How will the price of marijuana be affected if it becomes legalized?

[Pops]

We've already had this discussion before and someone, quite correctly, said it would be like the cost of any other agricultural product.

Right now, avocados are like, I dunno, a dollar or so a POUND.

Every other fruit and vegtable is LESS than that.

Why does anyone think MJ would be more at the market then avocados or tomatoes?

Afterall, buds are just like the fruit of the MJ plant.

No reason to tax the plant based on it's 'drug" content.

It's just a plant, just like every other plant that produces avocados or tomatoes. It's NO different, should not be treated differently and will be the exact same amount to produce as any other agricultural crop.

That's the hard part, getting people away from the thinking that it's a "drug" plant and not just merely a plant.

Pops, think about it, if manufacturers could produce tobacco so cheaply that an entire carton AT MARKET only cost like 5 dollars then that proves MJ could be produced just as cheaply.

As for all the taxes because of it's 'drug" content, that's where the efforts need to be focused in this on the politicians, changing that mentality.

All plants should just be recognized as what they are, plants, and not all this bullshit people pile on to them, like "sin tax", tax to "offset" "harm" of the plant, etc.

You don't have o convince me that pot COULD be grown cheaply and sold at low prices, you just have to convince the politicians not to put 800 a lb. state tax and an equal amount as federal tax. Fruit and veggies are cheap because they are not taxed. Tobacco is expensive because it is taxed. If it is legalized, we will have large ag concerns dominating the market. They will grow in bulk, chop everything and roll it into joints just like cigs(and the Government's medical MJ). It will probably be shitty weed and taxed like Hell.

 

[Gypsy Nirvana]

Yes....I agree with Pops.....

there will still be plenty of room for the home/market grower to produce superior product....maybe we will see specialized farms that grow varieties of fine erb'?.....just like we see micro-breweries today that produce fine beer.....

...

 

[Burt]

right on gypsey-that would be superb!
just like home brewing, anyone can do it-not everyone wants to put in the time though
pops hits on a very serious point however and that is what happens when the beuracracy of washington gets involved with their regulations and certifications-shit like this including licensing, etc will keep it artificially high
what about imports? i'd never pass on the opportunity to get my paws on some exotic that could never grow in my climate
i pray one day this war ends and 3rd world countries no longer feel our imperial knee in their backs

 

[Koroz]

Prices aren't going to change much either way. IMO t will depend on where you live, who you buy from and the quality of the product you are buying.

Just like Alcohol, Tobacco and other things like meat you buy today, you pay for the quality of the product, and in my personal opinion, the amount of savings you gain from the availability of the cannabis being legal will be offset by the new taxes put on it.

in other words, I figure in most places you will see minimal to any change in the overall price. compared to what you pay now for the quality of the Cannabis you buy locally. I think in regions where Cannabis is the hardest to find, is where you will see the largest drop in prices.

Someone like me who lives in upstate NY and does not have the ability to grow for himself would be able to buy locally a decent product instead of paying these outrages prices I pay for brick/mids now.

But in reality, no one really knows for sure yet what will happen.

 

[Barn Owl]

Cannabis is way over priced. Weather it is a dealer or a medical dispensary. If it became legal, (It will not) there would be so much competition, it would get cheaper. Medicalpot dispensaries will sometimes chage 25 dollars for one edible brownie. Not very good prices at all. It does cost some money to grow it, but that does not justify the 400 to 500 an oz. you pay for some of it. I'd like to see some of those drug dealers get low balled...

 

[purpledomgoddes]

re-post from this thread, where similar discussion took place:
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=119249
fox, cnbc and mj

yeah you probably just helped confuse some 18 year olds with your pseudo economics.

Prices will go as high as the consumer is willing to pay. Do you think the consumer will be willing to pay $50 for an 1/8th when they can grow it?

I'm always baffled by the complete lack of common sense from people who appear (or perhaps masquerading) as someone intelligent on these boards.

they do currently - or more. what would change w/ legalization/taxation?

greater access does not equal less unit price. everybody has access to waste fuels, yet the majority use gas stations.

read the footnotes to raich v. ashcroft (around 2002-03, us supreme court from 9th circuit). the actual intent of congress is to maintain higher prices to act as a deterrent. they have power to regulate all commerce. btw, that is how they have mj listed currently: as a commodity; and under the commerce clause, congress has right to regulate (i.e.g., set prices, subsidize, etc.).

if... mj became legal tomorrow, would that elite cut still be worth 50 coins an eighth? probably. why? only that gardener has it. even w/ the market flooded w/ a million strains, etc - that particular gardener would have THAT particular strain. along comes corp offering 100x for cut. they know value and will maintain it.

diamonds can be made in 2 days now, by several different patented processes, but that does not stop allure of diamond to woman that wants ring. 5 c's of diamonds are: cut, clarity, color, carat, and COST.

folks always judge things by cost, and perceived exclusivity. who wants diamond that cost 50 coins?

could u really tell if it was gia certified or not? most folks dont labor over 5 c's, or even know about them. they just want diamond that costs most - w/in their budget.

if mj available @ general store for 45 eighth, or 50 street, folks will pay 45 @ general store where they do shopping - and pay fraction less.

true, economics is deep subject, but brewing beer is legal - but on any given saturday, will find every bar in every major city in world packed w/ folks buying 5-10-20 coin drinks. hard to predict - either way - what the effect of a commodity becoming legal will do to/in market.

