The other day Joe Rogan lit a joint on his Podcast, located in Austin Texas – and nobody got arrested! This was a point brought up by one Reddit User in the JRE official Reddit Thread that read; In the great land of Texas where cannabis is strictly forbidden, how does Joe (whom has rubbed shoulders with the governor) get to openly smoke on his podcast without any consequences? [Source]

The Top Response came from someone by the handle of “StudentLoanGambler” who said the following;

Hi Texas native, I currently live in austin and it’s like a drop of Cali in Texas. Lots of hippies and stuff, and the current sheriff has even said (via Twitter) that they will not be pursuing/confiscating low levels of weed. Go outside of Houston though and you will get felonies for having a keif catch in your grinder

This is true, Austin is by far one of the most liberal cities in Texas and they have recently floated the idea of legalizing cannabis in the City, despite the laws of the State. There’s actually a lot of support for cannabis in the state, however, it’s also one of the stricter states when it comes to getting busted.

If you go through the thread, you’ll see a bunch of comments about one thing in particular that sets Texas apart from the rest, “They have Border Patrol inside of the state”.

That’s right, if you drive through Texas, you might get stopped by border patrol coming in from Arizona. This was echoed by another Reddit User called “Sea_Conversation2799” who said;

If anyone is driving cross country through Texas they should look up checkpoints on the highway. There are a few permanent ones that got me a few times with their dogs. I didn’t have much so they let me go but for sure if you’re taking I-10 through Texas with weed. Check online for the inspection stations.. They are permanent structures you can take small roads to avoid.

This was something that a while back, I didn’t know and decided to drive through Texas. Here’s that story I responded to in thread but I’d like to repost here because it’s a good story.

Reginald Reefer’s Run in with the Law in Texas

Yea, that advice would have been splendid the time we decided to drive from Cali to Tampico in Mexico in a van that looked like a dirty version of the Mystery Machine, while sporting long hair, all our instruments and junk in the van, and a nug of some of the stankiest weed out there.

All was well, until we hit Texas…feeling a little antsy, my friend and I decided to take a hit of the Cali weed and rest up for a bit. My friend takes a hit, and passes it to me…I take a hit and as I exhale a dog barks into the window…I look up…”oh fuck!”

My friend froze, he couldn’t make eye contact with the BP agent and I was watching all of this unfold like some bad prank show gone wrong. A few moments of awkwardness turned into , “Could you go park over there…”

The few seconds of “alone time” we had I just said…”okay dude, I hid the weed on me…nothing in the van…don’t say shit!” I wasn’t sure if the message made it past the blank fear-ridden expression written on his face. Doesn’t matter…it’s show time!

I step out of the van, and a “youngling” grabbed me by the arm and wanted to pat me down. I was wearing beach apparel, so I had a wrap around shorts type thing going on with no pockets. Little did rookie realize I had my swimming trunks underneath with the pipe and mini bud securely locked away in plain sight.

When the cop backed off and pulled me to the side…I had the opportunity to watch my friend being man-handled by seven or eight cops, a few dogs walking up and down the van…not finding shit.

The smell of weed was apparent. You didn’t need dogs. But I knew there was no trace of weed in that van.

When they couldn’t find anything – the interrogations began. I wasn’t sure if my friend would crack or not. He was being intimidated by a group of Roid raged thugs and when this bald cock-looking motherfucker came up and told me, “Your friend told us that you have the pipe and the weed” I was put in a difficult situation.

It’s a logical conclusion for the cop to think that if anything, we only would have a pipe or weed on us…however, if my friend did spill the beans and I resisted…I figured that if they were to eventually discover the shit, I’d be in even bigger trouble.

I stood there for a moment and then said, “Eh fuck it…” and I lifted up the wrap-thingy, revealed the hidden pocket and handed the dude the hitter with the 1/10th of a gram of weed we still had left.

The guy guarding me was PISSED! but Fuck him for being shitty at his job!

Now that they finally spent the better part of an hour utilizing 3 canine units and about 7-8 BP officers, they finally discovered the 1/10th of a gram of weed. Your tax dollars hard at work!

Roughly 40 minutes later, the cock-looking motherfucker came back, gave us the keys and told us to fuck off. That it’s a warning.

In that moment, we calmly took the keys….said, “thank you sir” and drove further away until they were no longer in sight.

