11-07-2018, 09:47 AM
I applaud legalization of Cannabis. Its a very stupid thing to have to go to jail for.
That said - even as a dyed in the wool liberal - the common thread among legalized states in the US is over-regulation and greed.
Its not enough to collect SOME tax. They have to collect HUGE tax and make the permitting process long, patronized and very expensive based on figures from 1987.
A pound of organically grown highest quality Cannabis in California is whole saled at less than $1,000 per pound. In 1987, it was easily sold for $6,000.00.
Sure - regulate pesticide use...regulate what goes into a tincture and edible. Keep product clean. But when the regulation is so outrageous that common soil compounds are on the list of no-go, even the dispensaries here go dry. That happened at the beginning of July and guess what? You didn't hear about it because California culture IS Cannabis and with a wink and a nod people got their Cannabis through either the back door or stores got it from - yes....the Black Market.
The only people who can afford a $25,000 permit to grow less than an acre of Cannabis are those that will cut corners in cultivation. They will push the envelope on pesticide use. They will use inferior seed and clone stock. They will sell it to the stores at less than $1,000 per pound and the stores will net $3,000.00 on crap.
Crap weed IN CALIFORNIA. Its embarrassing to those of us who have "grown up" in the culture. Who are proud for what used to be the best in the world.
My family is in the biz, obviously. He has been waiting on a permit inspection for a year. You see, in our county its "who you know" and though he knows many high up in the biz, he doesn't have those county relationships. With all the money being made from those who have paid for permits and the taxes collected from the legal outlets...there are only TWO land use inspectors in the entire county, a county which historically grows pot.
Money-wise, no surprise that the state and local government collected far less than what they expected to collect at the time Prop 64 was passed.
So...while I support that no one should ever have to be prosecuted for Cannabis I defy the powers that be for monetizing the crap out of it at the peril of quality and for pushing it to a hole underground that California hasn't seen prior to 1995.
That said - even as a dyed in the wool liberal - the common thread among legalized states in the US is over-regulation and greed.
Its not enough to collect SOME tax. They have to collect HUGE tax and make the permitting process long, patronized and very expensive based on figures from 1987.
A pound of organically grown highest quality Cannabis in California is whole saled at less than $1,000 per pound. In 1987, it was easily sold for $6,000.00.
Sure - regulate pesticide use...regulate what goes into a tincture and edible. Keep product clean. But when the regulation is so outrageous that common soil compounds are on the list of no-go, even the dispensaries here go dry. That happened at the beginning of July and guess what? You didn't hear about it because California culture IS Cannabis and with a wink and a nod people got their Cannabis through either the back door or stores got it from - yes....the Black Market.
The only people who can afford a $25,000 permit to grow less than an acre of Cannabis are those that will cut corners in cultivation. They will push the envelope on pesticide use. They will use inferior seed and clone stock. They will sell it to the stores at less than $1,000 per pound and the stores will net $3,000.00 on crap.
Crap weed IN CALIFORNIA. Its embarrassing to those of us who have "grown up" in the culture. Who are proud for what used to be the best in the world.
My family is in the biz, obviously. He has been waiting on a permit inspection for a year. You see, in our county its "who you know" and though he knows many high up in the biz, he doesn't have those county relationships. With all the money being made from those who have paid for permits and the taxes collected from the legal outlets...there are only TWO land use inspectors in the entire county, a county which historically grows pot.
Money-wise, no surprise that the state and local government collected far less than what they expected to collect at the time Prop 64 was passed.
So...while I support that no one should ever have to be prosecuted for Cannabis I defy the powers that be for monetizing the crap out of it at the peril of quality and for pushing it to a hole underground that California hasn't seen prior to 1995.