Cannabis

[jerrywall]

The dealers make a lot of money selling illegal marijuana and of course a lot of them aren't just going to pack up and quit the day its legalized. The repeal of prohibition didn't completely kill moonshining, but it eradicated most of the problem. In time, these people will go out of business.

I read an interesting article on how some areas, such as DC, implemented the repeal of prohibition. Basically, very low taxes on legal product, in order to keep prices down, severe penalties on bootleggers who continued, and a clear path for legalization for those that chose to do so. Then, after several years of these policies, they raised the taxes, and there wasn't the strong prohibition market to compete with.

I'd like to see a plan laid out similar if we get to that point with cannabis.

[Bullbear]

The dealers make a lot of money selling illegal marijuana and of course a lot of them aren't just going to pack up and quit the day its legalized. The repeal of prohibition didn't completely kill moonshining, but it eradicated most of the problem. In time, these people will go out of business.

Very hard for a dealer to compete with legal dispensaries. I mean have you been to one? I don't know how they could compete with variety and price.

[jccouger]

Very hard for a dealer to compete with legal dispensaries. I mean have you been to one? I don't know how they could compete with variety and price.

It is VERY hard for dispensaries to compete on price. Dispensaries have a supply chain & taxes to deal with that both add costs. A lot of dealers are their own supply chain, and don't report taxes. Variety, novelty & being legal are for sure where dispensaries add value.

[jerrywall]

Very hard for a dealer to compete with legal dispensaries. I mean have you been to one? I don't know how they could compete with variety and price.

There's a reason why McCormick Vodka sells so well. Some people prioritize price over quality.

[OkiePoke]

There's a reason why McCormick Vodka sells so well. Some people prioritize price over quality.

I don't think that comparison is very good. It would be more of buying vodka at a liquor store or going to a guy that sells vodka that he makes/buys unregulated on the street corner which happens to be illegal to do so. The liquor store costs more, but way more factors involved than quality.

[jerrywall]

I don't think that comparison is very good. It would be more of buying vodka at a liquor store or going to a guy that sells vodka that he makes/buys unregulated on the street corner which happens to be illegal to do so. The liquor store costs more, but way more factors involved than quality.

But people are making that choice. I'll have to find the article I was reading the other day, but basically it states that illegal street sales of marijuana weren't dropping in areas where it was legalized, and the big reason it stated for that was pricing.

[jerrywall]

Found it -

http://www.cnbcprime.com/marijuana/v...-black-market/

According to the state, only 60 percent of the marijuana consumed in Colorado is sold legally. The rest goes through neighborhood distributors like Ben, or larger operators.

and

Buckland says his pot costs a third of what you’d find in a licensed store.

[checkthat]

Found it -

http://www.cnbcprime.com/marijuana/v...-black-market/



and

Interesting read. The Washington Post recently reported that the price for legal marijuana in Washington is plummetting:

...seasoned drug policy analysts have long predicted this effect. As noted by Caulkins and his colleagues in the book "Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know," prohibition imposes many costs on drug producers. They must operate covertly, forgo advertising, pay higher wages to compensate for the risk of arrest, and lack recourse to civil courts for resolving contract disputes. Legal companies in contrast endure none of these costs and also can benefit from economies of scale that push production costs down.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...is-collapsing/

[jerrywall]

I agree that prices will fall over time. It's why I support the concept of lower initial taxation, in order to be more competitive in the short term with the black market, and then over time increased taxation.

[Bunty]

Has anybody heard how signature collection is going?

KFOR article said 8,000 to 10,000 signatures as of May 31. This is not a fast enough pace to make their goal of 86,000. They need paid signature takers. They might have enough money to put together a mobile crew to go to the bigger small towns in Oklahoma, like they did in 2014.
http://kfor.com/2016/05/31/petition-...uana-underway/

The people behind the two petitions for justice reform, which makes all illegal drug possession a misdemeanor got through early and turned in over 230,000 signatures. They supposedly got money from at least one drug test company.
https://www.okjusticereform.org/upda...big-milestone/

I've gotten 100 signatures, so far, for the medical marijuana petition and a like amount for their other petition. Maybe I would have gotten at least double that, if I was paid per signature.

[TU 'cane]

I've signed the two ballots that OK for Health is pushing. It'll reach a point, I fear, where people will stop signing these and become suspect of their effectiveness if they keep having to do this every year. Only speculating from a layman perspective...

[Plutonic Panda]

http://www.smobserved.com/story/2016...st-1/1484.html

[Plutonic Panda]

This could be bad.

http://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/nig...-cannabis.html

[Bunty]

This could be bad.

http://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/nig...-cannabis.html

Denver Post said the federal non-enforcement policy for recreational marijuana should be continued: http://www.denverpost.com/2016/06/17...ify-marijuana/

[Bunty]

I've signed the two ballots that OK for Health is pushing. It'll reach a point, I fear, where people will stop signing these and become suspect of their effectiveness if they keep having to do this every year. Only speculating from a layman perspective...