The relief we felt was palpable and it turns out that the BP officers actually did us a favor, as when we tried to cross the US-Mexico Border, we had to u-turn and then they unpacked the van entirely.

We sat there calmly looking at their effort knowing that Texas Border Patrol already made sure we had nothing in it.

Fuckin Texas!

Do you have a story?

That one experience forever marked my life, it was one of the scariest and luckiest moments in my existence. Since then, I’ve never driven with weed on my person in the state of Texas. Rather, I simply buy at whatever city I land in, because we know prohibition is an abysmal failure and virtually everywhere where weed is illegal – you can buy it.

Hell, even in prison!

Do you have a story about weed and Texas? I’d like to know in the comment section!

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If you reside in a megacity or a small town where cannabis laws have been actively revised, there’s a higher chance you must have seen a cannabis pop-up store. These stores come in various sizes and shapes, be it a stand or a truck, all having logos in bright shades of greens. It seems cannabis pop-ups are now re-emerging with a sense of reprisal two years after the covid pandemic. These cannabis pop-ups have now invented new ways and strategies to appeal to and allure new customers to their stands.

Nearly legal

A large percentage of these cannabis pop-ups are emerging in cities and locations where cannabis has been legalized. Places like adult retail shops and medical dispensaries are common areas for cannabis pop-ups. In cities such as New York where sales of cannabis are unregulated, a lot of these pop-ups are still present.

To have a better understanding of pop-ups, the MJ Business Daily interviewed various people across the cannabis industry. The interview focused on the significance of these pop-ups in the cannabis industry and their marking strategy. The interviewee discussed how the pop-ups creatively advertised to allure prospective and new customers.

According to Jushi Holdings’ chief creative director, Andreas Neumann, he explained that each pop-up is a small event that tells people’s stories. This is why many pop-ups are very creative so that their audience can relate to the story they paint.

With pop-ups, sellers are given the space and flexibility to inventively allow for a creative marketing outcome. For instance Tasteology, a cannabis brand capitalized on Gen Z’s obsession with astrology, using it as a marketing tool. The Tasteligy brand offers Tarot readings in various dispensaries across the country. Another good example is the Luchador brand which tags itself as the Heavyweight Champion of Cannabis, capitalizing on wrestling. The brand organizes free shows on Mexican wrestling to promote people to give THC drops and gummies a trial.

Dealing with the law

As regards cannabis pop-ups, many of which have emerged in New York City are quite dubious. Presently, sellers have taken advantage of the current legal cannabis situation in the state, and law enforcers are not happy about the current events.

According to reports from Gothamist, the Office of Cannabis Management in New York City has tried to regulate these establishments.  The agency is trying to get things under control even when the consequences of these establishments’ actions remain vague. According to the cease memo published, the agency made it clear to the establishments that continuing such activities puts their business at risk of obtaining a license in the legal marijuana market. The memo went on to warn that unlicensed cannabis sale is criminal and may subject the business to likely criminal penalties and significant fines.

While the consequences of owning an unlawful pop-up store are still unknown, enforcement agencies and lawmakers are trying their best to navigate the confusing times. While decriminalization of cannabis is becoming a major focus in New York, the cannabis industry is looking to grow massively. As much as several agencies want to control and regulate the situation, arresting these cannabis sellers might send a bad signal.

New York’s Dilemma

For more than one year now, New Yorkers have remained in legal cannabis anguish. As it stands, the use and possession of cannabis have been revised to be legal in the state. However, there are no state-licensed dispensaries in the state which means cannabis sales are currently illegal.

The legal cannabis bill was enacted into law in March of 2021 by the ex-Governor of the state Andrew Cuomo. The bill makes it legal for adults 21 years and above to use and possess marijuana. The cannabis possession limit is restricted to 24 grams of cannabis concentrate and 3 ounces it cannabis flower. However, the government is yet to issue licenses to any potential dispensary.

To fill up this gap, underground cannabis firms have taken advantage of the situation, selling cannabis at unlicensed shops. Many of these stores are now being found across the city of New York.

The gray area

Several cannabis businesses are taking advantage of the loopholes in New York’s legal cannabis laws. Many of these businesses run privately on social media platforms and websites such as Craigslist. Some, on the other hand, operate with so much confidence in the open, running their business in storefronts or on food trucks on the Big Apple streets.

