10-25% more than try to track down a dealer and hope he gets the right kind of fucked.

[omeomorfismo]

Sure. If you are actually serious about stopping drugs.



Philippines is a mess though, people got nothing to lose. In Canada people will think twice about the risk.

rotfl^2, worked so well with all iteration of alcohol's prohibition in both US and URSS.
people like you, after something like 2, 3 centuries of prohibitionism failure still belivie in it, why? it doesnt work...

[lummiuster]

It is honestly stunning that people are judging how a market that isn't even a year old has "failed". Yes there are going to be supply problems. Half the provinces don't even have their shit figured out yet. It's why many of them asked for legalization to be delayed.

It's also hilarious people trying to compare cost/price at this point with such a young market. Look at the data from Colorado, such as this:


Notice the constant downward trend? Prices are down over 30%. Same thing will happen in Canada. As suppliers get set up and start optimizing, and as more licenses are given out prices will come down. Will they ever match black market? Likely not. The market almost never does, regardless of the market.

Dealers work great for those who already have them. But Joe Random who is looking to try it out for his first time is more likely to go to a legit store, and pay 10-25% more than try to track down a dealer and hope he gets the right kind of fucked.

I understand what you are saying but it does not connect with the issue. We don't care if the prices will go down. It is simply unacceptable that they did not anticipate what customers were smoking. People smoke good weed for a good high. They thought they could simply legalise it, apply the shits they have learned in their MBA program to maximise the profit, and supply "in"/gmo/trash weed to become rich.
Here is a perfect analogy: Imagine that in Israel/Iran they legalise meat but then they don't supply them with kosher/halal meat. Won't you think that the government is retarded and got disconnected with the people? On top of it, the kosher meat on the black market remains cheaper than the legal non-kosher meat... How can you defend them?

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This is such bullshit. Indoor weed has the potential to be far superior to outdoor. Ignoring pests, pesticide use, and an inability to micromanage nutrient production, there are far too many variables to consistently make an amazing product. Top shelf weed is always hydroponic. Outdoor weed is cheap to produce and capable of bigger yields. All lowest tier weed I’ve ever encountered in the US is outdoor grown.

haha spotted a professional stoner.

[Talon8669]

You really need to learn how to troll better. Did Canada suddenly get a thriving marijuana agricultural infrastructure going the moment legalization occurred? No. As production increases, price will go down.

By your logic we should stop taxing alcohol then too... Oh wait it has a large scale supply and distribution system because it has been legal the last 82 years whereas Cannibas hasn't. Same reason why CBD supplement prices are high. Now, thanks to the Farm Bill help can now be grown commercially in the US again and so it won't need to be imported if you want to keep it pure or rely on states like Colorado that legalized marijuana.

Pretty much this and it was the same in the states. At first an ounce was like $400 where you could find the black market for around $200. However after supply/demand equalized an ounce is now around $200 either meeting or being cheaper than black market. Also with purchasing legally you're towing the line and there won't be legal repercussions which I think is worth paying a little more for a product personally.

[Swalload]

It's the same as the American states that legalized weed. The only way to kill off the black market is to not tax weed.

They don't need to kill off the black market. There's already too many people buying legal weed, stores are out of stock where I live. That means the black market is not strong enough to steal customers and also means that if the black market was really gone the legal supplies wouldn't be enough.

[crakerjack]

It's the same as the American states that legalized weed. The only way to kill off the black market is to not tax weed.

Not true at all, not at all. As someone who lives in Oregon, our prices have dropped DRASTICALLY. Sure you can still find bud that's $20-30 a gram, but that's top shelf with high terpenes and high THC/CBD. The local place I go to has $24 1/2 oz. post tax. Weed is most definitely cheaper now than it was when it was illegal. I can't recall how often I spent $60 for a 1/4 prior to legalization.

[Machismo]

It's the same as the American states that legalized weed. The only way to kill off the black market is to not tax weed.

I agree, we should avoid taxes and tariffs on such things. So, when then do you seem to want more taxers and tariffs on so many goods?

[Didly]

It's the same as the American states that legalized weed. The only way to kill off the black market is to not tax weed.

This is untrue. Weed prices in Colorado and California are about half the price of the "illicit market." This will be immediately obvious to anyone who has bought high quality weed over the years and walks into a pot shop in either of those states.

And no... weed should absolutely be taxed along with any other luxury consumable "vices" (like alcohol, tobacco, etc.). In fact, if I were a state legislator I would ensure that tax revenue gets put back into something worthwhile just to make a point.

Also, the people stating that "illegal" weed is poor quality are beyond incorrect. The best weed I've ever seen was grown "illegally" in an indoor hydroponic setup using reverse-osmosis filtered water and very limited nutrients. The saying "you are what you eat" applies 10-fold in this environment. Quality "illegal" weed is far and away above the quality of mass produced weed in legal states thanks to the care and attention each plant receives.

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They are overcharging simple as that, they just need to cut their prices in half and the black market disappears. Honestly I am growing my own plants and I am getting really good at it so fuck buying from them lol. The current issue is they are under supplied pretty much everywhere in Canada right now so they can keep the prices high.



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Don't Forget a lot of illegal weed is garbage and poorly grown too, so a lot of times you are getting shit weed.

I recognize a vivosun tent

You look like you're growing with CFLs, however, which is not a path to success. The ONLY way to produce high-quality weed indoors is through a minimum 600W HPS light. CFL plants are anemic and do not live up to the potential of the plant. You've also got some yellowing in the center of the leaf, which at that early of an age is due to a serious nutrient imbalance. Typically new growers overfeed their plants, which may be the case here. I would also recommend top trimming after the first knuckle to encourage a shorter, fatter plant, instead of letting it grow unhindered. Otherwise your bud will be rather thin and "popcorny." You can't fix this on this particular plant, so at the very least trim the bottom tier of leaves as the flowering sites in that area will be under-lit- a problem exacerbated by the use of CFLs.

Seriously though- ditch the CFLs. They aren't worth your time or effort and do not do your plants justice.

[Lochton]

It's the same as the American states that legalized weed. The only way to kill off the black market is to not tax weed.

Of course it is more expensive. Once you make it legal, you have to apply taxes, and setup a system for it as well. People wanted it legal, there you go, enjoy, don't complain.

[motorized]

potheads every where are gunna be like "don't tax ma weed man". the only bloody reason it was legalised could possibly be due to falling tax revenue from cigarettes sales.

[ArguesWithStrangers]

It's the same as the American states that legalized weed. The only way to kill off the black market is to not tax weed.

I imagine as the legal supply increases the price will go lower. Also, you can tax something too much and create a black market. That doesn't mean you can't tax it at all though. People will pay a premium to purchase something they're confident is legal and isn't of poor quality. I imagine a part of the problem is this industry is still new, while the illegal market is very well established.