Colorado’s pot shortage

[bluedigger]

Because of the black market’s lower prices, regulators want to increase amount produced
By KATIE KUNTZ
Rocky Mountain PBS I-News

After seven months of recreational marijuana sales in Colorado, the newest goal of state regulators is to increase the amount of marijuana produced and sold by legal retailers.

“Right now we are pretty significantly under what should be produced,” said Ron Kammerzell, deputy senior director of enforcement for the state Department of Revenue.

“What that does is raise the prices, and if the price is too high, then we can’t compete with the black market, and that was our ultimate goal with Amendment 64 – we wanted to eliminate the black market,” Kammerzell said.

But new data comparing demand for marijuana in Colorado with legal supply suggests that criminal enterprises could continue to flourish.

http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/20140818/NEWS01/140819861/Colorado%E2%80%99s-pot-shortage-

[shedevil69taz]

1. It's still early...

I'm sure when prohibition was repealed it took time for the "white" market to recover and resume supplying the majority of the demand

[bluedigger]

2. The problem lies both in pricing and distribution.

This link has a collection of maps showing where you can buy marijuana legally, without prescription. https://www.coloradopotguide.com/where-to-buy-marijuana/

Most people will continue to support their local connections rather than drive 150 miles to a place to buy it. Eastern Colorado is particularly inhospitable, and people should realize that the border counties in particular are not good. You have to head for the mountains.

[SomethingFishy]

5. I live outside of Denver...

There are at least half a dozen stores near me. However I use them at this point only for Edibles and other weird shit like hash products.

It's still cheaper to buy from my guy down the street.

And once Seeds are for sale it's an end game, I will grow my own.

[ellie]

6. Yes, me too.

I am going to try my hand at growing some.

[Yavin4]

9. To this day, there are still moonshiners and bootleggers

I think there was a reality show about it.

[Hotler]

3. With all the people buying and smoking weed, where the hell do they work...

that they don't have to do random drug test?

[shanti]

4. that's the question, isn't it?

even target does drug testing.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

7. It depends on the job.

I know people in FL who work in IT and people who are mechanics. Their companies never random test. They will lose some damn good workers if they did. Drug testing will be of use to the companies if someone gets injured on the job so they can deny benefits

[otohara]

10. Corporate America

who care more about profits than employees smoking a bit of weed.

They wouldn't have any employees if they drug tested everyone, besides it costs too much. They are happy to pay low hourly wages to keep highly functioning productive weed smokers to come to work day after day and not be hung over.

[kentuck]

8. I think the bigger problem some people have....?

...is finding the top quality pot. A provider that I am familiar with must have 50-60 different strains but maybe two are the top of the line? They get all types of exotic names but the proof is in the pudding.