I think there’s plenty to be learned from the pioneer states of cannabis legalization.
What set of rules and regulations would provide balanced benefit for the growers, retailers, and consumers of a state that will soon legalize recreational cannabis?
Let us grow more than a few plants.
Great topic.
Keep taxes low, or it will stimulate the black market.
Make access to businesses simple.
Legalize at the Federal level and ease banking rules.
Allow for public gatherings!
Grow huge buds and share them with everyone.
Hopefully not TOO low. I like the idea of cannabis revenue paying for some things that the local, state, and federal government fall short on.
What about market over saturation driving the prices down and hurting the grower?
Should there be a limit on the number of grower licenses?
Should retailers only be allowed to sell the product that they grow themselves?
I bet there are some pretty creative ideas out there right now floating around the smoke clouds
There is also a lot of “big money” jumping in, and frankly, they worry me as much or more than the govt. They are manipulating things as much as they can here in Mass, and they are not helping things, just themselves, of course.
Always be wary of Big Money. From what I recall reading, the original bill for recreational cannabis sales in Vermont was voted down because it only allowed for 3 retailers. And good thing it wasn’t passed because that would’ve played right into the monopolists hands. Bastards!!
They really start playing games when the rules are written.
Here in MA, the state govt jacked up the tax rate that was voted in by the voter from around 10% to over20% I think. The taxes are broken up so that the local municipality actually receives a percentage of the sales within the town or city. That has given the local communities big incentives. Problem is, the state left it up to the local govts. to zone things, and so we are relegated to industrial parks away from the populations. I think this will work in our favor eventually, but it still rings of a kind of discrimination. We are a creature slow to evolve.
That definitely does seem like a problem. I’m interested in hearing how you think it might end up working out in our favor.
What are the zoning laws like for establishments that sell alcohol? What’s good for them ought to be good for us, right?
Do you remember the days when Haight Ashbury, CA was a dump that was inhabited by pot heads and LSD freaks?
Not sure if that’s the best example. It was a nice neighborhood before a proposed freeway stirred things up in the late 50’s early 60’s. That lowered property value, and in came the hippies to rent the cheap rooms. A combination of the counterculture movements and a lack of law enforcement presence resulted in a huge increase in hard drugs and crime. Things improved, and now it’s…well, it’s there and business is doing good I suppose.
I’m sure the cannabis community will be more responsible than those idealistic hippies though, right? 
I see some similarities, especially here in MA where poverty is right next to wealth.
I remember way back in the day when I first went to a coffee shop in Maastricht, Netherlands. I was blown away that you could not only buy weed on a riverboat, but you could smoke it there, too!
I wonder if it’s a good idea to have smoking establishments, akin to a bar where alcohol is sold and consumed on premises.
Best way to normalize it, no?
That’s what I would assume. But I’m sure there is more to it than just normalization. Alcohol sold by the shot brings in more money per ounce than selling a bottle at the liquor store. At the same time, consumers barely over the legal age leaving a coffee shop stoned out of their gourd and “duuuude…broooo”ing their way down the street isn’t exactly the best image.
But, look at alcohol and bars. I’m a sailor, and every time we hit port you better believe that most of the sailors are living up to the reputation of the “drunken sailor”. It can get pretty embarrassing. Sometimes for the onlooker, but mostly for the ones that get so drunk they end up open-mouth tongue-kissing a ladyboy in a crowded bar.
I grew up among fishermen.
I remember those times with a certain sense of embarrassment too!
Here’s something to read and consider…
https://marijuana.procon.org/sourcefiles/CA-prop-64-marijuana.pdf
Since they legalized in my state. Tax on Med MJ is about 15% and for recreational users almost 30%. It is cheaper now to buy off the black market. Every trip to the dispensary since legalization has pissed me off so bad with the high taxes that I am now growing my own.
That’s what we (cannabis users) all should be doing . Simple supply and demand. Also anyone that ever said potheads were lazy never grew there own pot. No one says farmers are lazy. So if everyone grew there own- no taxes and it would give potheads a better rap
Not everyone can grow their own, just like not everyone can brew their own beer. People’s personal living conditions can make it to where they just can’t grow: college kids in dorms, tenants only renting a room, etc.
I’d like to think that the whole “grow it and share it” concept would work, but in reality it wouldn’t. Bottom line is that people that can’t grow will still want to be able to consume, and someone will have to either give, trade, or sell to them. I think we all know that it’s going to be the latter. I’d much rather get rid of the sketchy black market…I still remember smoking the nastiest port-o-potty smelling shwag just to barely get high and end up with a headache because that’s the only stuff that was accessible at the time. I’ll probably die an earlier death because of those bong rips.
