# This is why I cannot stand the MMJ industry , they do not want full legalization



## TreeOfLiberty (Jul 27, 2013)

[h=1]Big Marijuana lobby fights legalization efforts[/h]
Pot legalization activists are running into an unexpected and ironic opponent in their efforts to make cannabis legal: Big Marijuana.
Medical marijuana is a billion-dollar industry  legal in 18 states, including California, Nevada, Oregon and Maine  and like any entrenched business, its fighting to keep what it has and shut competitors out. Dispensary owners, trade associations and groups representing the industry are deeply concerned  and in some cases actively fighting  ballot initiatives and legislation that could wreck their business model.

That pits them against full legalization advocates, who have been hoping to play off wins at the ballot box last fall in Colorado and Washington state that installed among the most permissive pot laws in the world. Activists are hoping to pass full legalization measures in six more states by 2016.
From the point of view of dispensary owners, legalization laws  depending on how theyre written  can have little immediate upside and offer plenty of reasons for concern. For one, their businesses  still illegal under federal law  benefit from exclusive monopolies on the right to sell legal pot, but state measures still dont end the risks of an FBI raid or Internal Revenue Service audit. Meanwhile, those same federal laws that prohibit growing, selling and using keeps pot prices high.
This spring, the Medical Marijuana Caregivers of Maine joined the usual coalition of anti-pot forces of active law-enforcement groups, social conservatives and public health advocates to oppose a state bill that would legalize possession of small quantities of the drug. The medical marijuana lobby argued that criminal organizations would start smuggling pot to neighboring states, and they complained that the bills tax plan was unworkable and unfair.

The main objections came from the fact that the bill was not built around Maines medical marijuana industry, Paul McCarrier, a lobbyist for the medical marijuana caregivers group, told POLITICO. Philosophically, were not opposed to the decriminalization of marijuana, but the devil is in the details.
Full legalization advocates, like the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, say its all about the money.
There are people who are benefiting financially and would prefer to see nothing change that, said Erik Altieri, communications director for NORMLs northeast chapter.
NORML believes the only way to truly ensure access for those patients who need cannabis for medical purposes is to legalize its use for all adults, he added. This will provide every adult safe and convenient access to quality cannabis, regardless of whether or not their state legislators think their specific condition qualifies. 
There wasnt always a major divide in the cannabis camp. The two sides of the movement have long worked together on de-scheduling marijuana as a controlled substance and stopping federal raids on legal dispensaries.
Many owners of medical marijuana dispensaries got their start in the broader anti-drug war movement and are still on the same intellectual side of the issue  working to de-criminalize pot.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/big-marijuana-lobby-fights-legalization-efforts-94816.html



The MMJ industry, the dispensary owners, the For-Profit MMJ growers and sellers know that full legalization will lower the selling price. They do not care about the masses getting locked up for "recreational use and growing". They only care about profits. It's going to bring a smile to my face when full legalization starts spreading and the MMJ dispensaries see primo bud drop to $50 an oz. 

New Hampshire recently passed MMJ , but home growing is banned. This means the dispensaries can keep prices jacked up knowing that the public who has approval for MMJ, cannot save money by growing cheaply at home and thus has to pay the highway robbery prices in the dispensaries. Same thing applies with full legalization with recreational use. When any adult can pop seeds and grow their own legally , it knocks a major dent in the marijuana industry all across the board and prices plummet. I've been saying this the past few years about the MMJ industry being greedy and anti-TOTAL legalization.


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## TWS (Jul 27, 2013)

If I can't grow I don't want it Legal !


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## Gravity Man (Jul 29, 2013)

It truly is all about money. Honestly, I can't say I'd react any differently if placed in the same position. I like to think that I would do the right thing for the marijuana community, but if I had started and grown a healthy business, I could only see legalization as a direct threat to my livelihood. I'm sure that some of them see it this way. Legalization would certainly put a damper on the MMJ business. 

I would like to see full legalization, and I think that it would create a more robust marijuana business in general. Imagine the possibility of actual marijuana establishments. For example, Weedza Hut, "Weed is in the crust!", or even a marijuana subscription service with a guarantee of quality weed on a weekly or monthly basis. In essence, full legalization could provide more variety in the way in which we consume our favorite plant.

Anyway, this is all about money. If I was in the same position, I probably wouldn't want things to change either. I would have an enormous amount of pride in my venture, and I would want to defend it and ensure that it continues to grow. 

But, as a broke pothead... Fuck'em. 

I'm not condoning their actions, I'm just stepping into their shoes for a few minutes.


