September 19, 2017

Problems with California's legal pot rollout

NY Times - As regulators in California prepare for the start of recreational marijuana sales in January, people in the industry say they are concerned that the rollout may not be as smooth as was promised by the promoters of Prop 64, the ballot measure last November that legalized pot.

In addition to the low numbers of cannabis farmers who are joining the legalized system — only around one-tenth of growers have applied to county authorities for permits — there is the question of price.

Three years ago, when Colorado began its recreational marijuana program, prices at dispensaries there were significantly lower than the black market, providing an incentive for consumers to join the legal system.

The situation is reversed in California. There is so much pot being grown in California that the wholesale price has been falling sharply in recent years and any pot sold on the legal market in January will have the added costs of taxes, fees and mandatory testing for pesticides and other chemicals

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