black market

Is Black Market Weed Safe

Published

3 weeks ago

November 15, 2023

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Canada and 24 US states have legal recreational marijuana. Forty states have medical marijuana available, yet for some, it is not enough. The cannabis black market is thriving while hurting the newly legal market and confusing consumers. As a customer, you need to know if black market weed safe.

A study commissioned by the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association found that after reviewing cannabis products from 20 illicit stores in New York City, about 40% contained harmful contaminants such as E. coli, lead and salmonella. This is prior to the boom of more than 1,500 unlicensed dispensaries. Consumers are paying premium prices for something which may not agree with their body.

While it’s an issue in states like Colorado, Michigan, and Washington, it’s a much bigger problem in New York and California. It is a major drag on the young legal industry and a potential danger to consumers.

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Canada was forward thinking about started a campaign early in legalizaiton to convince consumer to purchase from authorized dispensaries. Here is the information Manitoba shares with the public:

If you buy cannabis, make sure to get it from a licensed retail store that offers a wide selection of legal products.

Street, or black market cannabis offers you no quality control in terms of strength or purity. It may contain traces of pesticides and even other drugs that could put your life at risk.

When you support the black market, you have no idea whether or not your money will go to fund other illegal activities. Buying cannabis from a black market supplier puts you at risk of arrest and fines.

WIth the black market, it is important to understand the supply chain. Step one is the growers. Currently, there is a significant number of indoors grows which increase the cost of the plant. California’s growers are losing money to illicit grows both indoor and outdoor because it is just cheaper. The state is doing anything to crack down and there is zero oversight to insure quality or grow techniques.

The other two segments are “the guy”. Some people find it easier to use their “guy” who hooks them up. They acquire product – both legal and illicit and then sell directly to the customer. No taxes, no oversight, no verification for what is in the product.

Two big issues for consumers are inconsistent potency levels which means you don’t get high enough or you get too high. The other is unsanitary processing and packaging, which can directly effect your body and body functions.

While California has some of hte highest taxes of the industry, their enforcement is dismal. Colaroda and Maine have some of the best with dwindle black markets. With over 50% of the US having to legal weed, state governments to reaccess taxing and enforcement is order to

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black market

Is New York Promising False Hope To The Marijuana Industry

Published

4 days ago

December 5, 2023

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When New York State voted for full recreational weed in 2021, the industry salivated with the prospects of the market. They thoughtful crafted a plan to help move existing medical dispensaries to recreational, providing they jump through hoops and spend hundreds of thousands. With existing population and a huge tourism population, people were willing to invest. At the last minute, NY changed everything and today there are 23 legal operators and over 1,500 unlicensed dispensaries in NY racking in hundreds of millions a month. And not paying state or city taxes.

Now, is New York promising false hope t the marijuana industry again with the state Supreme Court stepping in?

New York City has proven unable to close the unlicensed dispensaries. Giving fines or imposing temporary closures at a rate of 1-2 a week, they recently turned to a unique solution. Rather than focus on expanding legal retailers, they established a policy to punish landlords with hefty fines for allowing unlicensed dispensaries in their building. Whether the landlord knows of the true nature of the business beforehand, is irrelevant. And now it has gotten even messier.

A New York judge approved settling a lawsuit filed by a group of service-disabled veterans. The Court granted the group a provisional license and paved the way for more than 400 provisional licensees to open marijuana dispensaries. The new business owners would have to compete against the existing retailers. The veterans businesses will be able to finally open after a painful and expensive wait. Most likely they will miss the cash rich holiday season.

By allowing this group new licenses, the state now has to focus on clearing backlogged provisional licensees as mandated by the court. New applicants will have to wait even longer for licensure. It appears April is the current target for the net way of licensures and it is drawing criticism.

A representative of the New York Cannabis Retail Association told one media outlet 30 members of his association are on the verge of bankruptcy and can’t wait until April. The 1,500 dispensaries are stocked with an estimated $500 million in products. It seems part of those are from the illicit market, which only increases income for black market.

It has been quickly proven the market has a big demand, but New York will have a long way to go to solve the mess they started and retrain consumer into new purchase patterns.

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black market

Do You Know Where Your Weed Comes From

Published

1 week ago

November 30, 2023

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You trust your local dispensary or your “guy” – but do you know about the marijuana?

Legalization continues to march across the US. Currently, over 50% of citizens have access to approved recreational marijuana and more for medical marijuana. Even in Florida, the DeSantis nanny state, citizens are balking at his cannabis restrictions with over 70% supporting the industry being expanded and available to more people. But do you know where your weed comes from?

A key consumer benefit from federal legalization is the tracking and security of weed and products. Like canned tuna, In-N-Out Burgers, and Stoli Vodka, consumers will not have a worry about how their weed was grown and what was in it – and who is behind it.

Two big concerns now is the unlicensed dispensaries in NYC and China’s muscling into the US black market. Both are reasons to be careful if you aren’t buying from a legal dispensary.

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Mexican cartels have long been the villain of the US drug trade, but with consumer spending soaring, Chinese investors have become the funder and producer of the illegal marijuana production.

From interviews with state law enforcement officials, experts on the international drug trade, economists and lawmakers it seems the number of farms funded by sources traceable back to Chinese investors or owners has skyrocketed. Chinese owners and workers have become a larger presence at illegal grows in Oklahoma, California and Oregon

In Oklahoma, over 40% of licensed marijuana farms have been flagged for suspicious activity by law enforcement over the last year. They. are now being investigated for obtaining their licenses fraudulently and/or for selling into the illicit market, according to Mark Woodward, spokesperson for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.

The major issue is New York City’s unlicensed dispensaries. The NY market is significant and retailers are thought to have almost $500 million in products which are being flipped. It is believed many of these products have fake labeling claiming what is in the product OR are real products illegally shipped from California or other states.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, with an eye on the national stage, has signed a series of laws with the hope of cleaning up some of the state’s mess around the cannabis market. The primary issues is over taxation and zero enforcement of illicit grows. Legal organization have suffered as the states asks for more and more and the black market has boomed.

Do you know where your weed comes from – is it safe, does it support small business and it is the dosage it claims?

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