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RiderOnTheStorm
Reject thug culture


Registered: 11/26/12
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The societal effects of legalizing MJ
#18858098 - 09/18/13 01:34 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Lately I've been wondering what will really happen as statewide legalization of marijuana becomes common place. As I understand it CO and WA are both set to have a fully legal, regulated MJ trade early next year where you will be able to purchase marijuana at stores. Obviously this is the first step in a broader movement to legalize on a state by state basis so right now the black market for weed in the US is not endangered, but what happens as the legal market takes it place?
What will happen in poverty stricken areas as drug dealers lose their jobs? Will they turn to gainful employment in the legal market, or turn to selling harder drugs? Will the legal market be large enough to provide jobs for those displaced by the end of the black market? Will traditional crimes increase in frequency as uneducated criminal types lose their primary source of funding?
I know in CA there's still a large black market despite there being dispensaries all over the place, will the same somehow happen in states with regulated industry? Not likely IMO but an idea worth visiting.
I think of how many worthless people I've met who don't seem like they could make it if they couldn't just slang grass to their friends, and I wonder what will become of them. There are so many facets to what legalization will do to this country.
Will black incarceration rates decline significantly with legal pot? Will cartels scale back their efforts or step them up? Will the DEA be able to justify it's existence in the event that the Cartels scale back or enter the legal market? What will happen to our beloved prison industrial complex if it can't be filled with nonviolent pot users?
What levels do you think statewide legalization will reach? 30+ states? 40+? All 50? Interested to hear how you think the economic and societal changes will play out.
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LuSiD enthusiast
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Real criminals will be more noticed as police start actully looking for them, black market weed will still be around, just less abundance of sources, and medicinal users will lose all around.
I say the last part because when weed becomes legal as alchohol, we'll start seeing restrictions on where and when you can use medicine. Also medicinal users, will have to get used to the term addict, regardless of whether it's right or not. If it's as legal as alcohol, people will treat you like an alcoholic at work. Luckily weed isn't hard to play sober on so just don't reek pf it when you arrive anywhere, and no one will know the difference.
Regardless of societal labels anything that keeps weed smokers out of jail is a plus in my book.
-------------------- I'm addicted to coke, weed, booze, ludes and speed. Not LSD, you can't get addicted to LSD, it was built by scientists. I ain't got no demons that gonna get woke. In erowid we trust. Just take your damn pills and don't ask any questions, you'll be fine.
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SattvaBodhi
nobody

Registered: 08/09/13
Posts: 392
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Drug dealers will not loose their jobs. They will just move on to the next product.
I do think this is going to have a big impact on the economy though.
-------------------- My ETSY shop .. stop by and look ***Disclaimer*** Everything I say in my posts is false. I have never done any drugs nor will I ever. Drugs are bad mmkay.
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abltsandwich
JFK = Jelly Donut




Registered: 06/16/09
Posts: 11,537
Loc: Dildoville
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Re: The societal effects of legalizing MJ [Re: SattvaBodhi]
#18858349 - 09/18/13 02:22 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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I don't know man most of the dealers I ever met were just hustling for free weed to smoke. Buy an ounce, smoke an eighth, sell the rest and break even to score another oz. That being the bulk of dealers I ever bought from I doubt they'll move on to something else to sell unless they're already into it.
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SattvaBodhi
nobody

Registered: 08/09/13
Posts: 392
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Re: The societal effects of legalizing MJ [Re: abltsandwich]
#18858793 - 09/18/13 03:44 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
abltsandwich said: I don't know man most of the dealers I ever met were just hustling for free weed to smoke. Buy an ounce, smoke an eighth, sell the rest and break even to score another oz. That being the bulk of dealers I ever bought from I doubt they'll move on to something else to sell unless they're already into it.
:nod:
Agreed
-------------------- My ETSY shop .. stop by and look ***Disclaimer*** Everything I say in my posts is false. I have never done any drugs nor will I ever. Drugs are bad mmkay.
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RiderOnTheStorm
Reject thug culture


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@LuSiD - why do you think the black market for weed will persist? Do you think they'll be able to sell it cheaper than stores, or just as a complimentary good to other drugs?
@ablt - Even the weed-only dealers I know take the gig pretty seriously, I'm sure there are tons of casual dealers like you're talking about who won't be too affected but there are lots of career dealers as well. I'm sure some will transition to the newly legal markets but the tatted up gangsta types probably won't. I think there will be a lot of displaced criminals.
It will be very interesting to see what happens to gangs (including the DEA) and the cartels. I also am anxious to see what store prices will look like for an 8th, quarter or half of some top grade.
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Magicman69
All About the Benjamins



Registered: 05/29/13
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MJ is legal in WA now but there are still rules against smoking in public. The idea is to not further influence people to smoke weed who might otherwise not. Makes sense to me
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memes
Blessed



