As California opens its market, Washington’s experience serves as a warning. This post from FiveThirtyEight.com explains why legal weed market is tough on small businesses. The business of selling legal weed is big and getting bigger. North Americans spent $6.7 billion on legal cannabis last year, and some analysts think that with California set to open recreational ... Continue Reading
Washington
Lessons From 5 Years of Cannabis Legalization
With 5 years of cannabis legalization behind them, Colorado & Washington agree pot regulation has made for a safer society. This post from Leafly highlights the conclusions reached, with hard data! Monday, November 6, 2017, marks the five-year anniversary of the glorious day in 2012 when Colorado and Washington voted to become the first two US states to legalize ... Continue Reading
Legal Marijuana Businesses Reel Under 70% Fed Taxes
Section 280E of the tax code is making legal marijuana businesses to pay up to 70% in taxes effectively. This post from The Daily Beast highlights how the legit marijuana industry has been crippled by old tax laws. A law passed in the ‘80s to prevent drug dealers from getting tax breaks is now taking a huge chomp out of legitimate outfits in Colorado and ... Continue Reading
Oregon Crosses $3.5M Recreational Pot Sales On First Day
Oregon’s $11M first week recreational pot sales easily outpaced the $5M first week sales of Colorado and $2M first month sales of Washington. This post from The Cannabist turns the spot light on the strong early sales of recreational pot in Oregon. Retailers sold more than $11 million of marijuana during Oregon’s first week of legal recreational sales, outpacing the early ... Continue Reading
Federal Prison for 3 Medical Marijuana Growers in Washington
3 Medical marijuana users, under trial for growing marijuana, have been sentenced to federal prison in a state that has legalized marijuana for medical as well as recreational use. This post from Reason.com highlights the anomalous case of genuine medical marijuana patients being sentenced in a state that tolerates commercial cannabis. On Friday the three remaining ... Continue Reading