1 thing is for sure, neither gov, nor industry/corps simply turn blind eye to new commodity. they will exploit/regulate/attempt to control in every way possible.

no expert on economics, but majority rely on ease of existing infrastructure to purchase goods. rather go to street level/dispensary, or purchase @ grocery store w/ other staples? some will do both.

mj available anywhere in us currently - and prices are relatively constant, and have been for, what, 20 yrs? hard to say if price will drop 50% if legalized.

what about the 'tax' legislation afoot?. that says it all: IT WILL BE TAXED. this guarantees profit for the gov/corps, and price stabilization.

dont think corps have eyes on prize? synthetic thc already patented. monsanto, adm, con-agra, etc will be all over it. they MAY undercut the market to achieve share of market, but once folks identify w/ brands of mj, like cereal, they will go to easiest source to acquire and stay loyal.

bugular tobacco is cheaper than marlboro's, yet what percentage of smokers want to roll their own? most just buy ciggies - even after incredible tax increases over past 15 yrs.

just a few thing to consider. not trying to convince/persuade/etc.

this is open forum w/ many opinions. only time will tell what the effect of tax/legalization does/doesnt do. nobody can predict future, but can study past to have good idea.

enjoy your garden!

basically, once a commodity is released into the open market, it is subject to the game of the open market. this includes, but not limited to, competition, gov/state/muni regulation and licensing, futures, options, derivatives, bonds, etc.

dont think china (or any other buyer w/ coins) will try to purchase 1 billion coins worth of mj futures, hold them until the price increases, and sell them? or, bet on the price to fall, and sell them? either way can make coins, depending on level of knowledge of open market system.

there is only ONE (1) manufacturer of televisions in the usa that actually has a factory in the usa. 80% of the world's tv's are manufactured in a single factory in china.

relevance???

no way to concretely predict how the market will ebb/flow. 50 years ago, there was probably only 100 tv's in all of china, and 100% of the tv's were probably manufactured in usa. the market is volatile and subject to manipulation and changes.

think that the lumber companies that have millions of acres theyve planted, clear-cut, and re-planted for a harvest in 15 years, are thrilled about decrim/legal mj/hemp? dont think so. the global price for products currently made w/ lumber, but that can be made w/ hemp will dramatically decrease. can do several crops per yr of hemp, and get several end products (oil, fibers, seeds, stalks, etc) that took xyz yrs w/ lumber. what happens to the value of their acres of lumber?

micro breweries exist, people can make their own wine, beer, etc., but people still buy pabst by the case. why? cheap and readily accessible, even though doesnt taste as good as guiness, or becks. people have brand loyalties, are subject to their budgets, and will pay whatever the supplier says it is worth. corps study this and will exploit the consumers.

what will legal mj/hemp do to/in market? hard to predict. no one predicted that huge automakers would be filing for bankruptcy 10 yrs ago, when the roads were cluttered w/ suv's.

enjoy your garden!

 

[Blue]

I dont see why everyone is concerned with the price of weed!!!

All you should worry about is your own gear making you happy as selling weed is only adding fuel for the many ass holes in power to use against the full legalisation of the plant.

As for the med clubs if the price comes down it can only be a good thing, but then again cheap meds that aint the American way is it.

 

[danny karey]

In my area, prices on the "Street" ....a Z of green costs the same as it did, 10 - 15 years ago. 10$ for a gram of good bud, 50$ - 60$ s quarter, 200$ - 280$/Z...We have a country wide marijuana mail service, there ounces for "A" grade bud is 280$ I believe.....Still sounds cheap compared to some places....The strains they have available are good too, OgKush,Purple Kush, Jackherer, SSH,afgooi to name a few.

Im sure there might be a small flux in prices, but pretty minimal I think.....In my area.

I know the price has gone up in other parts of the world in the last 10 yrs, Ive heard of ounces going for crazy prices.....600$ - 800$ a Z........I can get a QP of some killer dro for 600$ - 700$ in my area. The price differences between area's, blows me away.

I just got a fiver of honey oil for 90$, regualr ISO oil usually goes for 60$ - 70$ a fiver. but the honey is amazing, very potent....So I don't mind paying the crazy price of 90$ for it......I told a buddy about it, he laugh'd at me when I told him how much I spent.....LOL!
I wonder how much the same fiver of honey oil would go for in Cali or NYC???

I think it would depend on the area you live in, that would dictate the prices if it was legal. I think in my area the change would be small.

Danny

 

[Ajunta Pall]

Let's be realistic shall we? If it were legal, weed would be regulated like fuck by the feds. Growing it, unless certified by the govt. in large quantities will still be illegal. Hell it was only recently that the law limiting private individuals to only grow a 1/4th of an acre of tobbacco was repealed. And breweries still can't distribute their own beer.

