People are buying it, the problem is the businesses "can't transition from a provisional, temporary license to a permanent one because of a process that requires a costly, complicated and time-consuming review of the negative environmental effects involved in a business and a plan for reducing those harms." Which drives up costs and prices.

So illegal pot survives, as we've all said it would, that legalization would not lead to the end of non taxed non us grown MJ.

If fact it's possibly made it easier on the cartels to move illegal MJ around, all you have to do is A) get it into the state over the border, because nobody can tell the difference in state grown taxed pot or mexican pot when it's in a ziplock baggie, or b) setup grow shops in the state, and at that point, there's nothing to stop you from transporting your CO grown illegal or legal weed into Utah, Kansas, Texas, NM, etc for that matter anywhere.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
How did they manage to fuck this up? It's beyond farcical.

It just shows everyone how inept the government really is. The only thing they are good at is getting their hand in your pocket.

And people trust them with running healthcare. Hahaha.

This is fracking hilarious! Create an unnavigable, burdensome regulatory environment, then give the businesses harmed by it taxpayer money to help them with it. Hahahahahahaha! Priceless!

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
They have taxed and regulated the legal pot farmers to where they can't make a profit or compete with illegal weed

Much like they've done with virtually every industry (except high tech, hmmmmm) in California. Simple rule of thumb that's been born out over history, government destroys everything it touches.

quote:

This is fracking hilarious! Create an unnavigable, burdensome regulatory environment, then give the businesses harmed by it taxpayer money to help them with it. Hahahahahahaha! Priceless!

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

--Ronald Reagan

I'm not that smart but did California make the legal side so difficult and expensive that it now has to pay companies money, that is gains from expensive regulations, in order for them to pay for said rules and regulations?

Did it just charge itself money?

The state of California can fuck up anything in no time.

I can smoke a bunch of the shit for them, best I can offer.

quote:

Originally posted by Redhookbklyn:
I can smoke a bunch of the shit for them, best I can offer.

Redhookbklyn

Now that was funny. You win.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
I guess the “tax the shit out of it” part of the plan didn’t work out like people thought.

I imagine it’ll be the same thing in Washington at some point. It’s taxed 75% before it ever hits the retail shelves.

http://Zerohedge.com wrote an article about pot prices several years ago. Things may have changed, but Washington had the highest pot tax in the nation with the lowest pot prices in the stores. California had the highest pot prices in the stores though. The article didn't explain this paradox, but this topic does.

quote:

Everybody can get stoned

Tell ya what, I would not feel so all alone

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RichardC,

Nobody intelligent believed that the “legal” marijuana trade was going to edge out the cartels. Hell, they don’t even have to risk bringing across the border. They grow it on our own public lands at nearly ZERO risk and no chance of forfeiture of capital if caught. Add in the feeding frenzy for tax profits by state governments and you have a clear recipe for failure.

This industry faces the same difficulty as all other industries there: the high cost of compliance with onerous, draconian regulations combined with high taxes.

This is hilarious and was incredibly predictable. I don't think anybody expected a different result, except of course the foolish politicians who don't understand how to create a business friendly environment, or simply don't care.

Reminds me of a local saying which applies when professional politicians get involved in running a business; “Those folks can fuck up a snowball stand”.

Not living in CA, I don't know the answer to the following, but our members there may be able to enlighten us. Is it a requirement, or just a recommendation, that CA politicians must smoke a bowl before participation in every debate and vote in the general assembly?

The various marijuana documentaries that came out over the last 5-years all have a common theme...that 'Sage the grower', who thrived in the black market, now has legal competition, who's not only smarter but, more entrepreneurial and is a lot more resourceful.

If'n they can f' up a pot grower's dream, I guess all the "connoisseurs of wet dreams" would be badly disenfranchised, too!

Fifty years ago, a close relative strongly encouraged me to move to California and reap the rewards of my college degree. I guess it is a little too late now.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
Just shows that government control can screw up just about anything.

What a great quote. Ain't it the truth.