The election wrecked America's underground weed economy

When Trip was growing up on the East Coast, the only stores where people could legally buy marijuana were in the Netherlands, which might as well have been Mars to a teenage stoner who also dabbled in dealing. The most common product on the market was “brick weed,” the dirt-cheap stuff from fields in Mexico or Jamaica that gets vacuum-sealed into bales for ease of smuggling. He remembers it being a stale and sad shade of brown.

“When we could make enough money from that to buy green weed, we’d buy Canadian,” he recalls. “Cali bud was almost unheard-of. I don’t think there was enough of it to leave Cali.”

Two decades later, the 39-year-old Trip — a nickname he offered up to identity himself — oversees a handful of grow operations in the Sierra Nevada foothills that produce several hundred pounds of green California grass per year. He’s living his dream, but that dream took a surreal turn on Tuesday when California voters approved Proposition 64, a ballot initiative that will legalize marijuana sales to adults over 21 by 2018.

“What are people like me going to do?” he asks rhetorically. “Probably keep growing marijuana.”

(https://news.vice.com/story/the-election-wrecked-americas-underground-weed-economy?utm_source=vicenewstwitter)

they make a good point. there are people who grow organic vegetables on their farms and sell them at farmers markets, and to small restaurants that like to support local businesses.
a lot of people will buy generic weed from dispensaries, but theres a lot of other people who won't, who want better, and will be willing to pay for it.
become a breeder and grower of gourmet strains, cater to the connoisseur, and charge them out the ass for it.

Roger A. Shrubber said:

they make a good point. there are people who grow organic vegetables on their farms and sell them at farmers markets, and to small restaurants that like to support local businesses.
a lot of people will buy generic weed from dispensaries, but theres a lot of other people who won't, who want better, and will be willing to pay for it.
become a breeder and grower of gourmet strains, cater to the connoisseur, and charge them out the ass for it.

Click to expand...

I totally agree. Not everyone eats at McDonald's. Boutique weed will have a place.

I'm in Cali and if you have a rep for good fruit there's not much of a worry .....99% goes to people I grow far that are sick but I always have people wondering if there's guna be left overs before the leftovers are even here

Roger A. Shrubber said:

they make a good point. there are people who grow organic vegetables on their farms and sell them at farmers markets, and to small restaurants that like to support local businesses.
a lot of people will buy generic weed from dispensaries, but theres a lot of other people who won't, who want better, and will be willing to pay for it.
become a breeder and grower of gourmet strains, cater to the connoisseur, and charge them out the ass for it.

Click to expand...

Good post. People bitch that they want legalization and when they get it they still bitch.

The worst scenario which I think we may se eventually is mega corporate grows and pot sold all over. It will be shitty and they will use pesticides to take care of bugs. They already do in areas like Humboldt. I heard that from people working up there.

I think talented growers will be fine. The goof offs and stoners will fall behind.

Rob Roy said:

View attachment 3840223

Click to expand...

WTF? is that?
Good one. This man or ape man gets it.

I love the free market when it is actually allowed to work. People who spend the time, effort, blood, sweat and tears to grow good merchandise will be rewarded.

Roger A. Shrubber said:

they make a good point. there are people who grow organic vegetables on their farms and sell them at farmers markets, and to small restaurants that like to support local businesses.
a lot of people will buy generic weed from dispensaries, but theres a lot of other people who won't, who want better, and will be willing to pay for it.
become a breeder and grower of gourmet strains, cater to the connoisseur, and charge them out the ass for it.

Click to expand...

This what I've been thinking, too. I find that, for the most part, commercial/recreational/medical weed has never been what it could (should) be. Just like with wine snobs, there are people WITH the money who are very willing to pay a premium for premium-quality cannabis, too -IF they can find it. We need some new businesses to cater to the non-hiphop/stereotypical stoner type "dudes" -the people who roll up their shitty, chemical-grown bunk with a tobacco leaf wrapper to tell us what is "fire"...pssssh

tstick said:

This what I've been thinking, too. I find that, for the most part, commercial/recreational/medical weed has never been what it could (should) be. Just like with wine snobs, there are people WITH the money who are very willing to pay a premium for premium-quality cannabis, too -IF they can find it. We need some new businesses to cater to the non-hiphop/stereotypical stoner type "dudes" -the people who roll up their shitty, chemical-grown bunk with a tobacco leaf wrapper to tell us what is "fire"...pssssh

Click to expand...

Like boutique breweries, distillers and coffee roasters.

For people who appreciate something different and something cured and aged properly. Not rushed to grow and rushed out to sell.

I dont smoke every day and I dont smoke allot. But i do want a nice quality smoke when i do. I dont want a harsh, tobacco tasting dry piece of crap that gets me stoned. I want a nice, tasty smooth as silk tasting product.

I had a taste of last seasons out door grow last Saturday. Been curing bout 8-9 months. Tis nearly ready.

Look at Starbucks. $5 for a cup of often shitty coffee with .10 cents of whipped cream.