For instance Street Lawyer Services owned by Lonny Bramzon which offers cannabis-themed digital content and clothing, also offers cannabis to its customers. The store which is located at the lower east end of New York offers cannabis as a gift to its customers who purchase hoodies, t-shirts, and other paraphernalia.

According to Bramson, his establishment is heavy on cannabis content and also a safe place for the community.  The establishment is truly a beautiful thing Bramzon affirmed during his interview with New York Post.

Another cannabis firm in New York is the Empire Cannabis Club. The firm claims to be the state’s first dispensary and a nonprofit organization. Managing two different stores across the city, the firm provides membership services for individuals to consume and purchase cannabis. The company also markers cannabis delivery on its website.

Empire, on its official website, noted that the legislature has granted them the go-ahead to distribute cannabis without profit. Not just that, the company also has a membership service established enabling the firm to acquire marijuana for its members.

Conclusion

Empire Cannabis and Street Lawyer are just two out of multitudes of pop-up cannabis stores across New York City. However, enforcement agents have claimed they all operate on grey areas and that won’t last for long. With more than 50 cease-and-desist memos published in the previous month, the Office of Cannabis Management has criticized the cannabis stores. The OCM via the department spokesperson claims these stores are illegal. To put it simply, this is an exciting time for cannabis enthusiasts but a rambling one for enforcement agents and those looking to just venture into the industry.

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Since the beginning of 2021, there has probably not been an industry that has produced more excitement than cannabis. And it is to see why, as some estimates suggest that yearly weed sales in the United States could experience a three-fold increase between 2019 and 2025, reaching over forty-one billion dollars.

Thirty-seven states gave the green light on medical cannabis during the November election. 19 (plus Guam) out of the 37 also permit the retail sale and consumption of adult-use cannabis. One could correctly suggest that the United States is going green at a highly rapid pace.

Less than seven million of the 335 million people who live in the United States live in areas where cannabis has been legalized to some extent. Those left have three degrees of legalization. There are eleven states with third-degree legalization that have severely limited-access (SLA) programs and have a population of just over 90 million people.

Furthermore, there are twenty more states and two territories (the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) that are purely second-degree medical purposes regimes and have a total population of close to 118 million residents. Lastly, in the 20 first-degree states and territories, which have all allowed recreational marijuana use while simultaneously allowing medicinal use (second-degree), there is a population of almost 150 million people.

Cannabis is Still Illegal in Over a Dozen States in the US

Even though Gallup’s yearly survey recorded an all-time high of 68% of respondents supporting the nationwide legalization of marijuana, there are still over a dozen states who are yet to make weed legal.

In no particular order, these are the states where cannabis is still entirely illegal:

• Georgia

• Indiana

• Kentucky

• Iowa

• Texas

• Idaho

• Wyoming

• Nebraska

• Wisconsin

• South Carolina

• North Carolina

• Tennessee

• Kansas

The annual Gallup cannabis poll reveals widespread support for legalization.

All age groups, all genders, all attained levels of education, and all household earning levels are in support of its legalization. The holdouts are the people who identify as Republicans: Only 48% of Republicans want marijuana legalized nationwide, compared to 83 percent of Democrats and 72 percent of independents. These states are all presently governed by Republicans or have frequently tilted towards that direction in previous elections.

Additionally, just three (Wyoming, Idaho, and Nebraska) of these states make use of the initiative and referendum processes, meaning that the state’s inhabitants have the choice of initiating a ballot measure, collecting signatures, and perhaps having the measure submitted to a general election vote. The remaining states depend wholly on their various Republican Party-led legislatures to bring about a change on the marijuana front.

Will President Biden Stir Up the Marijuana Landscape?

 Will something be done regarding the holdout states? Since the start of the year, cannabis stocks have been on a tear. President Joe Biden entered office last week, and on January 5, both Democratic Party Senate candidates in Georgia won their respective runoff elections. This means that Democrats now have a tight grip on the legislative arm of the federal government. This makes the chance of federal legalization much more plausible on paper than if Republicans had maintained their small Senate majority.

The thing that is most especially worthy of note about the shift is that Republican Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, is severely against marijuana legalization measures and has nearly globally prevented bills or riders with cannabis legislation from getting to the Senate floor for a vote. With the current House Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, cannabis legislation is more likely to make to make progress in the House and with the President. The Senate is still not running in favor of legalization.

