California is one of the leading states when it comes to marijuana. There are several ways to get your hands on it, and prices vary by product.
There are several ways to get your hands on cannabis in California. You can purchase from a licensed cannabis store, find a re-amp;-deleted cannabis shop or head shop, or even run-of-the-mill drugstores and grocery stores.
Many people first discover the medicinal properties of marijuana when young. The drug is commonly used as a relief for pain, nausea, and sleep issues. As you grow up, drugs such as marijuana become illegal.
This has had an impact on people as they move on to newer drugs or just stop taking what they have been using. Many find alternatives that work well enough but not exactly the same.
Size of the California black market
With more than 1,000 stores and 150 cannabis clubs throughout the state, California is one of the largest illegal cannabis markets in the world.
In 2017, legal marijuana sales totaled more than $5 billion, making it one of the most profitable drugs on the market. As a testament to its success, California has no problem supporting this business model.
To put this number into perspective, Colorado had around 100 legal cannabis shops and Illinois had 120 when these two states began implementing retail laws in 2011 and 2012, respectively. This year will have closer to 1,000 shops across both states!
To put this number into perspective, Colorado had around 100 legal cannabis shops and Illinois had 120 when these two states began implementing retail laws in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
How is the black market operating?
As drug laws are changing at a rapid pace, laws related to drugs are not always passing or staying relevant. On the federal level, the legality of marijuana has been up in the air for years now, having been reclassified from a controlled substance to an herb in 2012.
Since then, states have legalized cannabis for both medical and non-medical uses, creating new markets and introducing new regulations. Illegal cannabis markets have emerged all over these states, catering to different needs such as discreet shipping methods or advertising.
This has led to multiple package thefts and other security breaches, making people wary about entering into agreements in case of theft.
Who is selling for the black market?
As cannabis becomes more mainstream, older generations are still putting it to use. In fact, studies show that young adults into midlife are continuing to use cannabis.
This is most surprising as everyone gets done at age twenty-something. But as you get older, your responsibilities to family and career take precedence!
At this age, people tend to be more risk-takers than later in life. For this reason, the government and drugstores need to offer special products to appeal to this audience.
These products are created with younger people in mind, so no conclusions can be made about them being legal or not.
What are the prices like?
Prices for cannabis have gone up considerably in California over the past year. This is due to several things: increased police enforcement, growing public awareness of what marijuana is, and growing demand.
At first, illegal cannabis was cheaper than legal cannabis. This was due to limited supply and increased popularity at the time. However, with increasing public awareness and restrictions on who can buy legal cannabis, illegal cannabis has become more expensive than legal Cannabis.
Some products like edibles are now more expensive than regular foods because of the complexity involved in producing them. Another reason why illegal cannabis prices have gone up is because there are less of them! More people are finding out about it which is causing decreased availability on public lands.
Is the illegal marijuana as good as legal marijuana?
As more states legalize marijuana, demand continues to rise. Some refer to it as the new alcohol, as people buy it both recreationally and for its medical benefits.
Many purchase it illegally, which is why there is such a huge market. People purchase it to relax and to forget about their daily worries. Many users report relief when they smoke or eat cannabis because of the psychoactive effects.
While legal cannabis can be a nice way to stop short of everything, neither does nor does eating chocolate every day because of the CBD and THC components. It would be like washing away the pain before taking something for granted!
Of course, no one ever wants to wake up with or without relief, so illegal cannabis is a nice way to get your fix without taking any risks.
Are there different varieties?
When it comes to marijuana, there are a lot of varying opinions. Some say there are only two types: white and green! These are referred to as vegetative or French marijuana and the more common strain is Indoor Marijuana.
While this is true in theory, it is not the case in reality. While both colors contain THC, vegetable-based marijuana does not have as much CBD as cannabis that is grown in nutrients like flower.
This may be due to social norms or tradition, as people would not necessarily associate vegetable-based THC with a more recreational drug like cannabis.
This type of marijuana can be very costly compared to the cheaper flower version, so be careful! There are also reports of vegetative cannabis becoming CBD dependent over time which may affect people with epilepsy.
How can I access the illegal market?
There are several ways to access the illegal cannabis market. Most commonly, people buy from referrals or from places that have supplied tax compliant marijuana businesses.
Some meet people at nightclubs, discothèques, and drug dens to invest in a partnership or personal connection. Some purchase from online sellers and in-store transactions, sometimes even using credit and debit cards.
Many buy via street-level transactions where money is transferred into an agreement, a product is exchanged for another, and then the person leaves with it.
What are the risks?
For example, Illegal cannabis markets can be very risky. Some are small, non- regulated, and have no warnings or regulations about drugs or drug use. Other illegal cannabis markets have stricter regulations, but are still non-medical.
These non-medical illegal cannabis markets can be very dangerous. In March 2016, a vendor was found dead in his room at a California hotel after he went to buy marijuana from a underground seller. Another man died after he bought marijuana from an underground seller in December 2017.
These risks include: acquiring serious illnesses or death by overdose, being robbed while purchasing it, or not knowing what it is because it is unknown what it is for.
