Black Market MMJ - This is not the solution you are looking for

Today we take a look at some of the factors that fuel the Black Market, the pitfalls of Black Market MMJ and the benefits of purchasing from a licensed and regulated Cannabis business.

The first and most obvious risk of purchasing MMJ on the Black Market is the fact that it is illegal. Even if you purchase an amount under the legal possession limit, you can still face fines and jail time. Black Market sales endanger the entire legal Cannabis system by inviting oversight and enforcement from federal agencies. Despite state and local laws, Cannabis / Medical Marijuana is still a federally illegal substance.

Lets face it, it's nice to have a safe and secure place, with regular hours to purchase your Cannabis from. Black Market sales can take place anywhere from a Wal-Mart parking lot to a dark alley, not everyone "has a friend" who can "hook it up". While the vast majority of people in this world are good people, not everyone has your best interests at heart. Medical patients waiting around with large sums of cash make an easy target for theft and assault. While reports of this scenario happening are low, they have been reported and are more frequent in areas without legal access. Retail stores are required to provide safe environments, with features like controlled access points, plenty of lighting around the building and security cameras to ensure the safety of their customers.

Price.

Price is the primary factor for the success of Black Market sales. When I-502 was launched in Washington, retail prices were astronomical at $30 a gram, compared to the $10-$12 grams at MMJ dispensaries. As the program has progressed, there have been market adjustments to the pricing, which is now roughly $10-$15 a gram. The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) in an effort to stay competitive, has worked to reduce consumer costs by reconfiguring the tax structure imposed on the supply chain. However, in the immediate future, when hundreds of Medical collectives are being ordered to close, where does that MMJ go (it can't enter the legal marketplace, which leaves the alternative, the Black Market) and how will it effect retail pricing?

Lack of access has always been a driving factor of Black Market sales. Before consolidating the Washington MMJ program into the Adult-use market (effective July 1, 2016), the state estimated anywhere from 1200-2000 unregulated Medical Marijuana dispensaries. MMJ dispensaries will need to apply for a new license or close business in the coming months. Some MMJ dispensaries have already been forcibly closed.

That number of Medical Marijuana outlets is in stark contrast to the number of operating I-502 stores. The previous cap of 334 Adult-use stores has been raised by the WSLCB to 556 stores, however, of the original 334 licenses, only a fraction have reported any sales. To fill those additional spots, applications are being accepted until March 31. Since it began accepting applications Oct. 12, 2015, the WSLCB has received over 1,200 applications for the remaining 200+ available licenses. All of these numbers equal a big mess and it doesn't take a mathematician to see the potential problems that will feed Washington's Black Market. On top of that, many of the existing I-502 outlets are clustered along the I-5 corridor making access in rural areas even harder.

The answer is more access points. More access, more competition, lower prices. Free Market.

Now that we understand some of the factors that help the black-market to stay active, we must not fail to express the enormous advantage patients have in regards to quality of medicine when they purchase Cannabis from a licensed outlet. The three main advantages would be variety, potency testing and toxin screening.

Strain variety and the ability to have consistent access to strain variety is an important component to a beneficial medicating regimen. Each patient will have a unique tolerance and desire for strength of Cannabis. Not every patient will want Cannabis that provides a sedative effect, some may desire no psychoactive effect at all. A Black Market dealer is not able to provide the variety and consistency necessary that allows MMJ patients to explore different strains and make educated decisions on what strain types may work best for their needs.

Black Market dealers also lack the variety of options for medicating. Retailers offer edibles, lotions, patches, tinctures, oil cartridges, concentrates and more. All of these products are crafted under strict guidelines and are created in certified professional kitchens. Quality and cleanliness can not be assumed or expected from the illegal markets. Many of the CBD related products are unavailable as well, due to the lack of demand in the retail market for a product that produces little to no psychoactive effects.

Other products, like concentrates and oils are produced under highly dangerous environments which employs the use of pressurized flammable gasses. With no oversight, equipment training requirements or basic understanding of science, illegal concentrate manufacturers run a legitimate risk of blowing up the building. Sadly, this happens at least a few times a month somewhere in the US. Black Market sales encourages this type of risky behavior.

Another distinct advantage retail outlets offer over the Black Market is potency testing. When it comes to illegal sales, the question is, does it look good, smell good? That is hardly an accurate standard by which you want to create a dosage regimen. Accurate testing and labeling allows patients to isolate effective THC percentages for their bodies as well as effective ratios between THC, CBD and various other cannabinoids. Knowing the numbers also aides in strain selection and recommendations.

Quiet possibly the largest advantage for patients with compromised immune systems (or anybody really) is the screening for pesticides and mycotoxins performed on all products carried at the retail outlets. Mold, mildew, bugs, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and additives are just a few of the hazards undetectable to the human eye, that can possibly be in your Black Market bag of Cannabis. All of which can do damage to a persons health. Even in regulated markets, there have been product recalls. Recent studies have shown pesticides used on plant material can become concentrated in many of the shatters, waxes and oils (concentrated products) if not purged correctly. Just a few weeks ago, Washington faced it's first recall for pesticide tainted product.

This suggests two things, first, is that the product testing system is serving it's intended function and catching tainted Cannabis. The second is that in the world of for profit business, plant yield and artificial methods to increase and preserve yields may take precedence over a truly organic growing process. Considering there is no oversight or accountability on the Black Market, there is little deterrent from these chemicals winding up in the end product. When the option to purchase tested and clean Cannabis products is out there, it's not worth rolling the dice on the Black Market, no matter how cheap it is. Again, cheap doesn't always mean good. If the case is being made that Cannabis has medicinal potential, the importance of purity and lack of contaminants is contingent on that.

To bring this a full 360, Black Market Cannabis is illegal, can put you at risk of being robbed, hasn't been tested for potency, could possibly contain contaminants and the money collected doesn't go toward benefitting the legal Cannabis or local communities. In fact, it's proliferation could bring the entire legal Cannabis experiment to an end at the hands of federal regulators.

Washington voters were negligent for not demanding a provision in the I-502 law that allows for small home grows. Producing your own plants is not only a therapeutic endeavor for many, it is the only way to know exactly what went into your medicine. We hope this will change in the future. Many low income patients would also be able to relieve some of their financial burden if they could legally grow their own plants. If you can buy it at the store, but not grow it at home, is it truly legalized?

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