However, this does not guarantee that we are going to witness major differences in marijuana policy at the federal level. Washington’s lawmakers are not sure if they will vote along party lines. What is more crucial to note is that President Biden has not given his support for total legalization. During his campaign trail, President Biden advocated for rescheduling and decriminalizing cannabis, which is a long way from legalization.

Regardless of What Occurs, United States Weed Stocks Have a Bright Future Down the Road

Still, if there is a green light at the end of the tunnel, it belongs to marijuana stock investors. At this juncture, marijuana companies are in perfect condition regardless of whether the federal government makes a move or not. So long as the Department of Justice keeps a hands-off approach, which seems to be what will happen under this new administration, weed stocks will be able to freely operate in the thirty-six states where it has been legalized.  Repealing the 280E tax code may be more important for publically traded companies than full Federal legalization.

For instance, the investing community will possibly experience history being made this year by Curaleaf Holdings (CURLF -0.93%), the biggest unadulterated cannabis stock in the United States. Curaleaf is on course to become the first marijuana stock to reach $1 billion in annual sales this year after acquiring the famous Select brand and purchasing privately held multistate operator (MSO) Grassroots. The deal with Grassroots expanded Curaleaf’s presence to 23 states as well, which is almost two-thirds of the present legalized market.

Innovative Industrial Properties (IIPR 3.24 percent), a cannabis-focused real estate investment trust (REIT), is an ancillary player with a good chance of succeeding if Biden simply reschedules cannabis. Innovative Industrial Properties depends on its sale-leaseback program to grow its enterprise. With the program, IIP purchases processing and cultivation facilities from MSOs that need cash and immediately leases the properties back to the sellers. The MSO gained the cash that was desperately needed, while the IIP secured a long-time renter.

The argument is that even huge states like Texas may remain cannabis-free in 2022 and beyond without jeopardizing marijuana companies’ development prospects.

Bottom Line

Even with the massive popularity of cannabis in the United States and worldwide, there are still states with no intention of following the trends. Though the Democrats seemingly have the power now to make legalization a nationwide event, there is no urgency or need to do it, as the nation’s cannabis stocks and revenues are otherwise indifferent to the decisions of these states.

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The 20th of April 2022 marked a disaster ending for the yearly Community Picnic and 420 Rally which was held in Victoria, Australia at Flagstaff Gardens, Melbourne. The event came to a bad ending when enforcement agents sabotaged the activities, hauling off cannabis patients and disobeying the medical cannabis legislation.

In 2016, the Australian parliament revised the Narcotics Drug Act which saw the medical use of cannabis legalized in the country. Before the latest event on April 20th, healthcare professionals, nurses, and doctors are known to prescribe medical cannabis to patients in Victoria’s courtesy of the Narcotics Drug Act. However, specific products still need additional authorization from the commonwealth TGA.

But with the latest happenings at the rally events, a mixed feeling of a call to action and celebration now fills the air. Jason, alias “Ancient Jay”, the man in charge of organizing the Community Picnic and 420 Rally every year had a lot to say about the situation. He affirmed that the event didn’t stop law enforcement agents from arresting individuals smoking cannabis at the community picnic.

Ancient Jay, during the interview with High Times, spoke about the unprofessional conduct of the police. He claimed that the police executed pre-meditated assaults on the most susceptible members during the rally. He reiterated that the police illegally searched and intimidated individuals in the park as well as a patient just recovering from brain surgery.

He also explained how an elderly man was illegally searched in open sight despite him not possessing any illicit drugs or cannabis. Jay furthered that the humiliation the man suffered was apparent as he tried to hide the tears rolling down his face. Ancient Jay himself is an advocate of drug reform and has been using cannabis for the last three decades mainly for medicinal use.

Apart from Ancient Jay, the British tabloid Daily Mail also witnessed a typical incident that involved several officers dragging a man while ignoring his pleas. The man pleaded that he had a prescription that he legally obtained from the pharmacy. He was dragged away and handcuffed without being given a listening ear. After he was released, the man mentioned to the reporter that he was looking to have a wonderful time at the rally given he was a first-timer. But things didn’t turn out as expected.

A spokesperson for the Victorian Police affirmed that police were on the ground at the Flagstaff Gardens to prevent a protest. He affirmed that the man was later released but that was after he was dragged, handcuffed, arrested, and hauled off. This is not the type of treatment many envisioned and advocated for when they pushed for the legalization of cannabis marijuana.