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## Mile High City (Jul 29, 2013)

it is just two sides fighting over money.. Decriminalization is for the people


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## Magnetar (Jul 30, 2013)

I am for decriminalization of possession and use of marijuana. And I think everyone that wants should be able to grow it and sell it.
But I will vote no on unlimited plants. The Federal limit of 99 plants per person seems fair enough for everyone involved.
There has to be a limit or the corps will just run over the little people. If they want to grow 99 plants per person they can grow too.


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## ShopWhor3 (Aug 1, 2013)

Magnetar said:


> I am for decriminalization of possession and use of marijuana. And I think everyone that wants should be able to grow it and sell it.
> But I will vote no on unlimited plants. The Federal limit of 99 plants per person seems fair enough for everyone involved.
> There has to be a limit or the corps will just run over the little people. If they want to grow 99 plants per person they can grow too.


couldn't have said it better


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## Vincent VonBlown (Aug 3, 2013)

There is so much weed out there now, with everyone running out to be a legal grower... Way more product then the dispenceries need. It's the kind of amount, that needs to be sold in a total legal situation. Even then the price will probably keep falling.


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## kinetic (Aug 8, 2013)

Vincent VonBlown said:


> There is so much weed out there now, with everyone running out to be a legal grower... Way more product then the dispenceries need. It's the kind of amount, that needs to be sold in a total legal situation. Even then the price will probably keep falling.


Uraguay's government is going to be selling it at the equivalent of $2.5 a gram to combat the black market.


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## SayNoToDrugs (Aug 10, 2013)

as long as laws are made, there are going to be citizens to break them


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## madprofessor (Aug 13, 2013)

wow these people are the biggest hypocrites ever and need to be shot


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## Collisto's Orbit (Aug 23, 2013)

Big business should be able to grow hemp on a massive scale for the purposes of reaping food, fuel, fiber, paper, and medicine. Try to wrap your mind around what hemp means to the world just looking at it from those aspects. The industries that currently provide the planet with those macro-resources are putting much effort into keeping hemp's value as competition down. So don't take it personally when the MMJ or black-market industries wish to keep it down as well. They all want to operate without the competition.


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## mkbinc1971 (Aug 23, 2013)

I have heard quote's in the state' with the med thing "i'm a patient,not a criminal" WTF? so... i'm a criminal because I smoke to relax and it doesn't do anything medical for me? I dispise alchohol and choose to relax this way. I guess that if that's their rational then fuck'em!


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## TreeOfLiberty (Aug 23, 2013)

Collisto's Orbit said:


> Big business should be able to grow hemp on a massive scale for the purposes of reaping food, fuel, fiber, paper, and medicine. Try to wrap your mind around what hemp means to the world just looking at it from those aspects. The industries that currently provide the planet with those macro-resources are putting much effort into keeping hemp's value as competition down. So don't take it personally when the MMJ or black-market industries wish to keep it down as well. They all want to operate without the competition.


I hate the Feds and it's wrong when they carry out raids on MMJ dispensaries, but at the same time I feel no sympathy for the MMJ dispensaries when they get raided because of their stance against full legalization. Full legalization is the only thing that's going to stop marijuana users from being arrested. When I moved to Colorado in 2009, this was right before the new CDPHE rules happened in 2010. Right when I arrived , all you needed to get into and buy from a dispensary was just a recommendation and you did not need the state MMJ registry red card. By the middle of 2010, the state put forth new rules which required dispensaries to only sell to red card registered MMJ applicants.Also, caregivers could no longer grow for profit, only for compensation of power and supplies as well as a 5 person cap for who they could supply. The MMJ dispensary owners were all behind this as it cut out A LOT of their mom n' pop closet growers that sold MMJ on Craigslist who were their competition, when I moved here in 2009, there was a MOTHER-LOAD of solo-growers selling MMJ on Craigslist everyday of the week.

When the new rules by the CDPHE came out in 2010, I think that played a big part in helping A64 get passed in 2012, for one , a lot of people don't like having to register to be able to buy weed, and two, most of the solo-growers that sold could no longer do so without possible legal trouble. I've grown my own since I've been in Colorado in 2009, even grew before when I lived in GA. I never sold any. To me it's about having the freedom to use and grow your own supply and to see the arrests stop. I see the MMJ industry as fighting to keep the drug war going for the sake of their profits. I'm looking at the entire nation with legalization going from state to state. It's more important for the nation to have their freedom than a few thousand MMJ dispensary owners scattered over a few states to keep their greedy profits. 

I don't want to see the Feds raid the MMJ dispensaries, I'd rather the see the MMJ dispensaries willfully close their doors because prices drop so low that they think it's not worth it to do business. In a few years I think I'm going to see it come true because there will be so many growers from legalized states the MMJ will be done and there will be so much supply that MMJ patients or recreational users will be paying super cheap prices for primo sticky ganja.