And Howard Schultz/SBux wants to do a more upscale type store for mega yuppies where they will charge like $12 a cup.

MMJ Dreaming 99 said:

Look at Starbucks. $5 for a cup of often shitty coffee with .10 cents of whipped cream.

And Howard Schultz/SBux wants to do a more upscale type store for mega yuppies where they will charge like $12 a cup.

Click to expand...

$5 hot corn syrup water with some artificial fllavor

CannaBruh said:

$5 hot corn syrup water with some artificial fllavor

Click to expand...

LOL! An even more accurate and slightly gruesome description my Canadian cousin. Everything in America is filled with that shitty corn syrup. The stuff is poison. You have to buy a Mexican bottle Coke to get real sugar.

BTW - how is the coffee at Canada's Tim Horton's? The chain has locations in the USA and worldwide.

I saw some story on the web that supposedly McDonalds was using human meat?? WTF? It was not some weird bat boy site either.

MMJ Dreaming 99 said:

I saw some story on the web that supposedly McDonalds was using human meat?? WTF? It was not some weird bat boy site either.

Click to expand...

I guess you can say they're recycling, lol...

MMJ Dreaming 99 said:

BTW - how is the coffee at Canada's Tim Horton's?

Click to expand...

This stuff is swill IMHO. They came out with a dark dark roast that is drinkable, but still too weak for me, and too expensive.
I grind my own beans fresh for every cup, worth the extra effort. I like unusually strong coffee, dark french roast. I have started to add some medium beans because I make it so strong the oils with just dark beans seems to give me stomach trouble.

Roger A. Shrubber said:

they make a good point. there are people who grow organic vegetables on their farms and sell them at farmers markets, and to small restaurants that like to support local businesses.
a lot of people will buy generic weed from dispensaries, but theres a lot of other people who won't, who want better, and will be willing to pay for it.
become a breeder and grower of gourmet strains, cater to the connoisseur, and charge them out the ass for it.

Click to expand...

Yes for sure. One thing I learned early in the game was "you never get stuck with good dope". I mostly smoked hash for so many years and I always bought the best I could find. Price was a lower criteria than quality. Most often you get what you pay for.

vostok said:

“When we could make enough money from that to buy green weed, we’d buy Canadian,” he recalls.

Click to expand...

Nice article, thanks for the link.
No wonder we have a shortage up here eh? Just kidding.

I do not feel the BM or private grows are going to go away in Canada anytime soon. Our LP's are under-producers and they just seem to be screwing up the product anyway. No doubt there will need to be changes to adapt to the market, but I think growing will become a craft industry for them. There are so many ways to hybridize for people, both in preference for recreational and medical use. I would rather pay a little more to get exactly what I am looking for.

Unless they de-schedule cannabis in Canada and the US I think the BM will continue to thrive.

im an mmj patient in nevada. we already have corporate farms being built. but I can't find good medical strains like medihaze or OG kush CBD at the dispensaries here. I need to grow my own in order to get what I need.with the cost of getting a license and building a facility in nevada I do not think these companies will ever produce good medical cannabis.not enough profit in it

mauricem00 said:

im an mmj patient in nevada. we already have corporate farms being built. but I can't find good medical strains like medihaze or OG kush CBD at the dispensaries here. I need to grow my own in order to get what I need.with the cost of getting a license and building a facility in nevada I do not think these companies will ever produce good medical cannabis.not enough profit in it

Click to expand...

Who is connected to handing out licenses in Nevada? Let me guess? Mormon Sen. Harry Reid and his sons?

These corporate grows are shit. They can automate everything except quality. Growing good pot takes knowledge, skills and work. You cannot just pay people $12 a hour to grow good weed. They pay people $15 an hour to manage a pro grow up near Boulder and the place is a fiasco.

My Sensei claims his system could be run by someone with Downs Syndrome. I am finding out.

MMJ Dreaming 99 said:

Who is connected to handing out licenses in Nevada? Let me guess? Mormon Sen. Harry Rei
These corporate grows are shit. They can automate everything except quality. Growing good pot takes knowledge, skills and work. You cannot just pay people $12 a hour to grow good weed. They pay people $15 an hour to manage a pro grow up near Boulder and the place is a fiasco.

My Sensei claims his system could be run by someone with Downs Syndrome. I am finding out.

Click to expand...

large commercial growers are interested in profits. not quality. their rich backers want it that way

Craft beer brewers put a bigger dent in bud miller coors and labatt every year. Brewed in fully automated george jetson plants or with love and care by a stoner who loves good beer and cares about every minute spect of perfection.

Craft growers will be fine, possibly better cuz the idiot who grows some outdoor shit (no not saying all outdoor bad by any means) for a few bucks but only cares enough to get it to barely get her to the finish line ...not care and love and dedication to her every step, that guy and his clan will run to walmart for some marlboro green blend 100s..

Folks where its not just a quick high and giggle but folks that love the plant, grower or not, and all the goodness she brings humanity and whom love to explore new varieties and flavors difference suttltees between strains, not much will change...besides less fear and stigma over something that should never be connected to those words..