ArTee63

I got to talking about this over a bowl with a friend the other day.

We all agree that cannabis should be legalized. It's access should/would be controlled much as alcohol and cigarettes are now to help prevent underage usage. I would suspect that it would be sold in stores along with cigarettes and/or liquor. The question I have is this: How would legalizing it effect its price? Right now I pay in the $250 to $300 range for an ounce of really good quality smoke. I'm sure the "retail" outlets would have various strains and quality available so all things being equal, what do you think the price would be on an ounce or even for 1/2's, 1/4's or 1/8's? I would suspect it would be less than what the black market is currently (only makes sense, right?) But how much less? Enough to make growing your own not worth it? I'm trying to get a feel for what a comparable quality product would go for in a legal world as compared to the current conditions.

I know this is purely hypothetical but an interesting idea, none the less. I'm looking forward to the ensuing conversation.

pkster8235

It's hard to say how legalization would affect the prices...
The price could come down a bit, because being legalized would make it easier for more people to grow.. then again, the government could tax the shit out of it (like they do with everything else), and make it more expensive than it already is.
I guess we will have to wait and see.

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ArTee63

That was kind of my line of thinking. With the taxes applied would that drive the price up to where it is now or, god forbid, even higher. Then you get into supply and demand. If the cost is too high and people grow it and don't buy at the local "retail" outlet, would that drive the price down? Or would the legalization only cover possesion of a certain amount and still make growing against the law.

Buzzby

90% of what you pay for weed today is a "prohibition tax", the extra amount you're paying to all the people in the supply chain for risking their freedom to get it to you. If the price of weed reflected only the production and marketing costs, it would probably cost $10 - $20 an ounce, plus whatever taxes the fed/state/local government chooses to tack on. They couldn't tack on too much or people would simply grow their own.

With legalization, I think we'd see huge fields of weed that, like navel oranges, doesn't produce seeds. We'd see automated equipment for harvesting and processing the buds. Competition between producers would keep the quality high and the price low. Tobacco is a much more difficult crop to grow and process and, without taxes, a pack of cigs would cost $2.

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ArTee63

Thanks, Buzz. I knew you would chime in on this one.

So with production costs being what they are ($10-$20/oz), do you think the taxes would be so extreme as to drive the cost up so people would not want to buy it? Even at $20-$40/oz for production plus taxes, lets say $5-$10/oz, that would be a great deal. Even if things we a tad bit more costly, it's still a far cry from where it is now.

Anybody else have any thoughts on this?

dedbr

Look at tobacco. All your answers are there. It will work the same way......

There will be commercial enterprises, and of course personal growing will be allowed. Just don't try and sell it on the side without that tax man getting his chunk......That action will stay illegal, just like it is on cigarettes. Interstate sales and all that. Protected markets as well.

That's if we can pull the movement back towards the direction it needs to go, away from government control and saying it is medicine. Believe me folks, once the government is involved, we're screwed.........

California is still trying to figure it out......


Some Where In Ded Land...........

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Buzzby

As with anything in economics, there is a balance between prices and what people are willing to pay. Push the price to too high a point and people will go somewhere else. In the case of marijuana, once it's legal people will have the option to grow their own. People can make their own wine and beer. People can grow their own tobacco. How many do? For most people, it's just a lot easier to go to the store and pay the price. If they taxed them too heavily, it would then become easier to produce your own "recreational drugs" and people would.

Medical marijuana is approved by 80% of the American electorate. 33% approve of marijuana for recreational purposes. Most activists believe, as I do, that the medical approach is our best move to get marijuana accepted as a part of everyday life. Just as many drugs start out as prescription-only and later become OTC, it's a short walk from medical marijuana to less regulated marijuana. There's nothing that says this fight can't be approached on more than one front.

Can you tell me why you're so sure of that? They don't do that with the other legal recreational drugs. Why would they do that with marijuana? Taxes make money. Enforcement costs money.

Kushable

Hey first post what up. Screw intros im jumping head first.

Anyway weed will never be legal enough for it to grow right off the bat. Weed will never be legal enough for u to have unlimited amounts right off the bat. I would be suprised if the majority of the states dont lealize medical green with in the next 10 years. And medical is all we got right now so I think we should play more of our cards there than full legalization. Say we get medical legalized on a federal level then it starts making its way into the anti-drug idots who don't realize that just because a doctor said you can take oxycotin doesn't mean it's any less worse. All these people will have small effect at first. When you go to the doctor people know about it and its not rare for it to be a topic of disscusion. When u say the doctor put me on weed, that raises eyebrows as wells as questions on what its like then they tell their friends. (most testing on medical weed has gone great so they will probably say something positive) But when the doctor takes em off they want to keep smoking it cause they realize how fu it is. Because weed can treat a varity of conditioins it will effect all types of people. Labors, teachers, politicans anybody. This is all we got and because weed is such a hot topic u can bet people will be talking about it. People think Drugs are bad for you, people think medicen is good for your. We change the image of weed to a more appropriate one first then weed wont be a "drug". Today medical marijuana, Tomorrow decriminalized marijuana.

MiniKirk

Here's the thing: it's unlikly that the government would do anything to regulate home growing because, lets face it, the majority of Americans are lazy, and complacent. Why should they have to take the time to make sure that good ol' Mary Jane grows all right, when they can hop down to the corner 7/11 and buy a pack of mid-qual jays for five bucks? I said somewhere else that the people who grow would grow as a hobby and continue to buy their herb in stores, just because its convieniant. It would be the same as tomatoes, only ganja is mind altering.