Black market boom lays bare a social divide in Colorado’s marijuana market

The Guardian via Druge ^ | 19 August 2014 | Tina Griego

[G Larry]

Nascent cannabis industry splits between wealthy with clean criminal records and those who turn to less than legal methods

[G Larry]

Ya, See how legalization took the profits from the criminals!...../sarc

[doc1019]

I thought legalization was supposed to do away with the criminal element? ;-)

[blueunicorn6]

“Now, laughing friends deride.
Tears I cannot hide.
Whoooooaooooo.
You must realize
When the dope hype dies
Smoke gets in your eyes.”

[Blood of Tyrants]

The end of Prohibition didn’t end moonshiners.

[stylin19a]

can we call it a “black” market ?

[MAKOTHEDOG]

Back to the old way of doing things. It should have always stayed that way.

[Spok]

When the initiative to legalize pot was campaigning in Washington state, the promise was that legal pot would put the black market out of business. As someone who prosecutes dopers for a living, the whole assertion was laughable. It was probably being paid for by the cartels.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Looks like that “tax the hell out of it” gig isn’t going to work out.

[cherry]

a lot of people are moving to having less to do with our consumer madness and want to do for themselves...gardening, hunting, fishing, sewing, canning, building, smoking meats, etc....making your own wine and maybe your own beer and whiskey...

why shouldn't pot smokers do the same?...if they really like the stuff, why should some govt bureaucracy control it lock, stock and barrel?

the only result in "legalization" is that more crime will go underground...no working class person can afford such a habit paying retail....there's going have to be another cheaper alternative...

[cherry]

where was the push back in Washington state?...I didn't see any...not from politicians....not from drs groups or police groups....

this was not just decriminalization, this was legalization....complete difference....

my fellow humans are mostly idiots....

[VanShuyten]

The article pointed out the high taxes associated with legal weed. The black market for weed is no different than that for black market cigarettes in New York City. Free up the legal market, and the black market will disappear.

[Spok]

There was plenty of opposition, but not $. The money is in decriminalizing, not the status quo.

[GeronL]

The illegal market got bigger, what a non-shocker

[Cementjungle]

can we call it a “black” market ?

Only if you want to serve 20 to life for committing a hate crime.

[MAKOTHEDOG]

Back n the 80s all of my college pals thought legalizing pot was a good thing. I held out and said it would be more expensive among other things. Well, here in NM you can get a OZ for around $200 but in CO it is $400. It is just supply and demand.

Keep the gov. out and let people have at it as far as I am concerned as long as it doesn’t affect others

[ConservingFreedom]

The article pointed out the high taxes associated with legal weed. The black market for weed is no different than that for black market cigarettes in New York City. Free up the legal market, and the black market will disappear.