Registered: 01/11/05
Posts: 27,785
Loc: In a Tree
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Re: The societal effects of legalizing MJ [Re: Magicman69]
#18859095 - 09/18/13 04:39 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Hrm... effects of legalizing MJ?
memes =
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LuSiD enthusiast
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Quote:
RiderOnTheStorm said: @LuSiD - why do you think the black market for weed will persist? Do you think they'll be able to sell it cheaper than stores, or just as a complimentary good to other drugs?
@ablt - Even the weed-only dealers I know take the gig pretty seriously, I'm sure there are tons of casual dealers like you're talking about who won't be too affected but there are lots of career dealers as well. I'm sure some will transition to the newly legal markets but the tatted up gangsta types probably won't. I think there will be a lot of displaced criminals.
It will be very interesting to see what happens to gangs (including the DEA) and the cartels. I also am anxious to see what store prices will look like for an 8th, quarter or half of some top grade.
Idk if black market is a proper term for it, but the same reason you have organic food at the farmers markets, vs going to wal-mart for groceries. Weed has such unique effects, from so many variables, i don't think by the end of our lifetimes it'll be mapped out to such a degree that any one factory can grow every strain possible and every degree of high that comes with weed. And no matter what happens there will always be A restriction on weed so there will be people willing to profit off of this. Selling to minors, crossing borders, smuggling into prisons, hell we have tobacco cartels that thrive off of this principle.
-------------------- I'm addicted to coke, weed, booze, ludes and speed. Not LSD, you can't get addicted to LSD, it was built by scientists. I ain't got no demons that gonna get woke. In erowid we trust. Just take your damn pills and don't ask any questions, you'll be fine.
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GreySatyr
Pagan-Psyche


Registered: 06/20/13
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I can only see it being positive long term however short term there will be some detrimental affects but only short time. What they wil be, only time can tell.
-------------------- ...also, go to hell, huh?
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Led Zeppelin
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Quote:
RiderOnTheStorm said:
What will happen in poverty stricken areas as drug dealers lose their jobs?
trust me, people will still be selling weed. I live in WA and from what ive heard its going to be way expensive and only one strain.
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RiderOnTheStorm
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Re: The societal effects of legalizing MJ [Re: Led Zeppelin]
#18865552 - 09/19/13 10:42 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Magicman69 said: MJ is legal in WA now but there are still rules against smoking in public. The idea is to not further influence people to smoke weed who might otherwise not. Makes sense to me
Yeah I don't mind stuff like that, you can't walk around drinking booze in most public places either. I do think that weed bars should become a sweet new phenomena though.
Quote:
LuSiD enthusiast said: Idk if black market is a proper term for it, but the same reason you have organic food at the farmers markets, vs going to wal-mart for groceries. Weed has such unique effects, from so many variables, i don't think by the end of our lifetimes it'll be mapped out to such a degree that any one factory can grow every strain possible and every degree of high that comes with weed. And no matter what happens there will always be A restriction on weed so there will be people willing to profit off of this. Selling to minors, crossing borders, smuggling into prisons, hell we have tobacco cartels that thrive off of this principle.
Yeah that makes sense, I can see how there will be lots of home growing and trading going on, microbrews of the weed world if you catch my drift, but I also don't think that most people would deal with some lazy-ass show-up-late dealer anymore when they can go to a store and (most likely) get a better selection.
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Led Zeppelin said: trust me, people will still be selling weed. I live in WA and from what ive heard its going to be way expensive and only one strain.
That can't be right, if they limit it to one strain there's no point to even sell in stores, they might as well just legalize and leave it up to the individual to grow. We shall see I guess
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All We Perceive
Sea Cucumber



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People still sell on the black market in CO. With the ~20% tax on recreational, I think the black market will still be around.
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"plus they atually think jambands are good or sumthing, so they clearly know absolutely nothing about music, clearly lol" -Bassfreak
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twighead
mͯó



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"Black" market will definitely still be around until laws are loosened - the taxes are too high. For locals - 'black' market will be cheaper - however drug tourism because of the ability to simply visit - go to a store and buy weed (at a higher price than a dealer) will likely blossom.
And I donno what that BS about 1 strain is^ haha
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DeeBee
The Cake is a Lie

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Re: The societal effects of legalizing MJ [Re: twighead]
#18865858 - 09/20/13 12:12 AM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
twighead said: And I donno what that BS about 1 strain is^ haha
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RiderOnTheStorm
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Quote:
All We Perceive said: People still sell on the black market in CO. With the ~20% tax on recreational, I think the black market will still be around.
My understanding is that there is not yet an actual legal market in CO, that you cannot go buy weed in a store yet. If that's the case I wouldn't expect that the shift would have happened already, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
Most of the 20% tax can be negated by lower production costs I would think. I don't think the black market will survive more than 10 years, if it does it will be as a ghost of it's former self. I probably need to go read the bills that have passed in CO before I keep speculating though.
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LuSiD enthusiast
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Doe it matter how many strains there are with no regulation to determine one strain from the other? No this batch of sour diesel just got fucked up and is just like white widow, don't worry man you'll get fucked up either way.
-------------------- I'm addicted to coke, weed, booze, ludes and speed. Not LSD, you can't get addicted to LSD, it was built by scientists. I ain't got no demons that gonna get woke. In erowid we trust. Just take your damn pills and don't ask any questions, you'll be fine.
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TwinEclipse
Psychedelic Alchemist


Registered: 07/06/13
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Legalization is long overdue.
Let those who want to smoke the flower from a beautiful dicotyledon plant, smoke in their own discretion.
Whether its legal or not, it won't stop me from smoking. However, I need a tolerance break
-------------------- My purpose: to love, to share, and to experience....all while conforming to my psychedelic experiences.
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