For video evidence, a blogger who was at the rally recorded several incidents and uploaded them on Youtube. The video showed the unprofessional conduct and aggression of the police while the DJ plays some background music. While police aggression was on full display, attendants of the rally called the officers “cowards” and “uniformed thugs” along with other names.

According to Ancient Jay, a major problem since the legalization of medical use of cannabis is accessibility. He believes that the provision put in place allows for situations where patients’ rights can be outright ignored. He went on to say that the latest action of the police at the rally shows that many don’t fully recognize medical cannabis.

Ancient Jay affirmed that the police’s aggressive approach towards the rally is a pointer to a lack of empathy and understanding towards vulnerable community members.

TROG, a psychedelic artist located in Victoria, and with several connections with cannabis communities was also affected by the situation. In his interview with High Times, he explained that incidents like that are not supposed to be happening in this era. He believes enough information is not available which shows cannabis isn’t harmful.

Australians’ Support for Legalized Cannabis

According to a survey and report published in 2019, about half of Australians believe the Australian government should legalize marijuana. The survey revealed that exactly 41.1% of Australians want cannabis legalized — a significant increase in acceptance rate compared to when the question was first asked in 2013.

Researchers in Australia have always looked into changes in public perception towards the use of drugs over time. The survey, which is carried out by the National Drug Strategy Household Survey every two or three years since the 80s was last conducted in 2019.

Taking a look at the survey, data revealed that approval ratings of cannabis jumped from 25.5% in 2013 to 41.1% in 2019 – an almost doubled significant increase in acceptance. The number of individuals who indicated that they’ve tried out cannabis at some point has also slightly increased in the last two decades. The figure increased from 33.5% (2001) to 38% (2019).

According to a professor at the University of NSW’s National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Don Weatherburn, cannabis is now becoming popular, courtesy of the law being less draconian. He affirmed that a lot of states have not established schemes for positive orientation about cannabis. As a result, the stigmatization of the herb has reduced significantly since the 80s.

Another factor Weatherburn highlighted is the fact those who first tried cannabis are now in positions of power across major institutions and government agencies. Citing the US as an example, the country previously had stringent laws against marijuana but so much has changed. Now, several dispensaries have been established across the country selling cannabis legally.

Support for cannabis use continues to grow and researchers can find solid arguments for such growth. Meanwhile, the analysis also indicated that support for other illegal drugs is at an all-time low.

Weatherburn analyzed that while support for legalizing cocaine and ecstasy is considerably low, the stats have slightly increased since 2013. The 2019 survey recorded that 9.5% of Australians were in support of legalizing cocaine and ecstasy compared to 81% in 2013.

The survey also revealed a significant increase in the support for education and treatment rather than punitive penalties and prison. While people are not in support of these drugs, they would love for a different approach to be undertaken other than the conventional fines and imprisonment.

Another survey carried out by Essential Research, an online polling company, between the 30th of March and the 2nd of April, 2022 proves positive. About 50% of the respondents believe a full cannabis reform should take place in the country.

Conclusion

Even though cannabis has been made legal for medical use in Australia, the events of the Rally are a pointer that more public education needs to be done in the country. It’s one thing to legalize cannabis, and it’s another to fight stigmatization.

As long as cannabis users are still stigmatized, events like this will continue to happen and hopefully, it doesn’t get worse than it is already. The public, most especially enforcement agents need to learn the truth about cannabis otherwise, harassment like this will continue to happen.

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Greece Pharmacies To Sell Medical Cannabis

The Greek government has poured significant investments for producing medical cannabis, with the hopes it would contribute around $1.67 million each year for the country’s revenues.

The Greek Minister for Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis disclosed to Greek Reporter that they would soon be producing and selling cannabis this year. “The goal is for Greece to become the top European country in the production of medical cannabis. Greece’s environment is friendly for this particular plant and we think we will have a natural advantage,” he said.

He went on to explain that Tikun Europe invested a large amount of money in Corinth, while they are also waiting on two more investments from Canada and the UK to begin production for medical cannabis. Tikun Europe’s office in Greece was founded in 2018; this subsidiary of Israeli company Tikun Olam, a leader in cannabis research and development. Georgiadis told Greek Reporter that foreigners visiting the country will be able to use the plant and buy it from pharmacies though “the only condition being that they have a prescription from their doctor.” Unlike other cities including Amsterdam, cannabis users have to go to specialty shops to buy their medicine.

