Washington Has More Pot Than It Can Smoke

[n2doc]

Supply is outstripping demand in the unlikeliest place—legal recreational marijuana in the state of Washington. Growers who jumped into the new legal market hoping to make a killing in cannabis are now getting killed by a glut of product.

"There is going to be a lot of people who are going to be in trouble," said Ata Gonzalez of GFarmaLabs, which sells cannabis-infused products.

Much of the problem may be due to differences in the legal "adult use" marijuana markets in Washington and Colorado. In Washington, unlike Colorado, legal pot can be grown outdoors, and there was almost perfect weather last summer in the eastern part of the state, leading to a bumper crop.

Taxes

Washington growers, processors and retailers are each taxed separately, accounting for as much as 75 percent of the retail price. Add in sales tax, and it's very hard to price a product that can compete with the flood of illegal pot coming up from Oregon and California as well as legal medical marijuana—which isn't taxed at all. Now that Oregon has voted to legalize recreational marijuana, a potentially lower tax rate there could hurt Washington even more.

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http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/washington-has-more-pot-it-can-smoke-n304436

[Katashi_itto]

1. WOOOOOT!!!!!!!

[jen1980]

2. It's so hard to find and so expensive...

it's not surprising it is not selling. I've never been able to buy it since I don't have a car and the Republicans that rule here have only allowed a very few stores and none that I have been to had a damn bit of stock due to the Republican's laws that prevented the growers from growing. There just was no supply. I've always wanted to try it, but I haven't been able to yet. I've never seen it or been around anyone using it, so I'm very curious.

[0rganism]

6. might be time for a vacation, yes?

Seems like your problems might be purely geographical. A few days in Seattle, Denver, or (later this year) Portland could be just the thing to satisfy your curiosity.

[jen1980]

11. Uhhh, I'm in Seattle.

[Cal Carpenter]

14. What seems to be happening

in my state is that the excess pot being grown is pouring into the black market and is often rather reasonably priced. Only medical is legal here.

I mean, that's what I've heard anyway ...

It wouldn't surprise me if that's true in a lot of places with evolving laws. There was a pretty good supply to begin with in a lot of places, more and more homegrown indoor operations, and then a bunch of opportunists trying to get into the game when laws changed, and there's a lot of good affordable stuff around just not in the shops.

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. FedEx it east, please

I'll wire the money tomorrow morning.

[Initech]

4. If you ship some here to California, we won't complain!

[yuiyoshida]

17. Calfornia is gearing up to be the next state

to have legal recreational Pot. I am sure Washington will be happy to sell us its surplus..and I will be happy to buy it legally... Yay.

[Initech]

18. There will be people smoking in the street if that happens here.

I will definitely be one of those people!

[tridim]

5. Set it free, Feds. nt

[Blue_In_AK]

7. Alaska is grappling with its rules and regulations re legal pot,

but as of February 24 it will be 100% legal in one's home. It will be another nine months, though, before they start issuing licenses to sell.

I foresee some legal issues here in the coming years, as the new legalization law is actually more restrictive in some ways than our old way. In 1975 the Ravin decision ruled that possession of up to 4 ounces or 25 plants in one's home for personal use was guaranteed by the privacy clause of our state constitution. The new law only allows an ounce or six growing plants, but will provide for ways to buy it which was the catch under the old system. Legal to have it in your home, but not legal to buy it.

It's all kind of moot to me as I've been a horticulturalist for some time.

[eridani]

8. What they really need to do is to ramp up the edibles production n/t

[Phlem]

9. Yet they charge like there's a fricken drought.

If they don't shape up with the prices people are going to go back to they're old connections.

[Fumesucker]

10. The whole objective has been to make the legal product more expensive than the illegal

Then when people start going back to illegal they'll claim that all tokers are inherently criminal.

[Phlem]

16. yep.

[joshcryer]

19. Taxes were a big selling point.

Perhaps they overreached, but the idea was "hey let us legalize and we'll tax it to hell and back."

[msongs]

12. overstock = lower prices...according to the laws of competition :-) nt

[Phlem]

15. not with weed.

Laws support a certain class that charge more.

[nationalize the fed]

13. Why would anyone buy "legal" cannabis at $20 per GRAM

That's the price at regular stores. 1 gram = ~1 joint.


Menu at Skagit County Cannabis Store 12/2014. Credit: FarmerJohn

$60 per 8th oz= $480 per Ounce. And that is all you can buy or carry "legally".
That's more than the black market ever was.


Skagit County Cannabis Store Credit: FarmerJohn

And if you don't have a medical card, growing ONE PLANT is still a FELONY.

Next step: Make the medical dispensaries go away. They've been trying to do that since it was "legalized"

The Washington Liquor Control Board wants to control every aspect of the Bu$ine$$. They carry guns and they will not be denied. They saw millions and millions and corrupted the whole thing.

If your state "legalizes" cannabis don't do it the Washington way. At least in Colorado you can grow your own (6 plants IIRC)