They're petitions, not ballots. It was said the corner of NW Expressway and Meridian got nearly 500 signatures in 3 hours last Sunday. Hopefully, more hot corners in OKC are being taken advantage of.

[MrZ]

I wish they had some sort of counter on their website showing an estimate of how many signatures they have. I think some people think this is an easy get and I would hate for the final day to arrive and they are way short.

[Bullbear]

I wish they had some sort of counter on their website showing an estimate of how many signatures they have. I think some people think this is an easy get and I would hate for the final day to arrive and they are way short.

That would be a great idea actually

[Laramie]

I wish they had some sort of counter on their website showing an estimate of how many signatures they have. I think some people think this is an easy get and I would hate for the final day to arrive and they are way short.

Get at least 15% more signatures than required to account for those that will be invalidated.

[OKCRT]

They're petitions, not ballots. It was said the corner of NW Expressway and Meridian got nearly 500 signatures in 3 hours last Sunday. Hopefully, more hot corners in OKC are being taken advantage of.

I drive by that corner all the time and I never see them there. I did see them there last year and off to the side was a OKCPD car sitting. I think that might have intimidated some people from stopping.

[White Peacock]

My wife and I signed the petitions at PRIDE yesterday evening. They seemed to be collecting signatures pretty steadily every time I passed them.

[Bunty]

I wish they had some sort of counter on their website showing an estimate of how many signatures they have. I think some people think this is an easy get and I would hate for the final day to arrive and they are way short.

They're afraid of the psychological impact any number might have on volunteers still getting signatures. Green the vote regularly posted new totals for their petition from last quarter of last year, and doing that sure didn't help them get enough signatures. It was was always indicating signatures not coming in at a fast enough rate. So apparently a lot of volunteers gave up by the time it was half over.

[Bunty]

I drive by that corner all the time and I never see them there. I did see them there last year and off to the side was a OKCPD car sitting. I think that might have intimidated some people from stopping.

In response to signatures not coming in fast enough, they recently set up a tent 24 hr. a day at NW Expressway & Meridian. You might say they got it occupied. That corner has been known to get 1500 to 3000 signatures during weekends from previous efforts. They're looking for other feasible hot OKC corners.

They still need volunteers. With a busy street corner and a big, bold hand held sign, along with a parking lot quite close by, a volunteer can possibly get 20 or more signatures an hour. Hopefully, they will have enough volunteers to get thousands of signatures from the 4th of July events.

If you want to volunteer, they can help you get started at their NW Expressway & Meridian tent, if nobody is at their Warr Acres office.

They're wanting volunteers to go petitioning today, 6/28, outside polling locations. It's legal to do it.

They're still not releasing exact updated totals, But word has it that while signatures are coming in fast enough for the required 66,000, they're not for the goal of 86,000 for padding. So no time for slacking.

[OKCRT]

In response to signatures not coming in fast enough, they recently set up a tent 24 hr. a day at NW Expressway & Meridian. You might say they got it occupied. That corner has been known to get 1500 to 3000 signatures during weekends from previous efforts. They're looking for other feasible hot OKC corners.

They still need volunteers. With a busy street corner and a big, bold hand held sign, along with a parking lot quite close by, a volunteer can possibly get 20 or more signatures an hour. Hopefully, they will have enough volunteers to get thousands of signatures from the 4th of July events.

If you want to volunteer, they can help you get started at their NW Expressway & Meridian tent, if nobody is at their Warr Acres office.

They're wanting volunteers to go petitioning today, 6/28, outside polling locations. It's legal to do it.

They're still not releasing exact updated totals, But word has it that while signatures are coming in fast enough for the required 66,000, they're not for the goal of 86,000 for padding. So no time for slacking.

It appears that they have set up camp at the NE corner of Meridian and NW Expressway. I have seen them there with several tents staked for at least a week now. Looks like they have been signing people up at a steady pace at that location. Even non registered voters can register there and sign.

[Bunty]

It appears that they have set up camp at the NE corner of Meridian and NW Expressway. I have seen them there with several tents staked for at least a week now. Looks like they have been signing people up at a steady pace at that location. Even non registered voters can register there and sign.

As I understand it, Joe Dorman said signing after registering on site is okay, if registration form is left there. The key to getting enough signatures literally lays now in Oklahoma City's hands.

[OKCRT]

As I understand it, Joe Dorman said signing after registering on site is okay, if registration form is left there. The key to getting enough signatures literally lays now in Oklahoma City's hands.

I wonder how many sigs OKC has compared to Tulsa? And why does it rest in OKCs hands now? Did Tulsa stop taking sigs or something? I assume they are hot spots in Tulsa also and I would think they are getting as many if not more than OKC is.

The teachers association was taking sigs earlier in the year and a guy was at Oncue signing one after another. Wonder why the maryjane folks aren't doing that? I assume the teachers were at other places like Walmart parking lots and such as well.