The Black Market For Pot Is Still Thriving In California (HBO)
The Black Market For Pot Is Still Thriving In California (HBO)
Recreational marijuana became legal in California in January. But for small-scale veteran growers like Jason Fleming, licensing backlog may shut his business down before he sells a single nug on California’s new legal market.
The state already had a 22 year old medical marijuana industry that outlined a legal route for patients to purchase pot from licensed dispensaries, but left the path for the weed to the shops in what can only be described as a very, very, gray area. The Medical and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act changed all of that — now all growers have to be licensed, and their wares need to be tested in a lab.
“We want to make sure that people are getting safe cannabis, that when they come to a licensed retail store. they know it’s safe to consume,” says Lori Ajax, Chief of the Bureau of Cannabis Control, which regulates distributors. Growers and consumers also pay new state and local taxes that can get as high as 45%.
Despite the significantly higher overhead, Fleming is determined to make it in the new, legal marketplace. He’s complied with licensing law by purchasing a growhouse for $25,000 a month, and filled out all of his paperwork. But Sonoma County has kept him waiting for local approval for six months. Without that, he cannot begin growing, so there’s no money to be made.
“If this keeps continuing then we’re going to have to operate this place as a black market grow to continue to pay for the legal grow,” Fleming told VICE News.
Richard Parrott is the Chief of CalCannabis, the state agency that licenses medical and recreational cultivators, is familiar with stories like Jason’s. He told VICE News that he had heard of backlogs of applications with local authorities, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. “The state doesn’t have any purview over the locals,” he said.
To stay afloat, Jason can use his growhouses that are already up and running to sell to medical dispensaries. He can also sell some of his product at seshes, a type of underground marketplace that operates in the last remaining gray areas of the state’s medical marijuana laws.
But the costs of getting his business off the ground demand more than a flimsy financial life vest. As time passes, an emerging black market fueled by consumers who can’t bear the brunt of the new taxes has come knocking.
Watch Next: This Law Could Make California The Largest Legal Weed Marketplace – https://youtu.be/g_1GrvpmbhE
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Who can plug me in and send to me?
nobody wanna pay taxes on bud wtf is this germany
Gouvernement decide ce qui est blackmarcket des que il font pas d’argent black market le gouvernement est une business
Cracklady on telegram is the best plug for all kinds of pills and marijuana strain I just got my pills delivered 🔥
To get into it is basically an extortion game, they wanna see you have tons of cash to afford the wait before the give you the license. We can be honest the government doesn’t want average people getting into the legal cannabis business, they want the huge companies that can spend millions without any issue. I remember in another video a guy basically said the government is creating legalized cartels. They’ll dominate the market and use federal and local police agencies to close out small time growers and dealers to have a monopoly on the business.
Looking for a marijuana farmer in Sonoma county
Does Vice hate weed?
People who buy from the black market are retarded
4:34 eyy I got that bong
“Is this legal?” “…egh”😂😂😂😂
The only thing they cannot shut down is the Internet that’s where people will go for their sales this government is ridiculous if they think they can control this world they are not gods
Seshs are the best !! 12 dollar carts
Democratic phuck up everything.
LEGALIZE WORLDWIDE
DONT HATE EDUCATE
Compare the atmosphere to a night club.
👆👆Words cannot express my feelings, nor my thanks for all your help. He is the best vendor for drugs and weed 💯💯
Very interesting take!
Black market in Cali is hugeeeeeee
1:55 yeahhhhhh everyone does that anyway.
Lmao they are great buds men top videos too but the prices are somehow though you can try my plug kushjones70 on wikr he got great prices and been shipping to me too
The fact that it’s still illegal in states makes 0 fucking sense
The only thing they keep doing is messing themselves up the universe does not play the laws of cause-and-effect are real the government cannot take away from peoples mouse and put into his own mouth and expect to get any good out of this the only thing that’s going to happen is they just made the Internet much more stronger and now people are going to start selling online
“We are in the process of…setting up illegal dealing…on camera…that’s all I can say”
at least cali is progressing, in australia its illegal, yet with a prescription they will sell it to you….no im not forced, but i will make decisions based on my benefits and right to obtaining items to provide wellbeing for myself. not only that, its the LEGAL requirement for governments to act for the public well being, do you think they think of our well being when they use tax payers money to pay for their own weddings or their weekly golf trip? quid quo pro.
Remember, the federal government asked for this!
Thanks for sharing the review , I finally had my order yesterday at my doorpost from the website
420procannabisdispensary.com
Any good sites left?
Where can iget wholesale pricing for some ⛽⛽⛽🔥🔥 hml
The reason the illegal market is still thriving in California is because the state has botchered everything by not taking control. Cities can make it illegal and not give out business licenses to dispensaries, therefore making access restrained and allowing the illegal stuff room to grow. All cities and counties should be forced to set aside some room for dispensaries even if limited. Access and options is the key. It would also control price and make it the more viable choice. Ultimately stifling drug dealers and their interests. This is not done on accident this is done on purpose. There’s still a lot of interest involved wanting there to be an illegal market not only to have to make money but to control.
I’ve heard from my cousin in L.A. that he pays 50 bucks an 8th, I’ll stick with my 25 dollar 8th from my plug here in Texas lol
This is why we should of decriminalized not legalized it
Street bud is dead here n this part of Cali idk… Unless u don’t mind selling at $75 a zip for mids
The only legit fake ID site I can ever recommend is fakeidinstate.com. I tried different vendors in the past but never received my Id.After reading a couple of YouTube reviews I ordered from them and received my ID 3 days later
It will never die.
The US Gov. & IRS is a death squad to kill America off!
Thank you to the Communists at the IRS!
Poor people still buy single cigarettes, aka, "loosies," employ "shadetree" mechanics, and exchange labor for less than the government-sponsored legal price; and poor people will buy pot from their local weed man until the stars fall from the sky.
Dude is waiting on a License to SELL AND GROW weed legally…and admits on Camera he’s involved with the Black Market while his application is still pending. What an idiot…
Wow the government and federal berrue are so for the people amazing I love amerikkka
California messing up as usual.
California doing its best to suppress small businesses what’s new here???
Sessions are straight up illegal 😂 it’s just putting some branding on ur weed and renting a trap
I went to higher path in Los Angeles and an eighth was 60$ plus 14.9 percent taxes
My EIGHT of weed came up to 70$. What ever happened to 30 dollar eights.
I really don’t give a f**k about legalization. I get mine delivered and tax free.
Why do they get on TV and indict them selves
Homegrown is better and cheaper
It’s interesting that vice made another video about how the marijuana industry in Oregon has too few regulations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyCbAuHqN0M
the number one reason the black market is still booming in cali
Im not paying 40$ for an eight
Man I need me a good cali plug damn ..
black market until its less than $25 for a gram of shatter legal