Since this whole marijuana thing happened in Denver...

[underEJ]

There are like a thousand of those shops here in LA now, and the city is getting together to do something about the number, but I don't know how they can decide who is and who isn't legitimate, other than by accepting bribes, so I don't think I'm for city regulation of it either.

I wonder if the aggressiveness you are seeing is because the street dealers are getting frozen out which can only be a good thing in the future.....maybe? As you can see, I'm not convinced, but I know prohibition doesn't work so I'm willing to see new ideas tried.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by underEJ

I wonder if the aggressiveness you are seeing is because the street dealers are getting frozen out which can only be a good thing in the future.....maybe? As you can see, I'm not convinced, but I know prohibition doesn't work so I'm willing to see new ideas tried.

That's a really interesting theory. I'll be interested in seeing if it's true. I assumed it was just the more lax atmosphere.

As a "business", the street people have much lower cost, so unless their supply goes away they're going to be working at a huge advantage to the storefronts. And it seems to me like developing a supply isn't hard. So I guess the only advantage the storefronts have is that some people will prefer to be legal (within the context of getting someone to say they need "medical marijuana") and will pay more for that option. But the downside is that those people all have a history of illegal purchases, which presumably means they're not averse to buying it illegally.

I wonder how it's playing out in California, since it sounds like they're first in line as our perennial social experimentation laboratory.

[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

That's a really interesting theory. I'll be interested in seeing if it's true. I assumed it was just the more lax atmosphere.

As a "business", the street people have much lower cost, so unless their supply goes away they're going to be working at a huge advantage to the storefronts. And it seems to me like developing a supply isn't hard. So I guess the only advantage the storefronts have is that some people will prefer to be legal (within the context of getting someone to say they need "medical marijuana") and will pay more for that option. But the downside is that those people all have a history of illegal purchases, which presumably means they're not averse to buying it illegally.

I wonder how it's playing out in California, since it sounds like they're first in line as our perennial social experimentation laboratory.

I don't think so man. I think that is more wishful thinking. Just keeping it real. Down here in SD, there are so many people selling bud, it's hard to never have any. You can get it almost anywhere. It seems like everyone i know, even those who don't smoke, at least have a friend that sells it. At one point, i had about 5 different resources to buy bud.

Now, if you're older, don't wanna call someone, and don't have many resources, then you're more prone to going to the store.

But down here, right now, there is only one reason to go to a dispensary. Because you want to get some very potent weed. The medical stuff is the stuff with the names and usually considered to be pure strains. AKA, the good shit.

[Taco John]

Originally Posted by underEJ

I wonder if the aggressiveness you are seeing is because the street dealers are getting frozen out which can only be a good thing in the future.....maybe? As you can see, I'm not convinced, but I know prohibition doesn't work so I'm willing to see new ideas tried.

I think this is a very good theory as well. Think of the MJ stores as Walmart, and the street dealers as the mom and pop restaurants. That sends the street dealers looking for new markets, and the only way to do that is advertising.