[Pearls Before Swine]

Pot is for all practical matters legal in California since it seems at least 200% of the population qualifies as having a medical need for it. The de facto legalization has not removed the crime or the criminals from the industry.

De facto legalization is not the same as real legalization.

The de facto legalization in CA is that users aren't mercilessly prosecuted. But, prosecuting them is a lot like prosecuting well-intentioned gun-owners for minor technical violations. The big action, and the big money, is with the criminal growers. Real legalization would make that go away. Why would someone take over part of a National Forest to grow weed, threatening any hiker who stumbled on the field, if it were legal to grow on a farm?

[Leonard210]

“The big action, and the big money, is with the criminal growers. Real legalization would make that go away.”

Precisely.

[count-your-change]

For an answer you might have to ask a grower but some things are just too obvious. I suppose with actual legalization would come quotas and taxes and various regulations and record keeping.

Growing in a national forest avoids all those problems for the grower that doesn't want the oversight that might cut into profits.
Legalization might work like tobacco growing. Heavily regulated and taxed and only the larger companies able to market the end product.
But would legalization stop imports from cheaper growers?