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## JackTheBongRipper (Aug 28, 2013)

In response to TreeOfLiberty:


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## JackTheBongRipper (Aug 28, 2013)

On a personal note: I convinced my 67 year old mother, who was a nurse for 40 years, to vote yes on amendment 64. 

I made it my personal crusade to get everyone I know to vote in an intelligent way on at least one issue. It worked. People have opened their minds and it will not stop.


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## DOMSWOOZ (Sep 11, 2013)

TWS said:


> If I can't grow I don't want it Legal !


I second that...


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## wingnut#1 (Sep 12, 2013)

they are still stonewalling us.if they decrimanalize through fediral goverment that leaves them with the legal edge.that means they can still shut evrything down,and believe me they will if we breath wrong.it will be leagal fedarally but that may take time


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## Rob Roy (Oct 29, 2013)

Magnetar said:


> I am for decriminalization of possession and use of marijuana. And I think everyone that wants should be able to grow it and sell it.
> But I will vote no on unlimited plants. The Federal limit of 99 plants per person seems fair enough for everyone involved.
> There has to be a limit or the corps will just run over the little people. If they want to grow 99 plants per person they can grow too.



Why is it anyone's business what or how much another person grows or consumes or gives away or sells to a willing buyer? Would you join the prohibitionists and adopt their mindset and use violence against people that do things different than you would have them?


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## Toking Swede (Oct 30, 2013)

Very interesting thread! I'm absolutely for decriminalization of all kinds, but still think it should be regulated and sold at dispensaries only to anyone who wants to purchase, and at the same time creating a tax revenue that can help fight drugs coming in from the cartels. Supply and demand will push down the prices and force sub-quality vendors out of business; medical MJ should be sold at reduced prices like any other medicine out there. MJ should be regulated much like alcohol is; you should be able to buy it in bars and dispensaries at a certain age, but of course not driving while under influence. 

Just my two cents  

/P


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## vuttomundo (Nov 8, 2013)

At least its not Project Sam who wants to take away BOTH MEDICAL AND RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA! Theyre now running a nationwide disinformation campaign to sway people and turn the general public into your enemy! Project Sam wants to take away the rights of patients to use, buy, possess and grow natural plant based marijuana. They want to shut down all those mom and pop dispensaries that carries all the good stuff like pot brownies, pot sodas and every variety of strain imaginable. At least with the medical marijuana industry youll still have the real medical marijuana in case you get some terminally illness that might be helpful for you Thats a trillion times better than having the real medical marijuana taken away and being forced to buy the phony Big Pharma Marinol and Sativex which Project Sam promotes.

Whoever in the medical marijuana business thats fighting against full legalization is a saint compared to Project Sam! At least with the medical marijuana people doing whatever theyre doing, you still get to keep medical marijuana which Project Sam wants to take away.


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## mangojuice (Nov 10, 2013)

Legalization opens up old markets and new possibilities in many ways, not just the legalizing of weed itself. It is similar to the grassroots agriculture movement: grow locally - buy locally. It is not new. Grassroots agriculture would bring up the economy in many poor rural areas. I know school boys who don't have a snow ball's chance in hell of getting ahead from the poverty they were born in but if given the chance and the tools they could boost not only their own income but the average income of the entire region - if weed were legal. Gangs would disappear.

Dairies and family farms shut down at a rate of hundreds a day, leaving many unemployed, disadvantaged and robbing an area of revenue not to mention direct to consumer, "farm fresh" products. Market gardens and farmers markets aren't a new fad, they are an old, old life sustaining, economy sustaining way of life. I can't eat the junk fruits and vegetables at the supermarket. I can't afford the so-called organics at the over-priced supermarkets.But I can grow my own. And if allowed to grow my own, I could sell my surplus locally. Whether it is tomatoes, potatoes or anything else. It is even illegal to sell milk from your own cow or goat locally. A farm can be raided and shut down for selling milk, just like if they were selling heroine. 

So while there are many arguments for and against legalization of marijuana, it comes down to the local economy. Why some people are so greedy they want way more than their share of wealth that they will deprive entire geographic regions of a livelihood. It can be weed or milk or eggs.What makes weed especially valuable is that it takes from corporate pharmaceuticals a disgusting profit margin from drugs that are legal, dangerous and deadly and places a divine medicine in the hands of the common folk.... that too is a very old, very old life sustaining, economy sustaining way of life. 

But this shouldn't be a money argument. To turn it into a money argument is a fallacy that diverts attention from its actual wealth. It is an argument about freedom and quality of life. A family having enough to live on, a community that isnt enslaved by gvt. laws, a medicine that relieves deblitating symptoms.... but it is so wrapped around the greed mindset, the western notion of power and control, that money is put at the forefront of the justification for keeping the status quo.


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## Stegjven (Nov 18, 2013)

Decriminalization is for the people


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