Cannabis Decriminalization Called For In Taiwan

Green Sensation, a cannabis advocacy group in Taiwan, is calling for cannabis to be decriminalized so that it can legally be used for medical purposes. On April 16th, they held a press event, emphasizing that cannabis should be removed from the anti-drug campaigns.

Chung Ho-Yun, spokesman for the group, also says that medicinal cannabis products containing no more than 0.3% THC should be legalized, reports Focus Taiwan. He explains that the Taiwanese government’s laws regarding cannabis aren’t standardized given that the Ministry of Justice is still punishing cannabis users. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Welfare provides special approval for certain people to import CBD medications.

Focus Taiwan also reports that Zoe Lee, a renowned human rights lawyer who is also a member of the local Green Party, believes that the Ministry of Justice has a bias against cannabis and calls for its decriminalization.

Nepal Wants To End Marijuana Ban

In 1973, cannabis dispensaries in Kathmandu were shut down after Washington launched the war on drugs. It was also the result of Washington pressuring foreign governments to do the same.

Nepal, once a popular stop in the hippie trail, a popular route including destinations where foreign travelers could easily access marijuana, had to change its stance which didn’t do any good for the country. Cannabis has long been part of culture and tradition with the Nepalese people, as the plant grows wild and the local communities have been using parts of its plant since ancient times to make clothing, food and even in Ayurvedic medicine.

“It is not justifiable that a poor country like ours has to treat cannabis as a drug,” said Birodh Khatiwada, Nepalese Health Minister, to the AFP. “Our people are being punished… and our corruption increases because of smuggling as we follow decisions of developed countries that are now doing as they please.”

Khatiwada helped push the first parliamentary move to end the ban on the drug in January 2020. Two months after, a bill was proposed which would partially legalize it. Unfortunately, efforts have been stalled, prompting the home ministry to call for a study into the medicinal benefits of the plant.

“It is a medicine,” says renowned activist Rajiv Kafle, who has HIV. He has long been advocating for the legalization of the drug since he has been able to use cannabis for treating his symptoms. “So many patients are using it, but they are forced to do it illegally,” he told the AFP. “They can get caught anytime.”

“The ban destroyed an important income source in this region,” adds a farmer located in the western Dang district. “It ignored how it was part of our culture and everyday life, not just… an intoxicant.”

London Mayor Considers Cannabis Legalization

London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, has just announced that they want to study legalization of cannabis after he was inspired from a trip to a grow facility and dispensary while in Los Angeles, reports High Times. Because of this, he commissioned a group dedicated to studying the legalization of the plant, and nominated an official from the Labour Party to spearhead the efforts.

While in Los Angeles, he was able to learn about the many types of cannabis products available in legal dispensaries. He said that the group he commissioned would study London’s drug laws to see how legalization can benefit drug-related harms.

“The illegal drugs trade causes huge damage to our society and we need to do more to tackle this epidemic and further the debate around our drug laws,” he explained. “That’s why I am in LA to see first-hand the approach they have taken to cannabis.”

The commission he appointed will be responsible for collecting data on cannabis legalization around the world, while analyzing public health benefits the plant may have. They will also assess techniques to employ so that abuse can be prevented, and how law enforcement should be carried out. Any recommendations they have found will be sent to City Hall as well as public health officials, law enforcement, and government officials. The London Drugs Commission is expected to make their first report by next year.

Amsterdam’s Mayor Wants To Ban Coffeeshops Selling Pot To Tourists

Amsterdam’s Mayor Femke Halsema wants to start banning coffeeshops that sell cannabis to tourists, explaining that it should only be available for residents so that the coffeeshop industry is regulated as well as separated from any relaxing of cannabis policies, reports the NLtimes.

Halsema believes that the fact that more than 3 million foreign tourists come to Amsterdam each year contribute to a risk in serious crime. “There is a worrying interdependence between the soft and hard drug trade: money from the lucrative cannabis trade easily finds its way into hard drugs,” she said in a letter.

However, the Bureau Breur & Intraval said that the move would impact coffeeshops seriously, affecting their bottom line, which is already challenging in a city notorious for high rent. There are 166 coffee shops in the city but research shows they only need 66 of them to cater to the existing demand, leading researchers to conclude that it would be inevitable for some coffeeshops to go bankrupt.

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What Will Happen to Dispensaries with Federal Legalization? – Look North, Young Man, Look North!

