I know this is a place for frivolous posts, happiness, and endo...but this concerns us all. [prop 19]
Why would the growers in California oppose the legalization, taxation, and regulation of marijuana? Am I mistaken when I assume it is to protect their investments and insure income without competition? It seems like a mighty selfish thing to do when the results are simply holding onto antiquated and archaic laws at the expense of their customer base. Help me out here ents, inquiring minds would like to know.
Bonus points for a dispensary/grower's opinion and rationale.
Posted Jul 28, 2010, 7:02 PM UTC
1416
Once its legal, capitalism takes over. Soon you will buying mass produced marijuana at reduced prices from the big plantations.
Soon you will be growing your own, or have a buddy that does... and the police don't knock down the door. Instead the cops get to do some real work. Plus we stop stuffing the prisons with as man non-violent offenders.
It seems obvious that after the initial hubbub, it will be exactly like the legal home-brewing of beer. I do not understand all the crazy fear about 'walmart pot' or 'big plantations' (way to use a good term to scare up emotion BTW). Clearly there is going to be some money in it, why would you assume corporations wouldn't immediately jump into it?? Marc Emory is a corporation and I'm not afraid of that.
The real reason is that a select group of people have had a good thing going, for a long while, and now that is being threatened to the point of extinction. Except it wont be, at least for the actual growers, because boutique blends will always carry a premium -- but this is what the fear is doing. These people are going to have to start practicing real alchemy if they want to continue growing gold.
Oh right, I wasn't agreeing with them or anything. Just that it's their point of view. I think that they can easily protect their markets just by growing more primo shit, keeping good records (no ties to drug cartels, violence, etc), and producing GOOD product at GOOD prices. I still buy microbrew beer.
edit: But when I'm buying for a party, I buy Busch Light by the 30-rack. I could totally see myself having a regular stash and then a solo stash.
Ya the cops get to do the "real" work of hunting down the gangsters and dealers and users involved in the heroin and cocaine trade. It's all bullshit.
Is this a reasonable sacrifice for helping empty the prisons from pot smokers that don't deserve the years they got for possession?
I don't think this will wipe out the boutiques because there will always be someone who wants the best of the best, which probably wont be available from these massive growers.
I guess it doesn't really answer my question. Are you saying that they are taking their stance because they don't want massive corporate grow farms?
Yes, essentially. Their entire business is at stake. The more legal it is, the more macro the process becomes. Eventually when you can walk down to the store and get 10 pre rolled joints for $20 they're going to be completely out of a job.
You may also get a few of them who honestly believe that it should be for medicinal use only.
I'm under the impression that if your business model relies on stagnation of progress, it isn't a good business model. Especially if it is your customer base that takes the sacrifice for being greedy (correct me if I'm mistaken).
Would they take the same stance if they were not an established grower/caregiver? If they were not reaping the benefits of money, would their opinions be different about it?
It seems like a classic bogarting of the weed. Nobody likes a bogart man, especially not me.
See: The Music Industry
A very large amount of weed in the U.S. already comes from massive plantations in Mexico. They produce low-cost, low-quality bud. Soon this will just transition to the U.S.
Unfortunately I can see this happening. When it's legalized, all the idiots that just follow whatever the law says will all of a sudden think it's "okay" to smoke now, probably with a bullshit lie that big-name corporations will perpetuate. Your local grower might end up going out of business because Wal-Mart keeps getting new shipments of Cannaway (The Better Cannabis Way!). Not saying this is going to happen in any way, but I feel as if that's a possible outcome given current industry trends.