In my view reality will be high taxes, low thc, shitty govt. weed.

 

[Baddog40]

I'm glad some of you think that if its legal the govt is going to allow you to have a bunch of plants growing in your backyard, isnt going to happen. Try setting up a still in your backyard and sell the product and see what happens.

When it becomes legal it will be taxed the hell out of and heavily regulated. Decriminalization would be much better than legalization.

 

[Burt]

"Decriminalization would be much better than legalization."
i agree-at least in america with it's encyclopedias full of rules and regulations
why are the politicians harping for legalization anyway? revenue obviously-to continue fighting wars against indigenous people the world over for their resources
no thanks, i won't buy a gov approved sack from 7-11
i'll continue to be low key and free from the blood suckers that are all around

 

[Richard Gozinya]

The last time i looked Dupont, BP, Exxon, any company that makes a product that hemp oil could compete with, didn't go out of business. So maybe quit thinking this is about getting high, the Gov truthfully would like us all to be stoned out of our minds 24/7. The real reason this is not legal is hemp oil competition with petroleum based products. So when those companies figure out how to control hemp oil world wide maybe hemp will be legal, not 20% THC meds. The meds are in direct competition with big Pharma, they will not support legal meds, meds that you could grow in your back yard. Our country stops working if you provide for yourself and don't consume. We need tons of CONsumers to buy things they don't need or it doesn't work.

 

[Weedman Herb]

The Last Sentence in the previous post is The sad truth ^^^ I wonder how much the population would deplete due to mass hysteria if Budweiser stopped the Brewing, Mc Donalds stopped serving Millions and all the 7-11 type stores took a week off ...

 

[Richard Gozinya]

Weedman, it gets kinda frustrating seeing these post all the time about legalization. Hemp has no THC and it is illegal makes you wonder why. Really why would the gov care if you smoked pounds of Hemp, if you saw a 10k acre farm of hemp would you steal some and smoke it? maybe once and then you'd say fuck it. So why is hemp illegal then, oh the DEA can't tell the difference from dank to industrial hemp. Yeah that makes sense, maybe it is that the most powerful companies in the world like controlling the cost of the oil they pump out of the ground. Oh and they also like guarding growers in jail and lawyers also like defending us at such reasonable prices, so we don't have to be guarded by private security firms (Wakenhut). Yeah i see legalization just around the corner.

 

[Barn Owl]

I dont see why everyone is concerned with the price of weed!!!

All you should worry about is your own gear making you happy as selling weed is only adding fuel for the many ass holes in power to use against the full legalisation of the plant.

As for the med clubs if the price comes down it can only be a good thing, but then again cheap meds that aint the American way is it.

The med clubs are a good thing to have, but the high prices do hurt very sick people who don't have the energy to grow the pot. I am new to med pot and grow it for myself, but have been checking out the clubs and many of them are very over priced. Many of them are selling what I like to call the "designer strains". Many of those strains are good, but it is surprising how many are bred more for smell than potency. If you have a bad illness and have to worry about how much cannabis you can use because you can't afford it or don't have the enrgy to grow it, than what good is it? I tried an 8th of a strain, (UK Blue Cheese) very expensive, had a great fruity smell and the high was shit. The person at the dispensary said it was as strong as an indica gets. Total BS. Point is, when you are sick, the blueberry smell is far less important than the high.

I agree that making pot legal would add tax and regulation, but it would also kick the dealers in the balls who have a monopoly on the high prices.

 

[exploziv]

Growing good pot is hard fucking work.

It's not hard work, at least for me it isn't. Sure it's expensive, but not as expensive as buying it, and sure what you buy could not compare to a good homegrown bud.

&to be ontopic: I think the prices will go down if it will be legal. But I also think the quality will be better.

 

[FreedomFGHTR]

I agree that making pot legal would add tax and regulation, but it would also kick the dealers in the balls who have a monopaly on the high prices.

Actually it would just create a whole new group of dealers who would still hold a monopoly on the prices.

 

[randude101]

Actually it would just create a whole new group of dealers who would still hold a monopoly on the prices.

I guess my idea of monopoly must be wrong or something.

 

[CaptainTrips]

Actually it would just create a whole new group of dealers who would still hold a monopoly on the prices.

As long as it is OPEN, the prices should be competive, just look at alcohol. I've got a still, and prices arn't that bad compared to what it takes to make it...Now if it required a prescription or anything along that line, or excessively taxed... The prices may not go down much.

 

[Barn Owl]

Actually it would just create a whole new group of dealers who would still hold a monopoly on the prices.

I don't think that is accurate. The popularity of pot would continue the "knock off" discount strain. Nirvana seeds actually have a few strains that are more potent than the 150 for ten seed strains. It would be like the Cost-co brand. Those dealers would be mad, but they would quickly be shoved out of the picture by the new guy. If it became legal for all of us to grow it, the 400 bucks an ounce bullshit would quickly become history. The price of seed would go way down. Sure there would be the lastest "holy grail" strains that would come out, but the older strains like super skunk would end up becoming discounted..and those designer strains are usually not much more potent. That's why the local dealer up the road does not want pot legal!