Interesting piece put out by the COVA POS ordering system and LinkedIn polling over the 4/20 holiday.  Highway 33 organized the data in easy-to-use infographics, and while the US market is choppy and could be explained over the past year with state-by-state legalization and then the COVID pandemic, Canada is a screaming warning to the US cannabis industry on what full Federal legalization looks like after a few years. 

While Canadian cannabis users have a massive illicit market, as well as a massive oversupply of legally grown weed that is getting sold in dispensaries. As we have talked about ad nauseum at Cannabis.net, the margin compression game will be coming to America any year now and investors, owners, managers, and everyone else better be ready for lower retail prices, lower profit margins, a bigger illicit market that will become even tougher to crack down on, and higher taxes. As Highway 33 printed and summarized the findings:

However, in 2022, the overall sales per store and average basket size declined a bit in both countries. This can likely be attributed to the following factors:

1. The cannabis retail markets in Canada and some legacy American states are reaching saturation, as consumers are spoilt for choice. Cannabis shops in Manitoba recently outnumbered Tim Hortons stores, and Ontario’s cannabis market has grown exponentially from just a few stores in 2020 to over one thousand in 2022.

2. During the pandemic, Americans and Canadians received a lot of stimulus cheques from their governments and had excess money to spend on cannabis while they were locked indoors due to restrictions. As we revert to a certain sense of normal, people are likely spending more money on other regular recreational activities now.

3. In 2022, we’re witnessing the highest inflation in decades, which is likely another factor impacting the average basket size on 4/20/2022 in both the US and Canada.

4. People likely stockpiled over the Easter weekend, which was just a few days before 420.

If you look at the first graphic, the drop in margin, orders, and profit of legal cannabis in Canada is breathtakingly stunning to say the least.

Now, fast forward to a second graphic Highway 33 used from MJ BIZ, the profitability of MSOs in America right now.  Check the revenue numbers from 2020 to 2021, they look great! Now check out the fact that only 2 MSOs are actually profitable, and those two are needing close to a billion in revenue to turn a profit.  Let that sink in, an MSO right now has to start getting in the billio- dollars-in-revenue neighborhood to start showing decent profits.

That is before full Federal legalization in the US, before interstate commerce kicks in, a bigger illicit market, and consumers having many more options to get cannabis compared to what they have right now.

You have Canada, just to the north of us, to show you what happens when you have way to much cannabis for your population.  Canada barely has more people than the state of California, but it acts as a great future-looking experiment for the American cannabis industry.  Want even worse news if you are a brick-and-mortar cannabis company?  Interstate commerce will destroy walk-in retail like Amazon did to the standard US shopping mall.  What happens when international commerce starts and low cost-of-labor, low cost of electricity, and areas that have sunny days 330 days a year come online and start exporting cannabis. Columbian companies claim to be able to grow premium outdoor cannabis for a $1 a gram. That will decimate margins of US cannabis growers that need to abide by labor laws, electrical prices, testing, non-pesticide use, etc.

If margin compression and market saturation will also be the future of the US cannabis industry, what can a business do to protect its market share and profits?  As we have mentioned before on this site, if the margins are compressing on the bottom line, you need to find some margin on the top line, acquiring a customer for a $0.01 and not $50.  That is where cannabis sites with organic internet traffic that can convert those eyeballs to orders will win the day.  The MSO that grabs up as much digital real-estate in the cannabis industry will be able to build out those sites into millions of views per day and turn those page-views into customers.  Take internet traffic from the biggest cannabis websites and send them to a one of your dispensaries near them or ship them orders through your rewards program and online shopping cart.

In the end, cannabis is a commodity, and commoditization has already begun in mature legal states.  The sales data shows it, the customer surveys also all show it.  Customers remember price, effect, and how far they had to go to get the product.  They don’t care about your packaging, your story, or if “your weed is so much better than anything out there”.  Price, desired effect, how long did it take me to get it, that is what all customer surveys have shown so far in the cannabis industry.  Budweiser and Bud Light make up 90% of beer sales in America, not because it is the best tasting beer or has the best packaging.  It is cheap, it is always close, and it gets the desired job, or effect, done.

COMMODITIZATION AND SATURATION IS THE FUTURE, READ MORE…

CANNABIS PRICE COMMODITIZATION HAS BEGUN IN AMERICA, READ THIS!